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We look after 40 acres of sublime 18th century formal Gardens and a surrounding historic Parkland (a Local Nature Reserve), all surrounded by fast roads and industrial landscapes. 

The rare (Grade 2*) formal garden, and much valued piece of ‘the wild’, are of national significance, were rescued 40 years ago.  But are still not known well enough – not even by our 80,000 near neighbours Birmingham and Solihull.  We want to keep this green and historical gem safe for generations to come. We are even more passionate about sharing it;  with visitors and tourists, yes, but even more so with the surrounding local communities for many of whom it is the only accessible open land and cultural space.

The Gardens are open all year round and staff and volunteers run more than 100 activities and events: from forest schools and wildlife walks to creative activities and culture: theatre, arts and music.

We get people involved in caring for nature, improving their wellbeing and finding inspiration in history and beauty.

As we approach the 40th anniversary of the Trust’s formation we are going through a Governance refresh and very much looking forward to the next phase with new people, new ideas and new skills to help us expand and thrive.

We are a tiny trust with a large responsibility, doing amazing things for a growing number of people. We’d welcome your skills and talent to guide us to the future. 

What’s needed? What’s involved?

As a Trustee you will be used to working in a team and have some leadership or management experience.

We particularly need people with skills in the following areas:

• • Business change; business and financial planning (especially in independent and heritage sectors).
  • Planning and building (helping us move towards building new visitor buildings)
  • Fundraising: grants as well as individual giving
  • Food and Retail development.
  • Marketing and communications: digital and otherwise.
  • And of course Historic Garden Management and Horticulture

Trustees meet every 6-8 weeks and ‘hybrid’ meetings are available for those not able to attend in person.

As a Trustee you will have:

• Induction, familiarisation and training for the role;
• Opportunities to make strategic decisions and develop new skills and experiences;
• Influence to shape innovative projects and our overall direction;
• The chance to improve the health and wellbeing of people and communities;
• The opportunity to contribute to a sustainable future for an important heritage/conservation site

If you think you may have something to offer –  and to gain –  from being a Trustee please explore our website here to find out more about us, what we do and hope to do. We would be happy to have an inital conversation with you and answer more questions.

In the first instance please email cbhallgardens@gmail.com 

For information about the responsibilities and benefits of being a heritage trustee please see the excellent information from the Association of Independent Museums (AIM )  here

Here is a shareable flyer of the Trustee callout (PDF) Trustee CALL OUT

Also Here is an outline, generic role description of a Trustee.

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Have you heard?

Birmingham Voluntary Service Council, the centre for voluntary action in the city, has teamed up with an established charity lottery scheme. We are one of the initial 90 charities involved.

From March, people can buy lottery tickets through our special page (£1 each) with a chance to win a  £25,000 prize each month.

..and the good news is we, the Gardens Trust, get 50p of every ticket bought through our special webpage.

The independent Birmingham scheme is set up to support local community projects and operates on the principle of raising money within the community for the community, to empower local good causes to raise money in a fun and effective way. In a time of shrinking budgets and increased community need, Birmingham Community Lottery enables people to support the causes they care most about, helping good causes to connect with their supporters.

Here’s how it works

• Every ticket is £1. 
• You can buy as one-off payments (minimum 5 weeks) or by direct debit (online or by phone)
• There are just 9 numbers in the range –  so really good odds on winning
• The Draw takes place every week
• There are 6 prizes from ‘3 extra tickets’  to £5, £25, £250, £2000 and £250,000

Obviously, there are many charities which really deserve your support and hard earned £1s, but we hope you will be able to support us by buying tickets through our lottery portal, as often as you can.

Why support us?

Castle Bromwich Historic Gardens provides a much loved and valued space and service for the community.

We are a very tiny Trust with a really big responsibility to look after, and share, a unique green and historic space in east Birmingham.

The 40 acres of sublime 18th century formal Gardens and Local Nature Reserve are surrounded by fast roads and industrial landscapes.

