Category: Community

JOIN US FOR COFFEE AND CAKE AT OUR AGM

All members are invited to the Annual General Meeting of the Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery which is to be held on Thursday 14th April at 10.30am till 11.30am in the Conference Room at St Dunstans Church, Kingsfield Rd, Birmingham B14 7JN. As you enter from the main gate in Kingsfield Road the Conference Room is on the right. Copies of the Annual Report and the Audited Accounts will be presented and circulated to the members present. Following the meeting these will be posted on our website fbec.org.uk.

Under the rules, existing members of the Executive Committee will be offering themselves for re-election but we welcome enquiries from prospective new members. All nominees must be members of FBEC and nomination forms can be obtained from the Chairman and must be completed and submitted by 31st March 2016.

Any questions to be tabled at the AGM should be submitted in advance to the Chairman by telephone /email by 31st March 2016.-07811 393259 / friendsofbec@gmail.com

The Committee sincerely hopes that you will be able to join us for tea and cake and to learn of our successes to date and plans for the future. We work on your behalf and depend on your support.

Could this mean Spring is on the way!

Beautiful day today in the Cemetery. Sunshine, snowdrops(mainly leaves!) and the Woodpecker hammering away. Everywhere you look the daffodils are blooming and blossom trees are in bud.  Muntjac are calling…….maybe all a bit early in the year?

Litter pick March 2014 (16) (800x600)spotted woodpecker20160219_095224Every few days one of our committee strolls (or drives) around the cemetery to see what has been happening. The Tree Officer tells us that, despite loosing one large aged conifer at the far end of the cemetery, we escaped severe damage in Brandwood End.  A number of fallen branches were also reported to him by Bereavement Services and they have also been dealt with.

Extra Special Litter Pick coming up!

Our next litter pick will be taking place on Sunday 6th March from 10am-12noon- meet at the Lodge on the Main Drive.

This year we will be supporting a special drive to Keep Britain Tidy by registering this event with the ‘Clean for the Queen’ web site to encourage everyone to take care of their local environment. You can see our entry via this link.

Can we remind you that we provide litter pickers and bags but recommend you wear stout foot wear and gloves.

clean_for_the_queen_logo_V4This Sunday Litter Pick will see a very busy Cemetery, as it is Mothering Sunday so please support our event to raise the profile of FBEC.

Welcome to 2016

A belated 2016 welcome to all our followers,  from the Committee of The Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery.

Who knows what 2016 will hold for the cemetery and all those that visit? The good news is that we appear to have escaped relatively unscathed from the high winds that have battered the area and other than the usual cascades of water from our blocked Victorian drains…….life (as far as we know) has been smooth. The Friends will be meeting with Bereavement Service staff in the next few weeks to discuss a number of issues, not least of all improving fencing around the chapels and our up and coming Lottery Bid with Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust to investigate the Hedgehog population in Brandwood End.

Please keep watching our page and spreading the word.

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Final 2015 Litter Pick Completed!

We were a small select crew that set out on the final litter pick of the year- just 4 of us, but we managed to collect 12 bags of litter before rain stopped play!20151206_100409 (800x600)

The cemetery itself is always kept pretty litter free by the ground staff but there are always pockets of litter that gather, especially in the wind, along fences and hedgerows. The worst offending area is the corner of the site where Broad Lane service road meets the fence. Huge piles of rubbish accumulate road side here …..or are dumped, and blow into the cemetery shrubbery. Below is a before and after photo to give an idea of the problem! You can see the rubbish piled just the other side of the fence.

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We also observed another strange phenomenon today and that was the sight of snowdrops blooming along side daisies!

Our thanks to everyone that has helped at any of our litter picks in 2015 and we hope you will join us in 2016 to continue this very important task. The next litter pick will be on Saturday 5th March 2016

 

A new tree in Diamond Woodland

On Saturday the 12th of December you will find members of the committee of the Friends planting a tree in the Diamond Woodland area opposite to the Lodge to commemorate their 10th year as a Friends organisation.

Saturdays get together will be low key as we are having to meet early at 9.30 to carry out this planting, but we will be having an official  event in the slightly warmer spring weather when the tree should be starting to wake. Members or anyone with an interest is welcome to join us on Saturday. We should be on site between 9.30 and 10am.

We will be planting a Alnus incana Aurea  (Golden Alder) in the Diamond Woodland area. This beautiful tree will offer colour and interest all year round.

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Last minute reminder for tomorrows litter pick!

Tomorrow, Sunday 6th December, sees the last litter pick of 2015 in Brandwood End. Please come along and support us if you can. 20140301_112004The windy weather means that there will be plenty of litter blowing about! Meet at the Lodge at 10am. Pickers etc will be provided but stout footwear and gloves are recommended.

 

Remembrance Sunday at Brandwood End- 2015

Our thanks to everyone that supported this annual event organised by FBEC. This year close to 70 people turned out in windy and damp conditions to remember those that have given their lives in battle.

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Our thanks to Rev David Fairbotham, local Councillors and all the organisations that laid wreaths but our special thanks to the Standard Bearer from The British Legion (Kings Heath Branch), our brilliant Buglers (Ludo and Oliver) who always do us proud, and of course local residents and supporters. This year our numbers were close to 70 !

IMG_0042Our thanks as well to Bereavement Services staff who come along on their day off to make sure cars don’t drive through the event !

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Annual Remembrance Service in Brandwood End Cemetery

This years SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE will take place on SUNDAY 8TH NOVEMBER at the Cross of Sacrifice on the Main Drive (10.50am for 11.00am start)

IMG_7788 (800x600)Please try and support this annual event to remember those that have been lost in the name of Peace. We will be supported by the Flag Bearer and Chairman of the West Midlands British Legion, Local Councillors and local Organisations.