Category: Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery

Scouting Award to our Vice Chairman.

We are pleased to announce that our Vice Chairman, Coral Howard, who has been a committee member since the inception of the Friends, has recently been awarded a prestigious Scouting award. We offer our sincere congratulations.

The Silver Wolf is the highest award made by The Scout Association “for services of the most exceptional character.” It is an unrestricted gift of the Chief Scout. The award consists of a Silver Wolf suspended from a dark green and yellow neck ribbon.

During the early years of the development of the Scout Movement throughout the world, it was the practice of the Founder, Lord Baden-Powell, to give the Silver Wolf to Scouters in any country who had done outstandingly valuable work for the Movement.

Coral has been involved in various capacities in the Scouting movement for many years and received her award initially at Highbury Hall and Later at Windsor.

A Right Royal Welcome !

We are indebted to Valerie Smith, who has yet again created an amazing screen of ‘flowers of our nations’ for the Royal Celebrations. Thistles, Roses, Daffodils and Shamrocks adorn this amazing piece of work.(There are even tidy gold crowns peeping out) . It’s rounded off by our 2 beautiful Spring Flower tubs which together make the entrance drive to the cemetery look welcoming.

Death Cafe as Part of Dying Matters Week.

Next Week is Dying Matters Week, an annual event which looks to remove the stigma from death and dying and open up conversations. Here in Birmingham Brum YODO organise A Matter of Life and Death Festival to mark the occasion.
We have an event taking place in the cemetery lodge at Brandwood End as part of the festival.
We are hosting a Death Cafe.
At a Death Cafe people, often strangers, gather to eat cake, drink tea and discuss death. The objective is ‘to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives’. A Death Cafe is a group directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counselling session.
Death Cafe May 10th 5pm til 7pm
Free Session
Come to a safe space where people talk about anything and everything to do with death. Everyone welcome regardless of age, religion, non religion, gender or background.
email josie.wall@birmingham.gov.uk to come

Sad loss of Heritage Oak

Unfortunately one of our Heritage Oaks has had to be removed as its roots were causing a major issue in an area of flooding by obstructing  pipes. A large flood alleviation project has been happening in the area and has involved a large woodland area of Jasmin Fields Nature Reserve and the lowest section of the Cemetery, adjacent to Broad Lane.

This area was previously an overgrown bramble patch so we are trusting that there will be some effort made to improve the look of this corner. We hope we have managed to keep a large section and a decision as to what to do with it will be made in the near future but we will be working with the Ranger to try and create a ‘slice’ indicating a time line for this ancient tree.