Author: Sarah Courbet

Litter Pick – Saturday 1st September 2012

Litter in Brandwood End Cemetery
Litter in Brandwood End Cemetery

The Friends carry out four litter picks each year and we really need your help to keep the Cemetery tidy for family and visitors.  You don’t have to be a member just willing to help out for 90 minutes.  Litter pickers and bags are provided!

Please put the date in your diary and come along if you can.  All you need is sturdy shoes, gloves and suitable outdoor clothing!

We meet at the Lodge at 10.00am and are generally finished by 11.30.

We are in need of all the help we can get to keep the Cemetery looking clean and tidy.

See you there?

Litter Pick – Sunday 17th June 2012

Litter in Brandwood End Cemetery
Litter in Brandwood End Cemetery

The Friends carry out four litter picks each year and we really need your help to keep the Cemetery tidy for family and visitors.  You don’t have to be a member just willing to help out for 90 minutes.  Litter pickers and bags are provided!

Please put the date in your diary and come along if you can.  All you need is sturdy shoes, gloves and suitable outdoor clothing!

We meet at the Lodge at 10.00am and are generally finished by 11.30.

We are in need of all the help we can get to keep the Cemetery looking clean and tidy.

See you there?

The Social Media Surgery is the latest winner of the Prime Minister’s Big Society Award.

We are delighted that Podnosh, our website developers, and a firm supporter of the Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery have won a Big Society Award.

The first Social Media Surgery was organised by Birmingham entrepreneur Nick Booth in 2008. Having set up his own successful social media company, Podnosh, Nick wanted to help charities and other voluntary groups to make the most of social media to support their work.  For many local groups social media is a much cheaper and more effective way of reaching target groups than traditional communications.  With support from the Birmingham Bloggers group, he held the first ‘social media surgery’ in Birmingham in October 2008.  These are very informal events bringing together people with web expertise and the desire to share it with people who need help to get their community group online. No lectures, no curriculum, just a relaxed space where people can learn together.

The surgeries were incredibly popular and led Nick to create the Social Media Surgery Plus website to help people all over the country to coordinate their own events.  Surgeries are now held in 60 locations around the UK with nearly 400 volunteer “surgeons” giving their time to help nearly 1,700 local groups and active citizens take advantage of the internet to support their cause.

Nick Booth contact details. nick.booth@podnosh.com

To read the full story, and see our very own mention on Number 10’s website, read on here…

First Litter Pick of 2012 – Saturday 10th March

Litter in Brandwood End Cemetery
Litter in Brandwood End Cemetery

To ensure we have plenty of support we are posting our first Litter Pick of the New Year!

Please put the date in your diary and come along if you can.  All you need is sturdy shoes, gloves and suitable outdoor clothing!

We meet at the Lodge at 10.00am and are generally finished by 11.30.

We are in need of all the help we can get to keep the Cemetery looking clean and tidy.

See you there?

 

New Village Square in Kings Heath is revealed

FBEC Paver in Kings Heath Village Square
FBEC Paver in Kings Heath Village Square

The crowds turned out for the opening of the new Village Square in Kings Heath which lies on land that was formerly part of All Saints Churchyard. The project began a number of years ago after concern by church members that they were becoming remote from the local community. It was decided to open up the area in front of the church, which lies at the centre of Kings Heath high street, to incorporate a village square, health centre and community rooms.

The design of the square is based on a labyrinth and incorporated within it are various art works and texts .There are even some water features which the children obviously enjoy! Members of the public and local groups were asked to purchase ‘pavers’ to help raise funds and Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery have one in place.

Kings Heath Village Square

The Lord Mayor, Cllr Anita Ward, carried out the official opening and events were interspersed with a choir, a brass quintet, an Eritrean church choir and finally some Morris dancers. The sun shone throughout and everyone took full advantage of all the newly fitted benches to enjoy the entertainment.

Morris Men at new Kings Heath Village Square
Morris Men at new Kings Heath Village Square

Formal opening of Kings Heath Village Square

ALL SAINTS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMPANY invites you to come and celebrate the formal opening of  Kings Heath Village Square, in the presence of  The Rt. Revd. David Urquhart, Bishop of Birmingham and The Lord Mayor of Birmingham on Saturday 15th October 2011 at 10am

Address: 2 Vicarage Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham B14 7RA 

Car Parking will be restricted on the day; alternative car parks are available nearby in Silver Street and Institute Road

BUS ROUTES =  50; 11.

 

Become a Friend!

Friends of Brandwood Cemetery is run purely by unpaid volunteers and we need your help!  Whether you have family laid to rest here, you are an interested local resident or are interested in conservation we need you!

There are a number of ways you can help the Friends and really make a difference to Brandwood End Cemetery.  You could donate a couple of hours and help out on our bi-monthly litter picks – it is a great way to meet new people and get some fresh air.

You could become a Friend and in return you will get regular newsletters, updates on project progress, news of events and get the chance to really make a difference.

Download an FBEC Membership Application Form or email friendsofbec@gmail.com and ask for a membership form.  The Subscription per annum is only:

  • £6 per person;
  • £3 for unwaged; and,
  • £20 for a society membership.

Gift Aid

Now that we are a Registered Charity (No 1114333) you may also opt to make your donation under the Gift Aid Scheme, as long as you pay Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax at least equal to the tax that the charity reclaims on your donation in the appropriate tax year (following the last Budget the Chancellor reduced the amount we can claim back from him from 28p to 25p for each £1 you give).

However that still means if you Gift Aid your subscription it becomes worth £7-50 with the government contributing £1-50 to your £6.

No Government gives much away – so why not take advantage of this if you are a Tax Payer?  Download your  FBEC Gift Aid Declaration Form and submit with your FBEC Membership Application Form:

Thank you!

THIS CEMETERY NEEDS YOU!

Looking for wildlife?

Since we posted sightings of muntjac deer, bats and other wildlife there have been several visitors coming along to find these lovely animals.  Please note that the Cemetery is there for people to pay their respects to those that have passed on, and to enjoy some quiet moments reflection.  The Cemetery is ideal, because it is so quiet, for wildlife to enjoy the natural environment BUT they are not there our pleasure.  Please do not ask the staff where they can be found; even if they knew, most creatures only come out at night when the Cemetery is closed and the people have gone home.  Please respect the Cemetery, it’s wildlife inhabitants, the staff and other visitors.  Many thanks.

Are you after information on lost graves?

The ground staff at Brandwood End Cemetery are constantly being asked to help people find graves – much as they would like to help they really can’t.  They don’t have the information.  Since the Lodge was flooded some months ago the office for Brandwood End Cemetery has moved to Kings Norton.  But here is some information which may help >>

Or if you want to contact the Office there details can be found here >>