GEML Ladywood

Archive for the ‘Grow It’ Category

The residents of Mount Pleasant, Small Heath & Bordesley have decided to grow their own vegetables.  Cost-conscious local residents are beating the recession by enlisting the help of Birmingham City Council’s Neighbourhood programme and the Neighbourhood Manager, Janice Freeman-Phillips,  to grow their vegetables, save money and live healthier lifestyles! 

Residents have joined a growing army of health and cost-conscious people who want to change their lives and their area by creating a community spirit.  Have a look at Highate Word press or Stanhope Hall for examples.

Stanhope Hall

Following the success of the first training and planting session on the Coplow Street site, the second session will take place on 27th July 2010 (5.30pm start).  Residents will be able to receive further tips on growing their own vegetables and shrubs, with Andrew Symons again being available to pass on handy advice.

A signficant number of the plots have already been allocated with 3 grow bags per household being the optimum number.  The aim is to allocate all the plots as soon as possible allowing residents sufficient time to plant and harvest their vegetables well before the end of the year.

Starting on Monday July 12th, BCC Future Job Fund trainees will be beginning the process of designing and installing a new terraced vegetable garden  at Nechells Green Community Centre on Melvina Road, Nechells, for the benefit of local young people to learn gardening and horticultural skills.

Residents along with officers from Birmingham City Council are planning an exciting new beginning for the garage site off Coplow Street in Summerfield.

Coplow Street community meeting

Following several meetings of the Coplow Street group, an initial site visit took place on Thursday 22 April 2010 enabling local people to present their ideas on how the disused site can be developed growing plants and vegetables over the coming 12 – 18 months. Thanks to the work of Debbie Jones, the GEML Co-ordinator and the support of Housing in allowing the project to use the land, the site which has suffered from anti social activities, will now be transformed into an oasis of plants, vegetables and shrubs. Chris Bean, Chair of Summerfield and Central Ladywood Environment Task Group and local resident said, ” We can’t wait to get started on this project”.

Community Group develop an Action Plan

Besides working with local residents, Barford and St Patrick’s school have expressed a desire to get involved and grow something of their own. We intend to start the project off with grow bags and develop a couple of raised beds during the summer months. Our intention is to share our experiences with partners and residents through regular updates via the GEML website and features in community and local publications.’ If local residents are interested in getting involved in the Coplow Street site they should contact Debbie Jones on 0121 464 9464 or Chis Bean, local resident on 0121 454 0675

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Town Hall Symphony Hall and the Drum both Ladywood’s Arts Champions worked with Stanhope Hall Women’s group in the summer of 2009. 

The women’s group worked with artists to create a short animation that gave the group an opportunity to use technology creatively to talk about what was happening currently at their centre and in their community.  The group explored lots of ideas with the artists and with Town Hall Symphony Halls Community Project Manager in previous visits before settling on creating a film about their community garden. Stanhope’s community garden is supported by GEML. 

The group worked together to storyboard their animation. They wanted the story that they used to be symbolic of how the women’s group came together, therefore the story that they created  is about a group of exotic vegetables that came to England and visiting Stanhope’s community garden (as you will see from the attached video clip).

The group were asked to use vegetables grown in the community garden and from home to use in the work. The vegetables were animated and brought to life by the group who created voice over’s and a set for the short film. Shortly after the film was made the group attended a celebration event at Town Hall along with other groups that had been involved in the Arts Champions project from across the constituency. During the event Stanhope’s animation was premiered along with the work of other groups too.

Fay Todd

Project Manager (Community) Education & Community Department

Town Hall & Symphony Hall, Birmingham

They say you should put your best foot forward; well that’s exactly what happened at Stanhope Community Centre.  As part of ‘ Move it ‘ element of GEML project, Stanhope held its first Tea Dance, in November. 

Interest was initially generated at an Elders Event first held in October 09 at Summerfield Community Centre as part of Black History month celebration. 

Stanhope was well attended by 24 local residents.  These involved people who had a very keen interest in dance, some of whom had previous experience, whilst others were beginners and eager to learn.  There was a real group feeling to the event and everyone took part and seemed to enjoy the experience.

