Poppies in the Jewellery Quarter Cemeteries

The Jewellery Quarter Cemeteries Project is a two-year programme of restoration works in Key Hill and Warstone Lane cemeteries, funded in partnership with National Lottery Heritage Fund, Birmingham City Council and Jewellery Quarter Development Trust.

Alongside the restoration there is a programme of events and activities to encourage more people to engage with, visit and learn about the cemeteries in the Jewellery Quarter (JQ), both their history and value as green spaces.

During lockdown, the cemeteries have been a lifeline for the local community as places to take daily walks, but restrictions mean that many people cannot visit and so many events have changed to accommodate this.

One recent example is the JQ Poppy Project which was run in partnership with Woolly Mammoth Stitchworks and funded by the Birmingham Municipal Charity.

In order to commemorate not only those who died in WWI and WWII who are remembered on gravestones and war memorials in the JQ, but also those of all nations killed in all conflict, we have been stitching hundreds of tapestry poppies to make a community artwork, which will be displayed at Remembrance events throughout the project and for many years to come.

The poppy stitching kits were sent to participants by post and nearly all of them have now found their way home! The kits included a postcard explaining the meanings of the 4 colours of poppy.

Nearly 150 members of the public have stitched a poppy for us and we are now just waiting for our school groups to return their poppies, as their stitching sessions were delayed due to remote learning, and then artist Tina Francis will put them all together!

We originally intended to debut the artwork in April but this will not be possible now due to COVID restrictions. We plan to have the artwork on display in the cemeteries on June 4 and 5 in Warstone Lane Cemetery (COVID roadmap permitting).

Project staff and volunteers will be on hand throughout both days to chat about the project and hand out self-guided war graves trails for those who wish to explore further.

We are so grateful to everyone who took part in the project, it was amazing to have people from across Birmingham, the Midlands and beyond, come together to stitch and remember those who have been lost – spending collectively over 200 hours on the project!

We know from the feedback comments that the participants really valued the fantastic kits created by Woolly Mammoth and being part of the project.

One stitcher said: “It’s been nice to think that my small contribution will be part of a tribute that is so significant and a cause close to my heart”.

Although our project is now drawing to a close, Woolly Mammoth Stitchworks are involved with other projects all the time, so there are often opportunities to get involved. Check their website for the latest projects.

We hope to see many of our stitchers and other interested people in person in June, but for those who can’t attend, you can find out more about the cemeteries from the comfort of your own home on our website.

Josie Wall, Jewellery Quarter Cemeteries Project.

This article is part of  a collaboration between Birmingham Archives, Community Libraries, the Library of Birmingham, Library Services at Home, the Mobile Library, and the Prison Library. Our aim is to share Birmingham’s history, archives, and community heritage activities, showcasing our city’s unique and irreplaceable archival collections, keeping you updated about projects and events you can get involved with.

• 

Store wars in Sutton Coldfield could be stepped with supermarket Aldi’s plans to build a new store on a derelict site in Sutton Coldfield.

The German grocery giant plans to build a new store in Brassington Avenue in the town centre, a site that been an eyesore in the town for many years.

It is believed Aldi is planning to move from its Sutton town centre store on The Parade, where there are parking problems, to the new site.

The land, which is on the edge of the Sutton ring road has been empty for many years despite many ambitious plans which have come and gone with no end result. As far back as 2009, a scheme to build more than 250 apartments earmarked for the site were finally abandoned due to problems brought about by the financial crash.

The development will form part of the Sutton Coldfield master plan, which includes a major transformation of Brassington Avenue, with more housing, shopping and leisure facilities.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Clockwise from the top, the for sale sign at Brassington Avenue, the former Waitrose in Belwell Lane, work continuing on the new Lidl and the current Aldi store in the town centre

It will be the second Aldi in Sutton Coldfield, following plans for the conversion of the former Waitrose in Belwell Lane, Mere Green and will join the new Lidl, currently being built in Mere Green on the former Lucas site.

The framework for the building is now in place with work nearly complete on the car park.

