CSV are working closely with local schools and the wider community, in partnership with Birmingham City Council and other agencies, to encourage safe and positive use of the parks and green spaces around the Nechells Ward of Birmingham.

There has been a history of problems within the parks of East Birmingham that include vandalism, graffiti and anti-social behaviour. These problems have driven people away from using and enjoying their local parks and green spaces.

The project works towards bringing people back in to their parks and working together towards solutions to the existing problems.

Nechells in Bloom
Nechells Ward in East Birmingham is historically an industrial area.  In recent decades the area had become run-down but through a holistic approach of managing the region’s green spaces, Birmingham City Council is working with CSV to deliver massive improvements to all the parks of this area in consultation with local residents and working alongside local businesses.

The approach has proved extremely positive and many successful grant applications have been made that have enabled the various park Friend’s Groups to revive their parks in consultation with the local community.

The Friends of Nechells Park Group have been very active in promoting the protection, conservation and improvement of the natural environment of the Nechells Ward.  Over the 5 years of the Nechells in Bloom initiative the steering group have organised bulb planting, the planting of a festive tree to be used by all interfaith groups in the area, flower bedding schemes and even wild-flower planting in the park.  Since the recent hanging basket workshop attended by many local residents the streets as well as the green spaces of this area are being brightened up.

The improvements to the parks and smaller green spaces have been so successful that for 2 years running Nechells Ward has won a silver award from the Heart Of England in Bloom, and the 2008 Silver Gilt Award.

Work in Birmingham's Parks
In each park, community surveys are carried out to find out how local people feel about their park, which help groups to put in capital funding bids for improvements to the parks.

In the meantime, CSV works in partnership with parks Friends groups, schools and the wider local community, helping to deliver these improvements.

• Friends of Highgate Park
  Birmingham City Council in partnership with CSV have submitted bid for £4.5 million Parks for People lottery grant.  Such a grant will have a huge impact in this old neglected Victorian city park.  CSV and the Friends of Highgate Park aim to re-landscape the park and bring in a play area and better pathways.  The Friends of Highgate Park envisage having a park keeper.  Planting schemes, activities and a trim trail will bring this park to life in the coming year through the work of the local residents bringing lots of ideas to this Friends Group.
  
  Previous fun days organised by the Friends group, have encouraged local residents back to this Park and as a result of the progress planned for 2008 the park is set to continue to bloom.
  
• Friends of Denbigh Street
  The Friends of Denbigh Street Group is just 2 months old but has started up with a bang.  A group of local residents had been complaining about the state of their green space and great triumph has been achieved following a successful CSV bid for £250000.
  
  The committee of local residents to manage the development of the park has just been voted in at the beginning of 2008 and big plans for the open space are being formed in partnership with Birmingham City Council.  CSV and this Friends group are behind the creation of a new play area, a multi-use games area and landscaping work for 2008.
  
• North Nechells Parks Friends
  This Friends group covers several green spaces in the area: Mount St Park, Eliot St Park, Eliot St Play Area and Nechells Public Space.
  
  The key aim to of CSV’s public spaces work is to bring the community back into the parks and to stop the parks being seen as regions of anti-social behaviour. Fun days have been a great way to bring local residents into the park and the first Mount St Park fun day in 2007 proved popular with the residents and needs to be bigger this year! 
  
  Recently a new CCTV camera has been installed in Mount St Park.
  
  Chair of the Friends Group, Cecil Price has started up a young person’s football club running on a weekly basis in the park so local activity in the park is definitely kicking off.
  
  A successful bid to SITA for £25000, and a local NRF for £8000 by CSV has made it possible to rejuvenate Eliot Street Play Area.  The children of Nechells Infant and Junior School were critical in deciding what play equipment was necessary and the Friends group are now in consultation to give the new play area a name.
  
• Friends of Sara Park
  As one of the oldest Friends Groups in the area the Friends of Sara Park have been active since 2003.
  
  After a recent big community consultation there has been a hive of activity in Sara Park.
  
  CSV have worked with the Friends Group to organise re-landscaping of the park. Money from a successful SITA bid has led to the installation of new play equipment in the park which has been a great encouragement to bringing more local children out to enjoy their park.
  
  Every year in Sara Park tens of thousands of bulbs are planted by the members of the local community in partnership with CSV and Glendales. The bulb planting has been a fantastic way to bring Sara Park into bloom. Local children from Regents Park Primary School and Holy Trinity Secondary get significantly involved in the activities – from all the undergrowth clearance work beforehand, to the bulb planting itself. Recently, kids from Sara Park play centre planted sensory plants in the raised beds.
  
  Encouraging wildlife to thrive is important to the group and the bird boxes, feeders and even bug hotels! have been made by local children to nurture Sara Park’s wildlife. 
  
  A seating area has been installed in the park, and, with the help of a Breathing Places grant there a habitat creation project has been successfully initiated in the park.  The habitat which varies from woodland through to meadow land has been revived with a lot more woodland bulbs, woodland plugs and wildflower seeding in the meadow areas. Wild garlic and carrot were planted in the marginal habitat area.
  
  At the moment CSV and this Friends Group are looking for funding new play equipment and entrance features for Sara Park.
  
  For more information, please contact:
  Sarah Royal on 0121 322 2058 or
  email sarah@csvenvironment.org.uk

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