We are passionate about sharing its beauty with people and caring for it for nature and wildlife .

As well as opening the spaces for visitors all year round, staff and volunteers run more than 100 activities and events :  from forest schools and wildlife walks to creative activities and culture:theatre, arts and music.

We get people involved in caring for nature, improving their wellbeing and finding inspiration in history and beauty.

The Trust receives no regular funding support and works hard, in every way possible, to raise the £1,000 per day, per year that it takes to maintain and share the nationally significant Grade 2* Gardens and landscape. 

We need your help so we can continue to keep this precious place for people.

Thank you for your support and good luck!

If lottery is your thing, do consider helping us in this way.

Find out more, about us and the community lottery more widely, on our webpage here https://www.castlebromwichhallgardens.org.uk/community-lottery-fund/ 

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With the equivalent of £1,000 per day, 365 days a year to raise to cover our ordinary costs, our fundraising work is a constant journey.

Although everyone at the Gardens is involved in some way or another, we are now looking for a bit of dedicated and specialist support from a volunteer..Can you  help, or know someone who might be interested?

We are looking for an enthusiastic and imaginative volunteer who has experience with onsite and individual giving, preferably in the heritage or cultural sector.

Below is some detail. If you would like to know more, please email us at cbhallgardens@gmail.com for an email or tel. chat . Many thanks

Here is the link to our general volunteering page for information about the many other roles here that you might find interesting. Volunteering Page 

Individual Giving Fundraising Co-ordinator

Objectives

The objective of the role is to generate further income for the Trust through supporting, co-ordinating and making the most of, a small range of individual giving schemes including, but not limited to, GiftAid (entry and donations), our Birmingham Community Lottery site, helping launch our Tree Guardians scheme, promoting legacies and other forms of individual giving.

The Gardens small team always works in a mutually supportive manner, so although this role is specialised and focussed, the work is not isolated; teamwork and cooperative decision making is assumed.

Tasks of this role might include:

• Supporting staff, volunteers and trustees in their activities to raise funds.
• Managing and further developing existing schemes to make them efficient and productive.
• Identifying new opportunities.
• Producing (social) media materials which encourage members of the public to financially support 
• Gathering data and ‘good news’ stories to support a variety of fundraising channels. 
• Encouraging members of the public to commit to making legacy arrangements in favour of the Society. 
• Administering and improving donor and funding database. 

About you: 

We do not expect you to be a professional fundraiser, this is a volunteer role! 

However some of the following skills and areas of knowledge are likely to be in your make up. Support will be happily given and shared to increase your skillsbase.

You have an understanding, even if basic, of heritage and cultural heritage charities and at least some of the following

• You have experience of individual giving/community fundraising, either through your work or previous volunteering 
• You have a general understanding of corporate fundraising 
• You are familiar with JustGiving, Google non-profits ads and/or and other online donation platforms 
• You can write clearly and concisely 
• You have a passion for and an understanding of what makes the community tick 
• Basic design skills and experience of Canva or other visual … 
• You’re reliable and able to work 

Days, hours, outcomes and place/mode of work are all negotiable but a commitment to at least an initial six month period is requested.

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REEP runs a number of international horticultural scholarships and partnerships across Britain, Spain and Morocco. Over the last five or six years we have hosted some trainees here for a short while, helped with an online English language learning programme for budding gardeners in Spain and Morocco and, more recently with REEP’s help, our assistant Gardener Tanya, has made a number of trips to Morocco to support and learn from projects there.

REEP supports three gardening projects for young women in mainly rural areas of the country. Over the past years Tanya has got to know many of the girls in the Foyer des Jeunes Filles and she is scheduled to go again in November this year.

On Sept 8th we were distressed to hear of the earthquake in Morocco which killed so many people and made many more homeless. We have been assured that all the girls are fine, but many have lost family members or have become homeless.

The Foyer (school building) is currently being used as temporary shelter for local homeless familes.

Fundraising for the girls, their families and community.

