Refurbishment Update December 17, 2016



Youngsters sleep-out for homeless at Martineau Gardens December 5, 2016

A courageous band of children aged ten to twelve years old came to Martineau Gardens, to brave the elements of a dark November night to raise awareness and funds for Birmingham’s youth homelessness charity, St Basils. The group decided to build shelters out of cardboard boxes and bring their sleeping bags, they cooked food around a campfire and played games to keep warm.

Pictured above, children (and parents) from the Kings Heath and Moseley Woodcraft group.

This is a subject close to our hearts. Some of our adult volunteers have been homeless, occasionally rough sleeping or are living in hostels. The Therapeutic Horticulture project, where volunteers come together to garden and look after the landscape at Martineau Gardens, means that vulnerable people get the opportunity for fresh air, exercise and friendship and benefit from a sense of wellbeing and achievement.

The event was a satellite sleep out event to coincide with the St Basil’s Big Birmingham Sleep Out 2016.

 

 



Bags of Change Grant – We are Tesco Nominees December 5, 2016

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5p carrier bag charging began in England over a year ago. Proceeds generated from sales of bags are given to good causes. We’re delighted to announce that Martineau Gardens has been shortlisted for a public vote in Tesco’s ‘Bags of Help’ initiative. Please visit your nearest participating Tesco stores, in December, for us to help us secure a Tesco  ‘Bags of Help’ grant. We could receive a grant of from £1,000 to £5,000 if successful. The following shops are taking part in the voting for Martineau Gardens:

Barnt Green Birmingham Express
Dudley Rd Halesowen Express
Marlbrook Bromsgrove Express
Hasbury Halesowen Express
Stourbridge Halesowen Express
Frankley Birmingham Express
Quinton
Quinton
Bournville Birmingham Express
Kings Heath Birmingham Express
Hagley Road Birmingham  Express
Weoley Express
Rubery Metro
Selly Oak Bristol Road Express
West Heath Birmingham Express
Birmingham Brisnl Express
Birmingham Bristl Express

To vote, you will need to make a purchase within store of any value. You will receive one token per transaction and it’s not necessary to purchase a carrier bag in order to receive a token.

Tesco teamed up with Groundwork to launch its ‘Bags of Help’ initiative across England and Wales. The scheme sees three community groups and projects in each of around 200 Tesco regions awarded grants of £5,000, £2,000 and £1,000 – all raised from the 5p bag charge.
‘Bags of Help’ offers community groups and projects across the UK a share of revenue generated from the 5p charge levied on single-use carrier bags. The public will now vote in store from 1 to 31 December on who should receive the £5,000, £2,000 and £1,000 awards.
www.tesco.com/bagsofhelp


Sat 26 November – Maintenance work November 25, 2016

Martineau Gardns will be closed on Saturday 26 November 2016 for maintenance work and will re-open on Monday.



Outdoor Kitchen Club at Martineau Gardens November 18, 2016

A photo story of our day spent cooking in our outdoor kitchen, here at Martineau Gardens

 



12 Nov Cancelled Winter Working Party November 11, 2016

The weather is looking wet for tomorrow, the first meet for our Winter Working Parties. With regret, tomorrow’s session (on Saturday 12 November 2016) is cancelled. We are sorry for any disapointment caused.

Our next conservation working party will be Saturday 10 December – for more information about what’s involved, visit this page.

Martineau Gardens will be open as usual for Visitors, from 10am until 4pm, admission is free.



Help us win an award! November 8, 2016

Sunlight shining on the Paperbark Maple, in our Winter Garden

Sunlight shining on the Paperbark Maple

Martineau Gardens nominated for Fields in Trust UK’s Best Park Award

We’re delighted to announce that Martineau Gardens has been nominated for the Fields in Trust UK’s Best Park Award one of our supporters. Now we need public votes to win. Over the last few weeks 214 nominations have been received by Fields in Trust for parks and green spaces that are a much loved part of their local communities. Now it is time to choose the winners  -please do vote for us here:

http://www.fieldsintrust.org/bestpark/westmidlands

The deadline is Wednesday 9 November – winning this award would really help to raise awareness of Martineau Gardens, so please do press the button!

