Year 5 pupils at St Albans RC Primary were one of our many partners in the making of our Hedgehog film and completion of our Hedgehog Project. Today they viewed their efforts and we shared a few gifts to remind them of their work.
Well done St Albans and we look forward to working with you on our next project.
Last week members of the FBEC committee and Rachel Gillies (our Community Film Maker) joined parents , teachers and pupils at Woodthorpe Junior and Infants school for a showing of the ‘Help for Hedgehogs’ film. This film was made entirely by pupils of Woodthorpe Primary and St Albans RC Primary under Rachel’s direction.
Rachel reported lots of giggles and prods between pupils, lots of good comments from teachers and the Headteacher is very keen to share the film on Social Media and in the school newsletter once it is available.
Several members of FBEC have worked alongside Rachel on her visits to both schools and marveled at the enthusiasm and knowledge shown by all the pupils.
Have a look at Rachel’s own site, where she gives our project a great write up!! http://www.community-film-maker.org.uk/
Our thanks go to the Heritage Lottery for funding what has turned out to be a wonderful project. Just a couple of months left and St Albans get their chance to see their input!
The Department of communities and Local Government (DCLG), have funded an inclusive and thought-provoking programme to invite communities to commemorate the sacrifices of the Labour Corps and their contribution to the First World War.
On July 14th between 9.20am and 10.40am pupils from Swanshurst School will be in Brandwood End Cemetery, where they will recite monologues to highlight Labour Corps members commemorated on the screen walls at the Cross of Sacrifice on the main drive.
This event will be filmed for the School’s Youtube channel. Members of FBEC Committee will also be attending.
http://www.bigideascompany.org/project/the-unremembered/
The Friends are very aware how popular our last Tree Walk leaflet was but it is several years since it was designed and time and weather have taken their toll on some of the trees featured so we have started working on a new version that will cover a larger area and feature a wider variety of trees. We have now started listing and photographing trees to be included and hope to be able to produce the leaflet early next year.
First we need to take lots of photographs, locate a good printer……and find a sponsor!
Five FBEC supporters and 11 members of the 148th Birmingham St. Dunstan’s Scouts cleared 17 bags of litter this morning on their summer morning litter pick.
Our thanks go to our regular supporters and also to the Scouts, who try to turn out at least once a year to help. This time the pickers were packed away just in time to beat a downpour!
Final reminder to everyone that FBEC will be holding our ‘Start of Summer‘ Litter Pick on Sunday June 4th- 10am till 11.30am – meet at the Lodge on the Main Drive. Litter pickers and bags provided, but we advise you wear stout footwear and gloves as well. This is your chance to enjoy a stroll around this amazing green urban space whilst helping to keep it litter free. The staff work hard to clear any litter but our efforts always produce more, as we have the time to search ! Most litter is flower paper. Can we ask you again to remove papers from flowers left graveside, as when the blooms die the wind blows them and their wrappers around the cemetery.
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.
Some of you may remember that our committee member, Barrie Simpson, and others were making efforts to get official recognition for Thomas William James.
We have included a link to the Official site which details, at length, the history behind these efforts. It is a long but extremely interesting story……but everyone’s efforts have been rewarded!
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.
Those of you that walk through or visit Brandwood End Cemetery will see some tree work happening in the next week or so. There will be some ‘crown lifting’ (taking off of lower branches) at various locations on the site and also the removal of some self set trees near the Diamond Woodland/yard fence.
Great to see so much tree husbandry happening in Brandwood End. More tree work to follow later in the year so watch this blog for details. All this work is being undertaken following consultation between Bereavement Services and the BCC Tree Officer for the area.