All of our staff and volunteers are keen to help out, even if it is just a little. We hope some of our visitors will help too.

During October, to help with fundraising, we will be doing a ‘drink deal’ in the cafe.

The deal:

Cup of Tea and Biscuit : £2.80

Cup of Coffee/Hot Chocolate and biscuit £3.30

30p from every purchase will go directly to our ‘Morocco Appeal’

and will be passed to the director of le Foyer de Jeune Filles via our friends in REEP

So, we hope you will come and enjoy a sunny morning coffee in the Courtyard Cafe this month and you’ll be helping not just one, but two, charities

Many thanks in advance

more informaiotn about REEP is here https://reepinfo.org

and about the gofundme appeal here  https://www.gofundme.com/f/provide-shelter-to-moroccos-earthquake-survivors?utm_medium=email&utm_source=product&utm_campaign=p_email%2B4803-donation-alert-v5

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Castle Bromwich Historic Gardens are a unique survival; an early 18th century formal garden and landscape,

situated just 5 miles from the centre of Birmingham. The Trust is a small 

independent heritage organisation with a lively visitor and user programme supporting a growing financial base.  

Our ambition is to secure the future of the Gardens for the next 10 years.. and beyond! We require a Chair who will take the lead and shape the future by building a stronger Board, driving the focus of a new Business Plan and subsequently guide the formulation of a larger plan for a major capital project to secure the Gardens long term future

This is a voluntary role. 

Do you have the qualities we need to help drive this change?

• Experience of leading organisations (independent or public sector) through a period of significant change or transformation.
• An individual who has the skills and capacity to push the Trust forward.
• An excellent communicator with the ability to work closely with the Board and General Manager, partners and stakeholders.
• Experience of working on /chairing a Board and supporting the development of relevant skills and experience required of Trustees.
• Experience of working with external bodies and funding organisations.
• Ability to champion creative solutions with limited resources.
• Skills in developing strategic plans and successfully taking these forward .
• An interest in heritage assets, cultural attractions and historic gardens – Experience in this sector would be a distinct advantage!
• Experience of working within local, regional and national political environment.

Click HERE to download the Information Pack (pdf)

The Trustees would be happy to have a preliminary telephone (or other remote) conversation with potential candidates, prior to a formal application.

Please email, in the first instance, Glynis Powell, General Manager on genmanagercbhgt@gmail.com or 07790 787479 who will connect you to one of the Trustees.

Otherwise please send a copy of your CV together with a brief statement about how you see yourself in this role to
Position Open until Filled

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CBH fund short.mp4

from Castle Bromwich Historic Gardens

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This will mean that the Gardens Trust will have a level of financial security through the winter to enable us to continue to look after the Gardens and make them open for the pleasure, leisure, health and wellbeing of all our visitors and users.

Hoorah!

The government funding follows on from the emergency support we had from lottery players to enable us to open immediately after lockdown.

We are proud of our independence and particularly of our services to heritage, culture and communities. But without official financial support over the last few months the Gardens would have closed, fallen into disrepair and deprived hundreds of people of the pleasure and sanctuary the Gardens provide.

We are one of 445 heritage organisations across the country set to receive a lifesaving financial boost from the government £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. We feel exceedingly privileged and lucky to be one of the few.

The funding will help maintain our staff posts and keep our bills paid – a vital stability for us to meet  future challenges.  The support also means we can plan and make changes to the way welcome people now, and in the future.

As winter closes in during the pandemic, we know that getting fresh air in a beautiful and safe outdoor place and finding some peace and cultural interest will be a vital lifeline for many of our visitors, and volunteers!

The Cultural Recovery Fund will enable us to do this and will support us planning for a better future too.

#hereforculture

The unprecedented government investment through the £1.57bn Cultural Recovery Fund is to be roundly welcomed. Culture creates jobs, supports livelihoods, and brings joy to everyone.

