An unplanned Bench Chat

I don’t record every bench chat I have, sometimes because people don’t want me to record them. Sometimes because I don’t realise stopping for a quick catch up is going to turn into a “Bench Chat” moment. On this occasion a simple question to me – “What are you up to?” Evolved into a conversation neither of us was expecting. I said I was looking at art and nature for the next Green Champions newsletter. Then we got on to music, yes – I’m exploring our relationship with natural sounds and music. That led on to being “cut off” from the sounds of nature when we are inside. More conversation, imagine fast forwarding, took us to how all our senses will be depleted when we aren’t – outside, we don’t see nature, we don’t feel it, smell it, taste it or hear it. Fast forward a bit more, what percentage of our time do we spend outside, we presumed it would be low. How different would that have been when we worked outside? More thoughts whirled, more words exchanged, the clocks changing this weekend, farming, industrialisation, climate change and then this. The person I was talking with said “This would have made a good Bench Chat” I answered that it was a good bench chat (even though we were standing up). Then they said “Can you record something.” I got out my phone and this is what they said to me.

“Sometimes people say that working-class communities don’t have time to think about the planet, but that’s forgetting something important. Not so long ago, it was working people who understood the land best, because their lives depended on it.

Before the Industrial Revolution, most families worked with the seasons. Farmers, labourers, craftspeople, they knew the language of soil, weather, and light. The land wasn’t scenery; it was livelihood, food, and home. Caring for the earth wasn’t a moral choice — it was, um, everyday survival and a shared responsibility.

“The people who once lived most closely with the earth are now often the most cut off from it.”

As industry and cities grew, that close connection faded. We moved indoors, our work moved indoors, days lengthened no matter what the season was, and nature became something we visited rather than lived in. Today, many working-class communities live in areas with fewer green spaces and poorer air, these are the same people who once knew the land most intimately.

When we talk about “net zero” or “biodiversity,” it can sound so distant from real life. But if we say warm homes, fair jobs, clean air, safe parks, and good food, maybe we can find common ground. After all these aren’t luxuries they’re, um, the basics of a decent life – a healthy life, a happy one and a happy planet.

Working people have always cared for the world through action, not slogans: mending, reusing, sharing, and growing. The task now is to recognise their wisdom, to listen to it, and to build your fairer, greener city from the ground up.”

I’m not posting the recording because they didn’t like the sound of their voice on it, but they were happy for me to share their words, which I have.

Warley Woods Bench Chat

For those of you that are new to our Bench Chat recordings, they are a simple concept which is by no means new. Choose a place with a bench, invite a friend, grab a tea or coffee or other refreshment and talk to each other. Share memories, take in the surroundings, and in this bench chat consider the circle of life and how things end and everything changes but company and nature can helps us through the hardest times. At the bottom of the page you will be able to hear a recording of the bench chat we shared.

Alison Thompson, founder of The Patchwork Meadow project

I recently met up with Alison Thompson, founder of The Patchwork Meadow project, for a bench chat in the beautiful Warley Woods. It was one of those warm, sunny days when the park feels like it’s holding everyone gently. Alison kindly grabbed two coffees from the Happy Coffee Man, who according to Alison sells the best coffee in Birmingham (other coffee sellers are available) and we settled down to talk.

Alison told me about what visiting Warley Woods meant to her and described the view from our bench.

She also shared her own experiences of nature, which considering her deep connection with nature now, wasn’t the same when she was young. Growing up in Liverpool although close to the sea Alison didn’t really experience the “countryside” until she went to Bradford University when she was 18. She shared a funny student memory of breaking the heel of her (ill-advised) high heels in a cattle grid after joining a walk through the beautiful Brontë countryside of Yorkshire . It was the kind of story that makes you laugh and wince a bit at the same time — a reminder that our relationship with nature is rarely tidy. The same problem of access to nature sometimes depending on what shoes we have was echoed in the community research Alison has been doing with parents telling her they didn’t want their children’s shoes to get muddy as that was the only pair they had.

As we carried on the conversation we were surrounded by birdsong, the fleeting, sometimes amusing, words of people passing by, and the words on the black metal memorial bench we were sitting on — “and when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance” — we reflected together on life’s cycles and the inevitability of change.

When I asked Alison the big question, “How are you?”, her answer was layered with honesty. Alison answered that normally she would have said that life was really good, but went on to share the sad news of the death of a close friend’s partner the day before. Yet, she also said that in that moment, sitting in the park and being able to talk, she felt strangely OK. The words of the memorial bench suddenly resonated with both of us – we had chosen this bench over the others and perhaps things happen for a reason, a gentle reassurance being given when we needed it.