Martineau Gardens is a beautiful therapeutic community garden and a charity, located two miles from Birmingham City Centre. It’s a green oasis teeming with wildlife and is looked after by volunteers, many of whom have mental health issues and learning disabilities. Hundreds of school children visit the Gardens to learn about science and environmental issues. Every year Birmingham people visit the gardens to explore its woodland, glass houses, formal garden, orchard, demonstration food growing areas, wildflower meadow, pond and wildlife area with SLINC status.

Across the UK nominations include large nature reserves and small community gardens, sports fields and playgrounds, each one a green space valued by the local community. Fields in Trust is a national charity that operates throughout the UK to safeguard recreational spaces and campaign for better statutory protection for all kinds of outdoor sites. Martineau Gardens  is one of 214 nominated parks across the UK. The park with the most votes in each of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will be shortlisted and nominators will be invited to attend the prestigious Fields in Trust Awards at Lord’s Cricket Ground in November where the UK’s Best Park 2016 will be named.

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Fields in Trust Chief Executive Helen Griffiths said: “We want to celebrate the parks and green spaces which are so vital to the communities that use them. A good park is reflective of the community it serves, but, as they are not a statutory service for local councils to provide, these much loved places are increasingly under threat of being lost to development.

“Recognising the UK’s Best Park is a way of revaluing our green spaces; not viewing them just as a drain on resources for maintenance and upkeep – but seeing what benefits they bring; access to good quality recreational space can contribute to the physical and mental health of their local population and provide places for people to get together for community events.”

 Fields in Trust legally safeguards over 2,600 parks, playing fields, playgrounds, recreation grounds and other open spaces throughout the UK – a total of 12,000 hectares (30,000 acres).

Fields in Trust is a national charity that operates throughout the UK to safeguard recreational spaces and campaign for better statutory protection for all kinds of outdoor sites. Founded in 1925 as the National Playing Fields Association by King George V, the mission is the same now and as it was then: to ensure that everyone – young or old, able-bodied or disabled and wherever they live – should have access to free, local outdoor space for sport, play and recreation. These spaces are vital to building happy and healthy communities and sadly continue to be threatened by all kinds of development.  www.fieldsintrust.org

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Co-op supports Martineau Gardens September 28, 2016

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We’ve got some great news! Martineau Gardens has been selected to receive funding from the Co-op Local Community Fund. It means that we will get a contribution towards the Therapeutic Horticulture Project. But we need your help. The more support we get, the more funding we could receive. So if you’re a Co-op Member log in to your Co-op Membership account and choose us. If you’re not a member, please join and support us!

Co-ops Local Community Fund – Giving back to local communities

By choosing to buy from Co-op, Co-up members are helping local causes on their doorstep through the Local Community Fund. Every time Co-up members buy selected Co-op branded products and services, 1% of their spend goes to a local cause.

Local stores

Co-op Edgbaston   Co-op Moseley  Co-op Jewellery Quarter

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Winter conservation returns September 12, 2016

Working in the woodland at Martineau Gardens

Working in the woodland at Martineau Gardens

Great  exercise that helps our wildlife!  Our Winter Working Parties have returned. This is a chance to work with others in the woodland at Martineau Gardens, on a range of conservation tasks.

Conservation work includes:

  • Coppicing trees and bushes
  • Digging out roots
  • Pruning hedges
  • Clearing  brambles, ivy etc

Stewart Holmes (Therapeutic Horticulturalist, Martineau Gardens) will be leading the sessions, Brian Perry will join him as the volunteer wildlife recorder. Read a report with more details and photos here:

The sessions run on the second Saturday each month 10.30am until 3.30pm, on the following dates:

2016: 12 November (cancelled due to wet weather), 10 December. 2017: 14 January, 11 February  and 11 March.   

 Please note:

1) If you can only do morning or afternoon—that’s fine

2) In the event of severe weather, work parties will be cancelled

3) If you want to join us, there’s no charge, but please book a place in advance at the Office or call us on 0121 440 7430. We will need your contact details in case the party gets cancelled.



Honey Show 3 & 4 Sept August 31, 2016

Come and visit Martineau Gardens this weekend, Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 September for the return of the Birmingham Honey Show. Find out why honey bees need beekeepers to survive and why bees are important to the environment. Enjoy the crafts and produce associated with this traditional craft, all in the setting of a beautiful garden.

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Organised by Birmingham & District Beekeepers Association, Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 September 2016, 10am until 4pm, Free entry. Find out more here.