Anyone with an interest in their local community is welcome to attend the Friends of Jasmin Fields AGM. It is being held at The Space, 214 Sunderton Road, Kings Heath, starting at 6.30pm.
All welcome!
Author: Sarah Courbet
Jasmin Fields Litter Pick
Join the Rangers and friends for a community litter pick on 20th February at 10.30. Meet at Bayston Road and wear suitable outdoor clothing.
Come and make new friends and tidy the environment at the same time!
Ivy Clearance
Ivy is incredibly invasive and can kill trees if left unstopped. On the weekend of the 22nd & 23rd January volunteers from Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery attacked some ivy which was wrapped around a tree and several graves. After several hours of hard graft the graves were once again visible and the tree freed of the ivy growth. Whilst some work is still left to do on clearing the graves of roots the area blighted by ivy looks freer and lighter. A big thank you to the volunteers of Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery for once again helping to improve the environment for all those that visit the grounds.
Come and meet new people and help the Cemetery too!
We need volunteers to come and help tidy up the Cemetery. We meet at 10 at The Lodge for an hour or so of litter picking and tidying up of the beautiful environment here at Brandwood End Cemetery.
All you need is sturdy clothes and shoes and a pair of gardening gloves. We provide litter pickers, bags and some new faces!
No need to let us know you are coming just turn up on the day. And keep an eye on our website in case of any changes.
See you there!
Shop at Amazon and raise money for the Friends!
Laying down of headstones
Whilst the Friends are not responsible, nor involved in the current project to survey all gravestones in Brandwood End Cemetery, we are interested in what is being done and how sympathetically it is carried out. What do you think? Are you experienced in this type of law and know what is legal and what isn’t? Should Health and Safety dictate that headstones are just laid down which can cause unecessary grief to the families? Should stonemasons bear the responsibility for ensuring that headstones are stable and fit for purpose?
Please write in and let us know what you think. Thanks
Remembrance Sunday Service 2010
A short service was held today in Brandwood End Cemetery to honour the fallen. A few friends and onlookers joined The Rev’d Andy Delmege, Vicar of St Bedes Church, Brandwood, to pray and remember the victims of war. Counciller Neville Summerfield laid a wreath on behalf of Birmingham City Council and its constituents. Barrie Simpon laid a wreath on behalf of the Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery and a wreath was laid on behalf of the Royal British Legion.
- They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
- At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
- We will remember them.
- Poem by Laurence Binyon
A big thank you to Wates
Once again Wates have shown true ‘community spirit’.
On a cold, wet and windy day, members of Wates volunteered to turn out to support the Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery in their small act of remembrance in placing a Poppy Cross on every war related grave.
Appropriately, this year we undertook the task on Armistice Day itself, and we actually began work at 11 am – it was on the 11th day, of 11th month, at the 11th hour, when the guns on the ‘Western Front’ finally fell silent.
This is no mean effort, as there are in excess of 350 graves to visit, all scattered throughout this large cemetery some difficult to locate; and all carried out in inclement weather conditions, with cheerfulness and a real sense of dedication to those we are remembering.
Not only did they place the Poppy Crosses, their keenness to support the project while in the cemetery resulted in the discovery of further war related graves, and thereby extended my research.
This is not the first time that they have assisted us and we are extremely grateful for their kind assistance.
On behalf of the Friends, may I yet again express our sincere thanks to Wates in general for being such a ‘community minded’ organisation, and to everyone who took part in particular, for giving up their time.
Barrie Simpson, Vice Chairman, Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery
Remembrance Service – 14th November 2010
 There will be a short Memorial Service today in Brandwood End Cemetery starting at 1pm. It will take place at the Cross of Sacrifice Island on the Main Drive towards the Broad Lane entrance. There will be a short service, followed by laying of wreaths in remembrance of the fallen. Everyone is welcome to join us to remember our war dead, and pray for those in current conflicts. |
‘Save our Chapels’ Petition presented to Birmingham City Council
A “Save our Chapels” petition was presented to Birmingham City Council on Tuesday, 7th September by Councillor Neville Summerfield (Brandwood Ward) on behalf of the Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery. The Friends are endeavouring to prevent the further deterioration of the unique Grade II listed twin terracotta mortuary chapels which form the Cemetery’s centrepiece.
The Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery was constituted in 2005 and the elected Committee has worked assiduously to improve and maintain this very beautiful Victorian cemetery. The main aim has always been to restore and repair the chapels to their former glory and to involve a wider community use.
Work was undertaken to make the chapels “safe” in 2007 and Architects and Structural Engineers were commissioned to undertake an Options Appraisal in 2009: the Friends are seeking to further the Appraisal recommendations with Birmingham City Council, the owners of the cemetery.
The Friends have taken their role within the cemetery very seriously and have been responsible for, amongst other aspects:
- restoring the Civilian Garden of Remembrance,
- new section markers,
- boulders to mark public grave sites,
- remembrance of the war dead by placing a poppy cross on over 300 war graves every November, and the organisation of a Service of Remembrance,
- bi-monthly litter picks, which assist the limited ground staff with maintenance
Covering over 50 acres of land, Brandwood End Cemetery was created by the Victorians as a place of peace and tranquillity. Now, over 110 years later, the cemetery welcomes approximately 52,000 visitors annually. The visitors tend graves, take exercise, appreciate the trees (through tree walks), listen to the birds, marvel at the flora and fauna and are testament to the value of this beautiful open space.