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.
In early January snowdrops made an appearance in the cemetery and the hawthorn hedge still hadn’t dropped its leaves! The squirrels are dashing about and the birds are ignoring the berries in favour of worms in the still soft soil. Where will it end?
Our thanks to those members who joined us for our final litter pick of 2011. Despite the cold weather we managed to spend and hour and a half in various areas of the cemetery collecting mainly wind blown flower wrappings and artificial flowers. Can we remind everyone again to remove wrapping paper from flowers and secure artificial flowers, as the wind scatters them and we are not able to identify the graves they originated from. Unfortunately some fly tipping had occurred in Broad Lane and a lot of this had blown into the lower end of the cemetery but one of our members worked hard to remove as much as was possible. Our next litter pick will be in March 2012 and we look forward to welcoming you then. Detailed information will appear on this site and our notice boards at either entrance to the cemetery.
The Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery joined with members of other local community organisations to support an experimental night time event at Brandwood Pool. Close to 80 people joined a small community choir and musicians around Brandwood Pool which was illuminated by 300 lanterns. Volunteers had decorated most of the jars that held the candles with bright drawings and inspirational words. The event was lead by the Park Ranger service.
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.
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.
The sun shone in Brandwood End Cemetery as children from St Alban’s RC Primary school set about the daunting task of planting 250 hawthorn bushes to replace a failing beech hedge surrounding The Civilian Garden of Remembrance.
The preparation work had been undertaken by the Bio diversity Champions from Quadron Services in the previous week and they returned to help the children with their digging. Councillor Mike Leddy, parents and members of the FBEC committee helped with the supervision of the children and this was all watched over by Dean Paul, a member of the Ground staff team for Bereavement Services, who undertook much of the work himself.
The Bio diversity Champions, led by Nicola Clarke of Quadron Services, undertake many community projects on a voluntary basis throughout the city and enjoyed working with the children in Brandwood End Cemetery.
This whole event was funded by the National Lottery through Big Lottery Fund and organised by FBEC.
For those of you who think there is very little litter around these days and so there is no need to come, it is only like that because of the continuing efforts of the ground staff and the Friends’ Litter Pick days. We can’t let up the pressure on litter. And it is a great way to get some fresh air and make new friends!
Children are most welcome to come and help out but must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Please meet at 10am at The Lodge (we finish about 11.30). Dress appropriately for the weather and bring some gloves. Bags and pickers will be provided. We hope to see you there!
As this is our pre Xmas litter pick we may go for a swift drink following this event. Please come and join us!
For those of you who think there is very little litter around these days and so there is no need to come, it is only like that because of the continuing efforts of the ground staff and the Friends’ Litter Pick days. We can’t let up the pressure on litter. And it is a great way to get some fresh air and make new friends!
Children are most welcome to come and help out but must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Please meet at 10am at The Lodge (we finish about 11.30). Dress appropriately for the weather and bring some gloves. Bags and pickers will be provided. We hope to see you there!
For those of you who think there is very little litter around these days and so there is no need to come, it is only like that because of the continuing efforts of the ground staff and the Friends’ Litter Pick days. We can’t let up the pressure on litter. And it is a great way to get some fresh air and make new friends!
Children are most welcome to come and help out but must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Please meet at 10am at The Lodge (we finish about 11.30). Dress appropriately for the weather and bring some gloves. Bags and pickers will be provided. We hope to see you there!
