Martineau Gardens Autumn Celebration

Part of the Mayor’s Community Weekend

Saturday 9 September 2023, 11am – 3pm

FREE ENTRY

Come join us at our family-friendly green fete on Saturday 9 September.  Come and meet all the amazing community organisations there are on your doorstep, get involved with something brilliant and meet  people who can help you find out more.  There will be live music, delicious food and family friendly activities, all in the grounds of our beautiful community garden.

Wander around local stalls, find out about  gardening, wildlife and the environment. Catch up on our latest news – we have just made some good progress with our plans for the new eco building. Find out more here and do come and talk to us about it.

Stock up on  plants and produce. Wildlife activities for children.  Bring a book to swap at our book exchange and seeds for the seed swap, join in with traditional fete games  and have fun with the family.

Thanks to funding from the National Lottery Community Fund, entry to the Autumn Event is free.

Check back here regularly, follow us on social media – or sign up to receive our News and Events emails for updates.

 

Live Music

We so pleased to share the news that Black Adder Morris Dancers will be performing (12noon). They dance in clogs and wear red and yellow rag jackets (a nod to their connection to the Lancashire Mills), acompanied by a talented team of musicians on accordion, pipes, fiddle and drums. Like to join in? There’ll be an opportunity to try it out yourself! Next up, don’t miss the afternoon slot with Rigmareel (1pm)  playing irish music, followed by new to the Gardens, SAM Band (2pm) , featuring Sandy and Martin.  SAM play covers and originals influenced by blues, jazz, soul and other areas of music – should be perfect for our sunny afternoon.

We’re really grateful to the musicians who give up their time for free to play for us, so please show them your support with lots of cheers.

Family friendly activities

We’re  a welcoming space for families, there’s lots going on, including traditional fete games and Juliette (our Environmental Education Officer) will be running minibeast hunting/pond dipping activities from  12.30-3pm, based in the woods by the pond.

Community Stalls

Come and meet all the amazing community organisations there are on your doorstep, get involved with something brilliant and meet  people who can help you find out more.  Pictured left is ELP2 and right is Dawn from Tools for Africa,

 

Are you a young person interested in green leadership and nature connection, or know someone who is? Come along and meet the team to find out more about ELP2 – a free 9 month hybrid environmental leadership programme packed full of sessions that will expand your knowledge of green leadership and nature connection!

Pictured here is Dawn from Tools for Africa, selling garden tools. This is a real treasure trove – all their tools have been donated locally and all proceeds are sent to Tools for Self-Reliance to fund apprenticeship programmes in five African nations.

Pop over to Birmingham Friends of the Earth to find out all about volunteering at with them and all their  current campaigns, and upcoming events.

Would  you like to go walking regularly out into the countryside as part of a group? Be sure to go talk to the Birmingham CHA Rambling Club, who run walks for all abilities, open to all. They walk 3 or 4 days per week, you don’t need a car since they  use public transport and are affiliated to the ‘Ramblers Association.

Support your local community garden!

About Martineau Gardens

When the city council-run environmental centre closed in 1997, a group of local people came together to create a community garden that would stay open for free, for the public of Birmingham to visit and care for. Supporters included former staff, neighbours, Birmingham Friends of the Earth and members of the Martineau family.  Today our Martineau Gardens is a thriving independently run charity and one of the longest running Community Gardens in Birminghame: volunteers (many of whom have mental health issues and learning disabilities) care for the Gardens, hundreds of school children come to learn about the environment and Birmingham people (now in their thousands) visit the Gardens annually. In 2022 we celebrated our 25th birthday, and now we’re looking forward to the next 25 years – join us!

Profits raised from the event help to keep these beautiful gardens open for free and enable the Therapeutic Horticulture Programme to continue. Spread the word and invite your friends and family!

Getting to the Event:

There is a small car park at the Gardens. We have limited spaces reserved for disabled parking – if on arrival these are full, please be prepared to be dropped off and any vehicles parked at Priory Hospital.  Public parking for the event is over the road, at the Priory Hospital, by kind permission. Please drive to the rear of the car park, to the area that adjoins the Elmhurst School of Dance (follow the signs). Approx 100 spaces. Parking only available until 3.30pm (when the event ends).

We recommend that you consider the green option and travel by public transport to the event. Martineau Gardens is well served by buses. The nearest bus routes are  Priory Road: 1;  Bristol Road: 61, 63; Pershore Road: 45, 47 . To plan your journey by public transport, visit www.traveline.info and use the Martineau Gardens’ postcode, B5 7UG.

Cyclists: we have a covered bike shed – on arrival in the carpark, head for the right hand side, dismount and walk to the end of the track.

How to find us – location map