More info from the DCMS about the fund

This vital funding is from the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage and the Heritage Stimulus Fund – funded by Government and administered at arms length by Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Both funds are part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund which is designed to secure the future of Britain’s museums, galleries, theatres, independent cinemas, heritage sites and music venues with emergency grants and loans.

433 organisations will receive a share of £67 million from the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage to help with costs for operating, reopening and recovery. This includes famous heritage sites across the country, from Wentworth Woodhouse in Yorkshire to Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, Blyth Tall Ship to the Severn Valley Railway, the International Bomber Command Centre in Lincolnshire to the Piecehall in Halifax. The funds will save sites that are a source of pride for communities across the country.

12 organisations, including English Heritage, Landmark Trust, Historic Royal Palaces and the Canal and River Trust, will receive £34 million from the Heritage Stimulus Fund to restart construction and maintenance on cherished heritage sites to preserve visitor attractions and protect livelihoods for some of the most vulnerable heritage specialists and contractors in the sector.

The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) has also been awarded a grant from the Culture Recovery Fund through Historic England. The AHF will use the funding to support charities and social enterprises occupying historic buildings to develop new business plans and strategies for organisations affected by the pandemic.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said:

“As a nation it is essential that we preserve our heritage and celebrate and learn from our past. This massive support package will protect our shared heritage for future generations, save jobs and help us prepare for a cultural bounceback post covid.”

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Starting with 2 special weekends for Members Only:  6^th/7^th and 13^th/14^th June.

Opening to the general public will start on Wednesday 17^th June (Wednesdays to Sundays).

We are really pleased to be able to welcome people back into the Gardens again.

We know spirits will be lifted by a wander – or a run- in the Gardens, but we will naturally be monitoring how we can manage safety.  Numbers will be limited and there are no activities planned at present. Family picnics will be welcome – please take home your rubbish – we cannot dispose of it at present.

Most of the Gardens’ staff are on furlough and we are managing a limited volunteer return. So, preparing for opening and stewarding is a big job- please bear with us.

Tickets, for the Members weekends and general opening from 17^th , will be released on Wednesday 3 June.

Full details will be released next week.

More details

In order to open the Gardens safely, we have had to make some changes to how we welcome visitors.

Everyone MUST book in advance, including Members.  New booking time slots will become available each Friday at midday for the following week.

When you come, you will notice some differences to your usual visit:

• The entrance courtyard will have separate ‘in’ and ‘out’ lanes.
• The Visitor Centre will be closed.
• Your pre-booked ticket and/or membership card will be checked in – contactless – from the wooden steps.
• The Orangery will be selling limited takeaway refreshments.
• Cards, gifts, jams and pickles will also be sold from here (1 person at a time in shop only)
• All payments will be by contactless card only, or cash into a donation box (no change given).
• For the time-being the mud kitchen will shut in line with Government guidance.
• To maintain health standards there will be limited access to the Toilets.
• All areas of the Gardens are open, but there are reminders to keep a minimum of 2m apart. Please Pause and make way for someone to pass on a narrow paths. Please respect this for the safety of  everyone.
• Picnics are welcome – within the government guidelines. Please take your rubbish home – we cannot dispose of it, at present.

All arrangements have been risk assessed but will be constantly reviewed and may change without notice.

How to book

All visitors, including Members will need to book a ticket in advance.

We are sorry but there will be no ticket sales/bookings on the day.

We will post the link for booking the first week on Wednesday 3 June on our website, Facebook page and in our email newsletter.

A limited telephone booking system will be in place for those unable to book online. Telephone booking can be made on Thursday and Friday mornings 11am – 1pm. We can take credit card numbers over the phone.

The process will be as follows:

• Please book one ticket per person, except for children aged five or under as they don’t need a ticket.
• Currently the tickets will be for the whole day – but a limited number of tickets will be sold for the day.
• New opening times 10.30 -4.30pm. We plan to introduce regular early evening openings later.
• Dogs on leads are welcome.
• Please note: we are not currently accepting two for one cards or other cards at present, we will keep this under review. RHS members need to book in advance.

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