The Lidl store and panned Aldi in Mere Green have sparked fears of traffic chaos in what is already a congested area.

• 

Amy Foster will be dressing in orange, organising a fundraising tea and taking part in a sponsored space hopper race.

Get up and go this April to support St Giles Hospice

Everyone in Sutton Coldfield is being invited to get up and go orange this April to brighten up their spring and support St Giles Hospice.

The charity, which has centres in Whittington and Sutton Coldfield, is calling on supporters to dress up or dress down in orange for a day, a week or for the entire month this April. They can then text to make a donation to raise funds to support the hospice’s work caring for people living with a terminal illness and their families.

St Giles has also drawn up a host of other fun, colourful fundraising ideas to keep supporters entertained throughout the month as they take part in Orange April with friends, family or colleagues, whether at home, at work or even on Zoom.

Chloe Herbert, Head of Fundraising at St Giles Hospice, said: “We’re hoping to add an extra splash of colour to everybody’s April this year by asking our supporters to get up and go orange for St Giles.

“It takes a community to make a hospice and we’ve never need you more than we do today. By dressing in orange and taking part in other orange-inspired fundraising activities you can show your support for St Giles and make a real difference to the lives of local patients and their families.

“We rely on voluntary contributions to fund two thirds of the £10m we need to raise each year to fund the care we offer, and throughout the current Coronavirus crisis our services have faced unprecedented demand at a time when we have had to cancel our fundraising events and close our shops.

“Over the past 12 months our clinical and fundraising teams have had to adapt to ensure that we meet the increased demand and deliver our services in different ways – and our supporters have been so imaginative in finding ways to raise funds for us despite the lockdowns and social distancing.”

Everyone wanting to get up and go orange this April can request a fundraising pack in the post, which includes a special orange St Giles Hospice ribbon to add to their outfit along with a whole host of entertaining fundraising ideas and activities, or receive their pack digitally.

These ideas include a special orange Zoom background, a Zoom-based orange-themed scavenger hunt, a ‘guess the weight of your carrot cake’ competition, a ‘guess how many orange Smarties are in the jar’ competition and a new Olly the Orange activity pack for the kids.

Amy said: “We would urge everybody to Get Up and Go Orange to support St Giles this April and hope people will be happy to take part this year as we’re all in need of a good laugh!

“We want everyone to wear their orange ribbon with pride this April, knowing that they are helping us to continue providing care to people in our local community living with a terminal illness,” added Chloe.

The Hospice at Home team at St Giles will be among those dressing in orange to mark Orange April while they are out in the community caring for patients and their families at home next month.

Healthcare Assistant Amy Foster will also be organising a fundraising afternoon tea takeaway service and taking part in a sponsored space hopper race with her daughter to raise funds for St Giles.

“It’s so important to have our community supporting us and raising funds for us, this year more than ever. Whether it’s doing a sponsored walk or a cake sale, raising a couple of pounds or a thousand, it makes such a difference to the care we can provide to local families.”

Amy visits between six and eight people every day, offering personal and respite care, night support and emotional support to patients and their families. She has been a supporter of St Giles for many years but was inspired to join the Hospice at Home team after her mother-in-law was diagnosed with cancer and supported by the hospice until her death in 2019.

“The hospice staff were absolute angels and I wanted to give other people some of the love and support that I had received from St Giles,” Amy added. “It’s such a rewarding job.

“Hospice at Home support gives patients the opportunity to stay in their own home with their loved ones rather than having to go into hospital. It really means the world to people and shines so much light and positivity onto patients and their families at a time when they are in such a difficult and challenging situation.”

As well as caring for patients at home, St Giles also supports patients at its Inpatient Unit in Whittington. Many people who are admitted stay for just a few days and nights to have their symptoms controlled and their condition stabilised before returning home, while some require an extended stay involving specialist care, especially during the final stages of their illness.

Orange April has been launched as part of St Giles Hospice’s response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Find out more at http://www.stgileshospice.com/orangeappeal

For more information about St Giles Hospice and the expert care it provides, please visit http://www.stgileshospice.com