The whole conversation felt warm, relaxed, and deeply human. Warley Woods itself seemed to join in as a place of comfort, resilience, and welcome.

You can listen to our bench chat hear. Grab some refreshments choose a comfy place and settle down to listen to our conversation and the sounds of Warley Wood :

A journey to The Centre of the Earth

Common Blue Damselfly

Bench Chat: Layers of Nature – A Conversation with Holly from the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust

The Centre of the Earth is the Wildlife Trust’s purpose built environmental centre in Winson Green – just 1.5 km from Birmingham City Centre. Here they specialise in teaching and learning about wildlife, the environment and sustainable development, and the facilitation of urban eco-therapy and the promotion of well-being in nature.

Although the site isn’t generally open to the public they do arrange activities and events for the public and groups to join, please contact them or check out their website: https://www.bbcwildlife.org.uk/wilder-schools/visit-our-centres

My name is Debbie, I’m a Green Champion volunteer for involvement and I’d like to welcome you to this month’s Bench Chat, where we slow down, sit awhile, and listen — to each other, to the landscape, and to the quiet wisdom nature offers when we make time to notice.

The view from the bench

This conversation was recorded on a gently breezy summer’s day, under dappled sunlight and a sky that held a few thoughtful clouds. Our bench for this chat was in a beautifully crafted, self-supporting wooden structure tucked within the grounds of The Centre of the Earth, the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust’s urban oasis in the heart of the city.

A self supporting wooden structure

As we sat, the air hummed with gentle activity: birds called from nearby trees, and delicate common damselflies flickered like living blue sparks through the air around us — the sort of details that only seem to appear once you’ve been still long enough to see them. It felt like the perfect place for a conversation about belonging, about noticing, and about the layers of meaning that nature can hold.

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/invertebrates/damselflies/common-blue-damselfly

Our guest was the warm and insightful Holly, Senior Community Engagement Officer for the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust. Holly works across the region, helping people build deeper connections with nature — and with one another. She recently delivered a session called Rooted in Nature, designed to support individuals who themselves help others to connect with the natural world. In our chat, she shares reflections on how these experiences ripple outward, with small acts of connection making a wider difference than we might imagine.

Holly King – Senior Community Engagement Officer

Holly brings a gentle strength and thoughtfulness to her work, and during our conversation, she chose the word “layers” to guide her thoughts. Layers in nature. Layers in people. Layers in community. She speaks beautifully about how we can notice and honour those layers — not just the surface-level beauty of a tree or a landscape, but the deeper ecological, emotional, and even historical stories held in place. It’s this kind of layered thinking that makes her approach to community engagement so powerful — recognising that nature connection isn’t just about getting people outdoors, but about helping them feel a sense of place, purpose, and possibility when they’re there.

This episode is about pausing. About really hearing what’s around you — whether it’s birdsong in a city garden, the buzz of a damselfly wing, or someone else’s story of how they came to care for the wild.

So pour yourself a cuppa, or better yet, take us with you on a walk or find a bench of your own. Join us as we chat with Holly, and let yourself sink into the soft, layered fabric of nature in the city — and the people who nurture it every day.

You’ll come away, we hope, with a new way of seeing — and a reminder that connection often begins with simply sitting still and sharing a moment.

Listen to our Bench Chat Podcast here to find out more:

Pull Up a Seat

What I Learned from the Bench Chat Project

By Deborah Needle, Community Facilitator, Naturally Birmingham

Let me tell you something I’ve learned through this work: sometimes, the simplest ideas are the ones that change people the most.

The Friendship Bench Chat wasn’t born in a boardroom, from a strategy paper, or after a round of funding bids. It started—like all good things—with a problem and a conversation. We were trying to get a bench installed in a Birmingham park. Sounds easy enough, right?

Well… not quite.

Turns out, benches can be surprisingly controversial. They cost money. They need maintenance. Sometimes, people worry about how they’ll be used—or by whom. So our City of Nature Green Champions got talking: Are benches even worth the effort?

That one question led us down a rabbit hole of discovery. And connection. And hope.

Why Benches Matter (More Than You Think)

We did what most people do when they hit a wall—we Googled. We found articles, blogs, research studies, and even an entire Bench Manifesto from a project that reminded us benches are about far more than resting legs.

They are about slowing down.
They are about making space.
They are about being seen.

The manifesto put it beautifully:

“Sitting on benches supports healthy everyday routines by enabling people to spend longer outside. These opportunities to rest can be restorative for mental health and support local walking when personal mobility is limited.”

