Category: Community

Grave Gardeners Session

FINAL REMINDER, SATURDAY 30TH MARCH 1pm-3pm- This Saturday the 30th March we will be holding a Gardening Session to try and clear some more Brambles and self set Holly in the Cemetery. Unlike our usual sessions that target large areas of mature Holly and Ivy, we are concentrating on areas where we represent no risk of disturbing nesting birds.

We will meet at the Cross of Sacrifice at 1pm and helpers are free to spend as much or as little time as they wish on site but we will be completing our work by 3pm to allow for the closing of the site at 4pm. We have the tools and some heavy duty gloves but would advise that you wear heavy duty footwear and warm clothing. We will be moving away from the area of the Cross but should be visible in our High Viz. If we are not there, try turning left at the WW1 memorial, passing the fenced area and looking to your right.(Section 38RC)

This map may help.

Cross and Screen Walls repaired and cleaned.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission have been busy cleaning and repairing the Cross of Sacrifice and the Screen Walls as part of their maintenance programme. All looking clean, tidy and ready for the 125 year anniversary of the first funeral in Brandwood End Cemetery on the 13th April 1899. (We will be posting more about this anniversary nearer the date.)

 

AGM 2024

The Friends are ’19’ this year and we will be holding our usual AGM but this year it will be back to an old venue as the Lodge at Brandwood End is out of use.

THURSDAY 11TH APRIL THE CONFERENCE ROOM , ST DUNSTANS CHURCH, KINGS HEATH.B14 7JN

10.30 start– Usually the AGM lasts about 20 minutes and then the committee are available to chat and answer your questions.

(This is best accessed on foot from Kingsfield road opposite All Saints Church. Parking is available in Institute Road but there is a charge. The 50 bus and several others stop nearby on the High Street.)

Anyone with an interest is most welcome and we usually end with cake and tea/coffee !!

Another new visitor to the cemetery

Array4hogs, Hedgehog Rescue, have been working with the Friends again and we are pleased to introduce our latest new resident- Stevie. She is now up to weight and ready to be released again into the big wide world. Our thanks to Sharon for all her work with Hedgehogs locally. Please do try and make your gardens Hedgehog friendly and take care when strimming and having bonfires etc. Most of the arrivals lately have been badly hurt by strimmers.

rbt

Grave Gardeners session

We will be running another Grave Gardeners session to remove some Brambles that are choking some young trees and also some small Holly self setters in the cemetery.

 

The Friends and volunteers will be on site from 12 noon till approx. 3 pm on Saturday March 30th. Meet by the Cross of Sacrifice on the main drive. You are welcome to pop in at any time but if it is after 12 noon you may have to search for our ‘A’ frame as we will be disbursed around the cemetery.  Most people arrive at the start but only stay as long as they want and do as much or little as suits them.

Hope to see a few of you there. We have the tools, although you are welcome to bring your own. Rakes, brooms, secateurs and loppers always welcome. We also have some heavy duty gloves, but again you may prefer to bring your own.

Toilet issues.

We have received lots of comments that the toilets in the cemetery were all locket over last weekend.  Bereavements have explained that the person locking the cemetery on Friday evening does not usually do Brandwood End. The area that they usually do requires the toilets to be locked to prevent vandalism.( Luckily we do not suffer with that at Brandwood End.) They dutifully locked everything! Whoever then opened up at the weekend had no idea the toilets were locked…..and so they remained over the weekend!  Apologies, but hopefully this was a one off.

  • Incidentally, the wonderful photo was taken by a regular in the cemetery… Gary Staples.

 

New Tree Walk leaflet launched.

The Friends are so pleased to get the support of our local Tree Officer, Steve Flood, for our new TREE WALK LEAFLET…… even if he then got distracted looking at the trees!

We really value his input and the fact that he keeps us in the loop when tree work is due. You will find the leaflet boxes attached to both our notice boards at the two entrances.

As the leaves make an appearance we will be organising a Tree Walk led by one of our tree loving supporters.

Deutsche Bank brave the rain.

The start of today’s gardening session with Deutsche Bank was wet and windy but as they worked the rain stopped. So much was achieved in a morning and many more graves emerged from the shrubbery. Well done the Deutsche Dozen! Follow our link to an album if today’s activities https://photos.app.goo.gl/6fdkDUEpLAhvwP7R9

We hope we can welcome them again to carry on this important clearance work. We’ll done to everyone involved including our volunteers who worked alongside them.