Category: Environment

Hedgehog film showing.

This is the final reminder that there will be a chance to view the Help for Hedgehogs film that was made with assistance from local pupils. The film follows the year long project undertaken by FBEC, The Wildlife Trust (Birmingham and Black Country) and the Park Ranger Service to survey the cemetery for Hedgehog activity and increase awareness of Hedgehog requirements if we wish to stop their rapid decline.

7-8pm at Park House in Kings Heath Park  Monday 5th June. Please visit this link to register if you think you will be coming along as space is limited. More details can be seen here.

This is a family event and suitable for children but those under 16 should be accompanied by an adult. There will also be a showing for pupils and parents in both local schools involved.  (St Albans RC Primary, Woodthorpe Primary) Contact your school for dates.

Hedges and nesting birds!

Those of you that visit the cemetery on a regular basis will know that several years ago the Friends, along with local school pupils, replaced a failing Beech hedge around the Civilian Garden of Remembrance with a biodiversity friendly Hawthorn hedge.

This hedge has matured beautifully and is now home to a diverse selection of insects and birds. A decision has been made by the Friends, following horticultural advice, that this hedge should now not be cut during the nesting season as that could represent a contravention of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, protecting nesting birds.

We will undertake a ‘heavier’ cut later in the year to reduce height and width etc.

New Tree Trail

Tomorrow represents the start of research work, by the Committee of FBEC,  to design and produce a new ‘Tree Walk’ leaflet for Brandwood End.

It is several years since our original tree walk, which has been extensively used- but some of the included trees have fallen foul of the wind or disease and we felt it was time to feature trees across a wider area of the cemetery.

Once we have decided on the trees to be included and the format we will then have to bid for funding to produce a leaflet, so watch this space! (Or of course you could sponsor this project!)

 

Memorial Safety Testing.

We have been informed by Bereavement Services Department that the safety testing of Memorials is due to be restarted and will focus on Sections 35,36,37 and 38

Notification signs have been erected in all the above areas. They have asked us to remind Grave Owners/next of kin, that they should advise the office in Kings Norton Cemetery, by written letter (As signatures will be checked with original deeds) if they have changed address.

Unfortunately many people omit to update addresses when they move, so advising them of any safety work required to their relative’s grave is impossible. This often results in upset as when they do visit the grave they find that  safety issues have resulted in the ‘staking’ or  ‘laying down’ of the Headstone.

PLEASE CONTACT KINGS NORTON CEMETERY IF YOU HAVE CHANGED ADDRESS and are responsible for a grave in Brandwood End, especially in the Sections mentioned above.

FBEC Annual AGM

The Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery will be holding their annual AGM on Thursday 13th April in the Conference Room at St Dunstans Church, Kings Heath. 10.30 start. Tea and coffee plus cake will be available! Everyone welcome. At the AGM a report on the Friends activities during the past year will be available and the Treasurer will submit a copy of the accounts.

Great turn out for Jasmin Fields Nature Reserve Litter Pick.

Jasmin Fields Nature Reserve lies just across Broad Lane from the Cemetery site and as a Friends Group we always try and work together. Today was no exception as they held a litter pick and 16 people worked all morning to clear everyday litter and also larger items resulting from recent dredging of the Cole brook which runs through the site.

Several  FBEC members are also members of the Friends of Jasmin Fields, which is a much smaller group than we are, so we were very pleased to see such a good turn out and such a lot of rubbish removed.

 

The Great British Spring Clean

Ten volunteers joined together today to carry out the usual quarterly ‘Litter Pick’ in Brandwood End Cemetery. This Spring we are yet again taking part in the Keep Britain Tidy campaign and their theme is ‘The Great British Spring Clean’

Between everyone- 22 bags of litter were collected ! The bag numbers were higher than usual as storm Dorris had managed to whip lots of flower paper across the site! We started at 10am and drew to a close at 11.30am when a Birmingham City Council bin lorry arrived (bang on time) to take all our collected rubbish away!

Our thanks to all our volunteers (even our tiny new member) for coming along to support this event. The sun shone throughout, so it was a lovely morning and enjoyed by everyone.

42 Amazing Redwoods!

Every time I visit Brandwood End Cemetery, no matter the weather, I marvel at our magnificent avenue of Redwoods. Today, for the first time, I actually counted them! There are 23 on one side of the main drive and 19 on the other. I suspect that we have the most beautiful ‘avenue’ of  42 mature Redwoods in the Midlands? I know that the Friends of Kings Norton Park  are slowly developing their own ‘Redwood Avenue’ but suspect none of us will be about to see them reach the size of those in the Cemetery.

Great British Spring Clean- Saturday 4th March 10-11.30am.

Keep Britain Tidy are again heading up a anti litter campaign this year, so we have decided to dedicate our MARCH 4th LITTER PICK to this cause.

Please come along and help us to keep the cemetery free of flower paper and blown litter following the recent storms. Meet at the Lodge on the main drive at 10am till 11.30 and enjoy a stroll around this beautiful green space whilst collecting litter to boost this Great British Spring Clean campaign.

We will provide litter pickers and bags but advise strong footwear and gloves. Under 16’s must be accompanied by an adult.

Adults- do you want a bit more detailed Hedgehog information?

FBEC have now enjoyed several family Hedgehog events, delivered on our behalf by Birmingham Park Ranger Service (Jan and Dean) and the Wildlife Trust (Emma). We are coming towards the end of this enormously enjoyable project that seems to have captured the imagination of local schools and residents.

On Monday the 20th March from 7-8pm at Park House in Kings Heath Park we will be holding an adults only event, to cover some of the more technical details relating to the  why the well loved Hedgehog is declining in most areas of the UK.

Places are  FREE but limited, so please reserve your place via this link.