Quote:

“My mom and I come to the lunch group in the afternoons.  We both think it’s a brilliant idea and would want it to continue. It’s great opportunity for exercise and to have a good laugh”  

                              Karen Yardley & Kathleen Smith, Highgate.

Taster sessions focused on Ballroom Dancing and Line Dancing.  People were encouraged to take part by following basic instruction in Line Dancing; as a result they were able to rediscover their ballroom dancing skills. With both feet firmly planted, it provided greater motivation to arrange further dance sessions.  Hence there will be further dance events in the New Year.

Monica Lee; Community Centre Manager ensured the resident luncheon club members were informed and enlisted the help of the on site volunteers; dance instructors had designed the programme accordingly.

Feedback was very positive, identifying how enjoyable the dancing had been, people with limited mobility were doing movements from their chairs.  There was laughter, talking, and smiles a plenty.  This activity was particularly positive as it was culturally a very diverse group of local residents.

Dance Instructor put the locals through their paces.

Residents commented on how much they had enjoyed it.  Some even wanted to pursue this through formal dance lessons and a significant number want to set up a regular dance group at the Centre.  People enjoyed an opportunity get out of the house and meet other people and socialise. 

Quote:

“We normally just come to the lunch group during the week.  Diane attends the women’s group as well.  I think it’s a great idea; it’s a great opportunity to meet more people in the community.”

                                                       Stanley & Diane Curley, Highgate.  

Quote:

“Since retirement, we’ve been on a few trips with the Centre.  But dancing has been a welcome break; there are not that many places where we get an opportunity like this, so we would definitely come again!”                  

                                  Vera & Norman Shearer, Balsall Heath.

  Yvonne Spencer (Adults & Communities)

 Bev Taylor (Housing & Constituencies)

Imagine you are travelling by bus or car down the Soho Road towards Birmingham City Centre. On the brow of the hill – Soho Hill – just before you descend to Hockley Flyover, look right and there is Richmond Community Garden. The landmark to look out for is the large circular mosaic, depicting a tree and the wildlife it supports, designed by artist Cathryn Ryle and children from Welford Primary and St Michael’s CE Primary.

Refurbished in 2002 – 03 with funding from SRB6 and the Soho Ward Neighbourhood Renewal Fund the garden is there for the benefit of local residents, community groups and schools. Recently we have been working with Debbie Jones, GEML coordinator, on a project to introduce a new element to the garden – involving schools and the community in growing; preparing and thinking about the food we eat.

Neil De-Costa – Neighbourhood Manager, gave his commitment to the project by providing funding from Soho Ward and there was additional support provided from the GEML project.   Throughout all of this, there  will eventually  be a ‘Friends of’ group.

With support from Daljit Hayre, the local Extended Cluster Coordinator, an after school gardening club has been set up with St Michael’s CE Primary School. Birmingham and Solihull Conservation Volunteers have Constructed  four raised beds  enabling children to plant onions and garlic which have  already sprouted! Over the winter period we will be working with GEML to add further raised beds, plant Apple trees, and with the advice of local beekeeper John Madgwick, install a beehive with the aim of introducing a colony of bees in the spring.

Children from St Michaels’s CE Primary Schools planting seeds at Richmond Gardens

The project is helping children learn about the practicalities of growing fruit and vegetables and the science behind it, such as the essential apsect when considering the role of bees and other insects in pollinating plants. The project has engaged children in learning outside the classroom with all the benefits that this brings in terms of children’s health, personal and social development, as well as the essential learning to be gained from engaging with the real world.

Richmond Garden was presented with a Recognition Award at the recent Ladywood Constituency Convention, in acknowledgement of our contribution to the GEML initiative.

We are setting up a ‘Friends of’ group to help run the garden, so anyone interested in getting involved please contact Andrew Simons Tel: 515 1995

E-mail: andrew.simons@blueyonder.co.uk

In October 2009 the Ladywood Constituency held its Convention and Award Ceremony, at Council House.  The convention was a celebration and recognition of the constituency success with its partners, local residents and staff, all of whom work tirelessly to make Ladywood Constituency a better place to live, work and play.

