Bloomin’ Wonderful Result

The efforts of the Castle Bromwich Community Project to restore the closed graveyard have paid off with an excellent first time result in the Royal Horticultural Society Britain in Bloom Competition. Members are celebrating after receiving a Thriving Award in this year’s Heart of England in Bloom – It’s Your Neighbourhood Awards category.

Representatives of the group were given the Red Carpet treatment when they attended the awards ceremony in Solihull to be told of the result. RHS Assessors Robin Russell and Ken Whittaker highlighted the group’s achievements in what they described as a massive challenge which had been community lead from day one. The graveyard has now been cleared of decades of overgrowth, graves uncovered, water restored and newly planted flower beds make a colourful addition to the site.

Terrie Knibb, Chairman of the Castle Bromwich Community Project said: “We could not have achieved this fantastic result without the many community groups and residents who have got involved. The judges were particularly impressed by the large number of local young people who joined in to help often giving up their school holidays. This shows how much local residents care about our community and want to help improve the area. There’s still much to be done, but this is a great start.”

The awards are supported by Marches Housing Association and Managing Director Phil Green said: “We continue to be delighted and surprised by the quality and quantity of entries. So much hardwork and determination goes into creating gardens and projects that not only look beautiful but have also been about communities coming together and caring for their local area.”

 

Community Project Unites Generations

It has been deteriorating for years but thanks to a partnership between young people from Castle Bromwich Youth & Community Centre and members of the Castle Bromwich Community Project the closed graveyard by St Mary & St Margaret Church Castle Bromwich is getting a much needed facelift. Castle Bromwich Community Project with the support of the Solihull Neighbourhood Management Team has spent the past 18 months slowly clearing the over growth and the weeds to reveal the hidden graves and the stories behind the head stones, but the project received a boost when Project members were joined by members of the Castle Bromwich Youth Centre, Castle Bromwich & District Lions, local residents and members of the Neighbourhood Police Team for a four day mass clear-up where young people and older residents worked side by side.

Taking inspiration from the planting schemes of Commonwealth War Graves which were researched by young members of the Community Project, the volunteers created a strategic planting scheme to highlight the 9 war graves contained within the graveyard, the graves of pilots killed during duty whilst serving at the Castle Bromwich Aerodrome and other historically important graves. The young people from the Youth Centre donated £100 which would normally have been used for in Centre activities or equipment to provide gravel and plants for the project; Castle Bromwich & District Lions also donated gravel and plants and Solihull Environmental Champions loaned the tools needed for the clear-up.

A Spokesperson for the Castle Bromwich Community Project said that “the graveyard clear-up provides an opportunity for young and old to get to know each other better whilst learning about local heritage, helping to improve the environment and conserve historically important monuments”.

Collaboration is Key to Success

 

In two short weeks the Community Project’s renovation of the local graveyard has made remarkable strides. Key to the success has been the partnerships which the project has formed with other local organisations. During half term week, 32 volunteers from organisations as diverse as the Project itself, Castle Bromwich Lions, young people from Solihull Youth Service’s Castle Bromwich Youth & Community Centre, the Environmental Champions and local business ISS cleared a large patch of brambles and created a shrub bed under-planted with bulbs. Volunteers celebrated the achievement of the students involved with Pizza and Maltesers as part of National Student Volunteer Week.
The fortnight culminated with the restoration of the water supply. Nine volunteers from the Community Project and Castle Bromwich Lions installed a cast iron water bollard which had been donated by British Waterways in recognition that the graveyard is the final resting place of Thomas Clayton famous for his position as a Canal Carrier and boat builder. Thanks to Pat for the cups of tea and bacon and sausage sandwiches and to local resident Jerry Gray for his support of the project.
More details of the graveyard restoration can be found at www.castlebromwichgraveyard.co.uk

Young and Old Work Together in North Solihull

Members of the Castle Bromwich Community Project were part of the organising team for the recent Intergenerational Question Time held at the Loft Room, Chelmsley Wood. Both the audience and expert panel consisted of young and old, the oldest being born in 1929 and the youngest in 1995,

A cross-generational audience quizzed a panel of experts at the “Question Time” style event organised by a group of younger and older residents working together to improve intergenerational relationships.

Anti-social behaviour, fear of crime, parks and green spaces and bridging the generation gap were the topics discussed at the event which was hosted by best selling author Andy Cope. The audience had prepared questions ranging from what role the community could play in helping to eradicate anti-social behaviour, what was being done to maintain services in the light of public service cuts, to why Castle Bromwich couldn’t have an adventure playground similar to that recently built in Meriden Park.

On the panel answering questions were Nicola Holmes from Solihull Youth Council, Georgina Taylor – Solihull Youth Council, Ian Bromley –Solihull Youth Council, Chief Inspector Wharmby – Solihull Local Policing Unit, Anne Brereton – Director of Places Solihull Council and Beth Mears a Young Carer.