A new bench has made an appearance in Brandwood End Cemetery. The Friends have no idea who provided it, but it sits near the Cross of Sacrifice on the main Drive and its design suggests a link to the Great war. 
Tag: volunteers
Seasons Greetings to all our supporters.
Christmas is almost upon us and the committee of Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery would like to wish all our supporters ‘Seasons Greetings’. Although we seem to have made no progress with the Chapels in 2014, due to the financial constraints being experienced by Birmingham City Council, we have never the less been busy on other projects in the cemetery. Can we thank Bereavement Services staff for their co operation, our project sponsors and all of the volunteers who have worked alongside us. Thank you all again and we look forward, hopefully, to more progress in 2015.
Last litter pick of 2014!
This will be the last weekend in 2014 that the Friends will be holding a Litter Pick and clean up in the Cemetery. The details are as follows:-
Meet by the Lodge on the main drive. 10am (Usually finished by 11.30am)
Sunday 7th December. Litter pickers and sacks provided but suitable shoes and gloves advisable.
If Litter Picking is not up your street, we always have plenty of weeding to do under the hedges in the Civilian Garden of Remembrance. You will have to bring your own tools for this task.
Christmas shopping on Amazon? Please think of us….
Dear Friends….If you will be Christmas shopping on Amazon this year please consider using the Icon for their site at the top of this web page. It costs you no more and takes just a second longer but for every purchase you make, FBEC receive a small donation.
It’s possibly a bit early- but Seasons Greetings to all our members and followers on the web from the Committee of FBEC.
Archivist needed!
FBEC are looking for an interested member of the public to take on the volunteer role of ‘Archivist’. This will not be a very time consuming role but we feel that it is important that we keep material such as news cuttings and photographs etc in an orderly fashion for future reference.
It would require a person with access to a computer, a scanner and the internet ……and also an interest in preserving information.
If you think you can help us please contact FBEC via this web site or e mail friendsofbec@gmail.com for more information.
Jane Edwards (Chairman FBEC)
Brandwood Pool Plinth repaired.
For a while now the plinth used by families to feed the ducks at Brandwood Pool has been rotten and not really safe but we are pleased to say it is back in use again. Dean, the Ranger, helped by Wendy and her team of students from Bournville College have redesigned the base and removed all that wood and replaced it with hard core. Lots of baby moor hens, coots and ducks to feed. Keep your eyes peeled for our daily Woodpecker visitor. He likes the large Oak on the far side of the pool. 
Brandwood Pool lies adjacent to the Cemetery but walking access is via Whittington Close B14 6JW.
The Friends are always looking for help at work parties and litter picks. They can be contacted on 0121 605 4316.
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.
At 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.
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.
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!
Can 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.
Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress visit Jasmin Fields
Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery joined other members of New Vision at an ‘Explore Jasmin Fields’ event last Saturday. A similar event last summer was completely drowned out so we were dismayed when we started to set up in rain and wind! The wind was so strong that one or our gazebos briefly became a kite……but the wind soon dropped and the rain cleared and by starting time we had very acceptable weather.
We were very pleased that the Lord Mayor and the Lady Mayoress came along to open the event and stayed most of the morning. The Ranger Service and the Friends of Jasmin Fields, supported by New Vision, had arranged a circular walk of the nature reserve, pond dipping, cake icing, badge making, bike repairs and advice on security by the Neighbourhood Policing Team. The event gave local groups, including FBEC, the opportunity to make residents more aware of their activities and to enlist members for future events. Everyone agreed to had been a real success and well worth the effort by the volunteers.
If you have an interest in any of the local groups, especially Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery, please contact us via this site and we will add you to our e mail list to be advised of anything happening in our local community group areas. We all need your support at our events and it is so good to see local people interested in any of our sites.