The way Birmingham City Council manages it’s parks, green and blue spaces and even some of its grey spaces has changed in line with Birmingham’s City of Nature Plan which you can read here: https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/…/our_future_nature_city…
It is an ambitious 25-year plan for the whole city, but it starts in its heart with six wards most in need of change, we call these the priority Red Wards:
• Bordesley and Highgate
• Castle Vale
• Gravelly Hill
• Nechells
• Pype Hayes
A key part of the delivery of the plan are people who are already championing the good design, care and use of their natural environment and those who want to get started doing this. We call them Green Champions. They may be community workers, teachers, council officers, councillors, police officers, business owners, Friends Group leaders, students, volunteers, or anyone else that could help form a network across their neighbourhood or ward.
Over recent years the number of Birmingham City Council officers caring for Birmingham’s natural environment have decreased due to budget pressures on local government. The council is very aware of and grateful for all the people who are already working as “Green Champions” across the city, without them the city would be far worse off. But it is in the Red Ward areas where nature is most under pressure but residents are still in need of the benefits that nature offers where change is happening first.
What we know is that if we work together things happen better and faster and that’s why we are reaching out to you with a very simple ask. We want to connect you to the Birmingham Park Ranger Service who are delivering the Wild at Heart Project in the red wards in the heart of the City: https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/…/our_future_nature…/4
We already have some amazing networks of people working across the whole city, like the City of Nature Alliance of organisations, Birmingham Open Spaces Forum and Friends Groups, Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust Members, Litter Picking Groups, Neighbourhood Forums etc. If you are already part of one of these groups that’s great, please still join the Green Champion Network to receive specific information directly from the Rangers providing opportunities to get advice, have your voice heard and, if you would like to, meet other Green Champions in your area.
There is no commitment further than sending your details to the Birmingham Ranger Service Healthy Parks Programme so that your local Rangers can contact you and start a conversation to make sure you get regular updates from them (even if you already know them) and help them to help you improve your local environment and connect people to nature.
Please share this with anyone who might also want to get involved in the Rangers Healthy Parks Programme. Thank you.
Please click here to complete the form: https://forms.office.com/e/Va1UFkAe4B
Thank you
Naturally Birmingham Future Parks Project 