Category: Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery

Are you searching for a grave?

If you are one of the many people searching for a grave within Brandwood End Cemetery you can normally contact Bereavement Services at Kings Norton (who hold the records) and get a more or less instant reply.

There is a minimum of 24 hour delay at the present as all the Brandwood End records of burials since the 1800’s are away from the site being ‘digitised’. This will vastly improve the service in future but means that there is a 24 hour delay in the short term- possibly till the end of May.

If you need information you need to contact Bereavement Services at least 24 hours in advance and make a request. Unfortunately this will make it difficult for anyone just turning up at the cemetery and ringing for an instant answer but this delay is unavoidable if records are to be made more accessible.

Tel: 0121 303 5583
Fax: 0121 459 8284
Email: kings.norton@birmingham.gov.uk

 

 

 

Lord Mayor joins local school at Veolia sponsored event in cemetery

We wish we could say that the sun shone today as it has done for the last week- but it didn’t. That didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of pupils from St Alban’s RC Primary School who came along to the cemetery to help plant hawthorn whips around a Commonwealth War Graves Commission burial area. Brandwood End is home to over 300 war graves but there is only one small area where graves lie in rows on a specially maintained area of grassland. This area is now enclosed by a new hawthorn hedge.IMG_6712

We were pleased to welcome lots of visitors to the site as well as the pupils. Representatives of Veolia Environmental Services, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, New Vision, Bereavement Services, Quadron Contractors and local residents were joined by the Lord Mayor and the Lady Mayoress.

Following a busy morning planting they all enjoyed refreshments and a chance to talk to the Lord Mayor about his role and his regalia.

IMG_6705 (800x600) IMG_6717 (800x600) Well done!

 

FBEC AGM 2014

You are invited to the Annual General Meeting of the Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery which is to be held on Thursday 10th April at 7.30 pm. Please note that we have changed the venue back to St Bedes Church, Bryndale Ave, B14 6NG.  We hope returning to this venue will increase attendance at our AGM as we need your support at our meetings. Copies of the Annual Report and the Audited Accounts will be presented and circulated to the members. Following the meeting these will be posted on our website www.fbec.org.uk.

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Poppy Cross Cemetery removed.

Today, during our litter pick, FBEC removed all 300+ poppy crosses laid out in our annually created ‘poppy cross cemetery’.

Following a request from Bereavements we have removed the crosses in the Public Grave area in readiness for grass cutting to start in the spring.

Litter pick March 2014 (4) (800x600)Every year our Vice Chairman, Barrie Simpson, and helpers create a grid of poppy crosses in the hope that it will help people to understand the large numbers of war graves within Brandwood End Cemetery. They also place poppy crosses on every war grave and these will remain in place until November 2015 unless removed by next of kin.

FBEC and Chris Gascoigne of S.Gascoine and Sons sponsored our crosses by donation to the British Legion.

Sunshine for March Litter Pick

Today’s litter pick took place in glorious sunshine and 11 people were tempted out to help us at our first litter collection in 2014.  I am glad to report that, despite the fact that we collect 9 bags full, generally the site was pretty litter free.

work and relaxation in the sun!
work and relaxation in the sun!

Litter pick March 2014 (8) (800x600) Litter pick March 2014 (21) (800x600) Litter pick March 2014 (22) (800x600)

 

 

 

This first litter pick always uncovers litter that previously remained unseen in the shrubbery and the recent high winds have meant that flower paper had collected in many of the corners of the site. Our thanks to all our supporters, some of whom you can see above- but especially to the family that traveled from Acocks Green after seeing this event on our web site. We hope to see you again!

Remember how muddy and waterlogged our Cemeteries may be at the moment and come prepared!

Please can we remind you that most of the burial areas within Brandwood End and Kings Norton do not lie adjacent to pathways and due to the exceptional rainfall they are often very muddy and waterlogged. Suitable footwear when visiting graves is essential.

Bereavements, in this area, have been able to continue with burials but had to restrict the daily numbers as the instability of the waterlogged ground has meant the use of heavy machinery has had to be limited.

We understand that this is a very emotional time for families but can we please ask you to have some understanding of the difficulties and be mindful of the fact that many areas have totally suspended  their burial services due to ground instability.

FBEC thank you, on behalf of Bereavement Services, for your patience and understanding in these unusual conditions.

Jane Edwards (Chairman-Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery)

‘Spring Clean’ Litter Pick in Brandwood End Cemetery

Just a reminder to all those who support us and a appeal to anyone new who feels they can spare a couple of hours to help keep this cemetery litter free. We will be meeting at the Lodge on the main drive at 10am on Saturday March 1st. Suitable stout footwear, outer clothing and gloves are especially important following the recent heavy rainfall- but we will have plenty of litter pickers and bags!
Please note that in the event of high winds, heavy rain or snow this event will not take place as these weathelitter pick 003r conditions could raise safety issues.

A date for your diary! Tuesday March 18th.

 Many of the regular visitors to Brandwood End Cemetery are aware of the large number of Military Graves that lie within (Over 350).  Following Remembrance Sunday each year these graves are even more identifiable as the Friends place ‘Poppy Crosses’ on every grave. Most of these graves are scattered throughout the cemetery but what most people do not realise is that we have a small Military section.   The area surrounding this section has, over time, lost its defined boundary so with the help of funding from Veolia, the Friends will be planting a new boundary hedge of native hawthorn.

a_section_33_militaryAt 10.30am on the morning of Tuesday March 18th the Friends will be joined on site by The Lord Mayor and the Lady Mayoress, children from St Albans RC Primary School, and staff from Bereavements Services and Quadron  Services who will be working together to plant 350 hawthorn shrubs to redefine this boundary.

The Friends and Bereavements staff have met on site with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to agree the design and size of this hedge as their requirements are quite specific. Please come along, with your spade, if you would like to help.

 

Birmingham Mail reveal funding share to ‘Wish campaign’ members.

IMG_6571 (800x600)Birmingham Mail have today announced the portion of the £25,000 fund that has been allocated to each of the selected groups. Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery received over 4500 tokens, collected by their supporters and we have been awarded just over £103.00

Thanks again to all our supporters who collected the vouchers and sent them on to us. We are always looking for funding sources for small projects that we are undertaking within the Cemetery.  Follow our ‘blog’ to see what we are working on now.