Category: Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery

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.

 

Seasons Greetings to all our supporters from Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery

2013 has been a year when Friends of Brandwood End have had to take a step back and think again about the way they want to move forward in 2014. We were all very disappointed when Birmingham City Council had to withdraw their financial support for a lottery bid relating to the twin terracotta mortuary chapels at the centre of the cemetery. Along with many local organisations we saw the time when Birmingham would be in a position to support any bid we proposed move further and further away. We are now working with Bereavements Department to investigate alternative fund raising options but in the meantime we will continue with our other achievable projects within the cemetery, whilst keeping the chapels at the front of our campaign.

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Local Community Groups work together at School Christmas Fayre

20131213_153921 (800x712) 20131213_153930 (800x600) FBEC members joined representatives of Friends  groups from Jasmin Fields Nature Reserve, Brandwood Pool,The Park Ranger Service and the local Neighbourhood Policing Team at St Albans Primary School Christmas Fayre. Since the loss of the community 20131213_153940 (800x600)‘Space’ in Sunderton Road all the groups have been involved in the Summer and Christmas Fayres at the school who kindly offered them an opportunity to promote their individual groups to attract membership. Santa made an appearance and visitors were entertained by the school choir and assorted musicians. The Police were on hand to offer crime prevention advice and the Ranger Service had a busy time making natural willow wands and decorations. The event was organised by the school PTA and New Vision sponsored ‘Santa’ !!

Over 4000 Birmingham Mail ‘Wish tokens’!

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Our thanks to all our supporters who have collected ‘Wish Tokens’ for us. We have received over 4000 tokens, which for a small organisation is admirable. Those of you who still have tokens please send them, as soon as possible, to the address in our previous blog post. Thank you all again and we will let you know the outcome of your efforts.

Last litter pick of 2013!

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. Meet at the Lodge on the main drive at 10am this Sunday, 1st December. Please wear suitable stout footwear, outer clothing and gloves but we have plenty of litter pickers and bags!
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERACan we take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported our litter picks in 2013 and if you cant make this one, we look forward to seeing you in 2014. Watch this blog for  confirmation of dates.

 

Litter pickers at the ready!

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Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery worked with pupils from Woodthorpe Primary School to discuss what can be done to reduce litter locally. This was followed up by a litter pick in their school grounds and then in nearby Brandwood End Cemetery. The pupils followed their litter hunt with some time spent collecting leaves, cones and other natural items to complete a collage. Watch this space to see their results! Our thanks go to all the helpers, particularly Class 5 of Woodthorpe School.

We all agreed we had enjoyed our adventure in Brandwood End Cemetery and look forward to working with together again.

Stunning setting for a poignant Remembrance Sunday service

IMG_6460 (800x600) (3)Community members and local Councillors joined the Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery in an Act of Remembrance at the Cross of Sacrifice in Brandwood End Cemetery.

The Deacon of St Dunstans Church, David Fairbotham, led a short but poignant service.  Following this wreaths were laid on behalf of Birmingham City Council and its Citizens, Kings Heath Branch of The Masons and the Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery.

photo mix copy (2) (800x533)This year we had not one but two buglers who performed the Last Post beautifully.  Two minutes silence was observed and this, along with the buglers, brought tears to the eyes of many of the people attending.

Many of the visitors stopped behind to ask about the cemetery and the work the Friends are doing.