Yes. This is what we’d been trying to put into words.

A Place to Be, Not Just to Sit

In our conversation, someone brought up the idea of Buddy Benches those brightly coloured school benches where a child can sit if they’re feeling lonely or left out. The rule is simple: if someone’s on the bench, you go over and invite them to play.

And I thought—why should that idea stop in childhood?

Don’t we all, at some point, just want someone to sit beside us and say, “Hi, want to chat?”

That’s when we discovered the Friendship Bench movement in Zimbabwe. An NGO working to tackle depression and anxiety by training grandmothers to offer basic counselling on—you guessed it—benches.

They call it kufungisisa: the condition of “thinking too much.”

Reading that, I felt a lump in my throat. Because I’ve felt that too. Haven’t you? That sense of mental spiralling, of being overwhelmed by life? Now imagine easing that weight with a simple invitation: “Sit with me.”

A Chat That Became a Movement

So, the idea changed shape. It was no longer just about installing benches it was about using them. Friendship Bench Chats were born. Not formal events. Not workshops. Just real, warm, human conversations between two people on a bench, outside, face to face.

At first, it was just a few of us heading to parks. We picked a bench. We sat down. And we started talking—about life, nature, childhood memories, worries, local issues, even dreams. Sometimes we laughed. Sometimes we didn’t say much at all. But there was something deeply healing in just being there.

No pressure. No agenda. Just time, space, and presence.

It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? But that’s the point.

In a world that moves fast, that often feels divided, that’s glued to screens and deadlines and newsfeeds, a bench offers an invitation to pause and to connect.

Want to Try It?

You don’t need training. You don’t need a sign. You don’t even need the “right” bench (although a nice view helps). You just need a willingness to be there.

There are just five simple steps:

  1. Find a bench in your local park, street, canal path, or green space.
  2. Bring a friend, neighbour, or someone you’ve been meaning to catch up with.
  3. Sit down together. No phones. No agenda. Just chat.
  4. Listen. Share. Laugh. Be quiet if you need to. Let the moment happen.
  5. Reflect—and maybe take a photo to remember it. Share it with us if you like.

We’d love to see your Bench Chats—your photos, your thoughts, even just a sentence about how it felt.

Why This Matters

You might be thinking, “But what difference does this make?”

Here’s my answer: connection is everything.

In our city, people are experiencing loneliness, isolation, poor mental health, and disconnection—from each other, from nature, from themselves. But a bench can be a bridge. A small act of kindness. A reminder that someone is listening.

And when we multiply these moments—when they ripple out across Birmingham—we begin to shape something bigger: a culture of care. A City of Nature that doesn’t just look good, but feels good.

So, Pull Up a Seat

The Bench Chat project may have started with a debate about costs and installation. But it ended up being about something money can’t buy:

Time. Togetherness. Trust.

So go on—have a Bench Chat. Invite someone. Or just sit and see what happens. You never know what you might hear. Or say. Or heal.

We’ll be here, waiting to hear your story.

Join a bench chat

Garrison Lane Bench Chat
Bloomsbury Park Bench Chats
Woodgate Valley Friendship Bench Chat
Swanshurst Park Friendship Bench Chat

From Seed to Roots

Reflections on Five Years of Future Parks in Birmingham
By a Community Facilitator, Birmingham City of Nature Alliance

When we first set out on the Future Parks Accelerator journey five years ago, the goal felt both urgent and enormous: tackle environmental injustice, reconnect people with the nature on their doorstep, and transform the way green spaces are valued and used in Birmingham. Today, as we officially bring the FPA project to a close, I feel a deep sense of pride — but also a clear understanding that this is only the beginning.

Reconnecting People with Nature

Across Birmingham, we’ve seen what happens when communities are supported to shape the natural spaces around them. From youth-led gardening projects in inner-city neighbourhoods, to cultural celebrations in our parks, to residents co-designing green corridors. This project has been about listening first, then acting together.

We learned that people didn’t always feel welcome or safe in local green spaces and some didn’t even know they existed. Environmental injustice isn’t just about pollution or a lack of trees; it’s about who feels included, heard, and empowered. Through trust-building, cultural awareness, and long-term community relationships, we started to overcome these barriers. That work must continue.

Breaking Down Barriers

It wasn’t always easy. At times, bureaucracy, funding gaps, or even well-intended top-down thinking got in the way. But the power of community-first collaboration helped us navigate these challenges. We stopped asking “What can we do for you?” and started asking “What can we do together?”