The GEML initiative; Grow it, Eat it, Move it, Live it project received high praise and recognition for its progress since April 2009.

GEML project is a partnership between Ladywood Constituency staff from BCC, Heart of Birmingham Primary Care Trust (PCT), voluntary organisations across the constituency, and local residents groups and ‘In Bloom’ groups.

Debbie Jones the GEML co-ordinator has worked closely with those groups and as a result of everyone’s hard work; awards were presented to five sites that have really come on in leaps and bounds since joining the initiative.

Stanhope Community Centre, Highgate

POD, Oliver Street, Nechells

Birchfield Library, Trinity Road

Richmond Garden, Soho Hill

Nechells Play Centre, Aston Church Road

To date there are further sites that have been identified and community groups are keen to join what has become a very positive and engaging project.

Banqueting Suite, Council House. GEML participants receive their Recognition Awards at the Ladywood Constituency Convention

The Grow it, Eat it, Move it, Live It (GEML) project continues to thrive  at  Nechells Play Centre in inner city Birmingham.  A large quantity of vegetables has been harvested so far by growers there.  The crops have been mainly: Beans, Carrots, Tomatoes and Lettuces.  The young people and staff at play centre have been eating salad during the summer holiday on wraps and at 2 Barbeques they had with burgers/hotdogs.

Jacky Jones the principal play worker, tried to generate interest on a similar concept some years ago.  However; when she heard about the GEML project, she approached Debbie Jones the GEML co-ordinator with a view to revisit the idea.  With a new injection of resources and tools; Jacky had already identified a plot within the grounds of the play centre and set about guiding the young children on how to plant the seeds.

By the 4th week of the summer holiday, the children and play centre staff had started to pull the bigger carrots and every day they took about 12 out.  The young children washed and then ate them raw almost immediately!  They’ve not cooked any yet; thanks to the young people, they haven’t got as far as the kitchen!

There are tons of tomatoes – again, the cherry vine ripe ones are picked and eaten.  The young people are picking tomatoes daily; the Beans are still going strong and been picked every couple of days.  Corn on the cob is coming along but needed a few more weeks as it was planted a little late.

In all there have been approximately 15 children and young people that have put a lot of hard work and effort into the plot and are still helping to water the plot and pick the produce. The kids as a group are certainly enjoying eating the carrots & tomatoes practically on a daily basis.  Andy Foster has been talking to them recently about starting an herb garden next.

For all the hard work of the staff and young children, the Nechells Play Centre recently won a Recognition Award for their Contribution to the GEML Project.

Thanks to these budding entrepreneurs this site is certainly thriving and just goes to show that even in the most urban of settings, with a bit of help and a lot of tenacity, growing your own food is possible.

Nechells Play Centre, Aston Church Road, Nechells B7 5QD

Contact officer Jacky Jones – 0121-326-6785

Stanhope Community Centre was one of the first GEML community growth sites to take the lead.  They enlisted the support of probation service and St Georges Post 16 centre, (now St Georges Community Hub).

Probation provided a group of young people under the Community Pay back initiative, to support the ground work i.e. digging over the soil and creating planters for those with disabilities to participate.  The fruits of their Labour are there for all to see.

A member of Community Payback helps to prepare growth site

Since planting in early April, they had made some amazing progress and had Cabbages, Runner Beans, Potatoes, Lettuce, Bush Beans, Corn on the Cob and Spinach to choose from.

Planters full of thriving vegetables

The residents continued to work hard on their crops and with a bit of help from the weather, they had a bumper year.

Robert Tyler from Post 16 Centre provided training sessions.  Covering Rotation of crops, fertilisers and carried out practical exercises.  Robs assistance has been invaluable in providing additional resources.

A more than enthusiastic Monica Lee; Community Worker has been inspirational throughout the development of this initiative.

Monica Lee and volunteers admire progress