Whether it was co-developing green space plans with neighbourhood forums, building confidence in groups that had never been given a seat at the table, or translating ideas into action with the support of local and national organisations we saw that change doesn’t come from one source. It comes from a network of people pulling in the same direction.

The City of Nature Alliance: Our Future, Together

The Future Parks Accelerator may be complete, but our ambition is growing. The real work, the generational shift, is ahead of us. The City of Nature Plan gives us a 25-year vision, but it will take a city-wide alliance of people, groups, and institutions to make that vision real.

We need to keep holding the door open. We need to stay rooted in justice, equity, and inclusion. And we need to keep reminding ourselves and each other: nature isn’t a luxury. It’s a right. And it must belong to everyone.

Looking Ahead

I’m proud of what we’ve achieved: new green spaces, stronger relationships, better access, and empowered communities. But I’m even more hopeful for what’s to come because I’ve seen what’s possible when people come together around a shared belief in the value of nature.

So here’s to the City of Nature Alliance. Here’s to every volunteer, organiser, council officer, resident, and child who planted seeds, both literal and metaphorical, in these past five years. The project may be ending, but our collective journey is just beginning.

Let’s keep growing.

Reflecting on my role

The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Community Facilitator

Being a Community Facilitator for the Future Parks Accelerator (FPA) Project is a role filled with purpose, passion, and—sometimes—loneliness. As the final stage of the FPA project that looked at urban nature development comes to a close, I am asking those involved in the project to reflect on their experience for the final report. So I thought I should do the same. When you read about how to write a reflective piece, one of the most important words is honesty – it says “Write about your feelings – Be honest.” Now there is professional honesty, sharing all the facts and being transparent and then there is personal honesty and “soul searching” and that can be much harder. But I can’t ask people to do what I can’t do myself. Recent conversations with some very wonderful people have encouraged me to tell my story, so I will go first, here goes.

I have loved all my involvement with the project starting in 2019 pre COVID through and out the other side, with all the challenges that brought. I have felt so inspired by the people I have worked with, chatted to, read about, listened to and explored nature with. Those people range from fun loving dragon hunting under fives to community elders with super powers for making peoples lives better everyday even in the least green places in the city and so many beautiful people in between. Everyone I have encountered has been welcoming, kind and some have become good friends. However in my day to day work I can still sometimes feel very alone, although I seldom am. This isn’t poor me, it’s just the nature of the work, let me explain the title of this Blog.

My work revolves around bringing people together, forging partnerships, and inspiring collective action to enhance our green spaces. But, paradoxically, the very act of facilitation often places me in a space where I am the connector, yet outside of the connections themselves.

Unlike those who work in close-knit teams or have a consistent workplace routine, my days are spent navigating multiple communities, shifting between different priorities, and adapting to various local needs. One morning might involve meeting volunteers in a pocket park, while the afternoon is dedicated to policy discussions with the local authority. This constant movement means that, while I interact with countless individuals, I rarely have the comfort of a steady support network in my daily work.

The challenge of being a long-distance facilitator is not just physical, but emotional too. Communities look to me for guidance, yet I often have to be a neutral party—encouraging, but not imposing; leading, but not owning. The success of a project is measured by the strength of the relationships I help foster, yet when the work is done, I must step back and let communities take ownership. It is a role of deep investment, but one that requires an eventual detachment.

But despite these challenges, there is a unique joy in this work. Seeing an idea take root in a community, watching people come together to transform their local green space, and knowing that I played a small part in making it happen is incredibly fulfilling. The loneliness is countered by the knowledge that each connection I help build leaves a lasting impact, even if I’m not always at the centre of it.

The Future Parks Project is not just about the parks—it’s about the people who bring them to life. And as a Community Facilitator, I have the privilege of being the unseen thread weaving those relationships together. The journey may sometimes feel solitary, but the legacy is one of collective belonging.

So, to all those working tirelessly behind the scenes, facilitating change without always being part of the community they serve—know that you are not alone. The connections you create are real, and the impact you have is lasting. And in that, we find our sense of joy and belonging.

Deborah Needle

Community Facilitator FPA / UND / City of Nature Programme

https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-needle-53399471/

Exploring the City of Nature

Come join us online via Teams on Mon Jan 27, 2025 at 10:00 AM to explore the beauty of nature in our city.

This online event will take you on a short journey through parks, gardens, and scenic spots that will leave you in awe of the natural world on our doorstep.

Get ready to discover hidden gems, learn about local flora and fauna, and connect with fellow nature enthusiasts. Whether you’re a seasoned green space volunteer or you’re looking for a way to get involved for the first time this year, there’s something for everyone to enjoy as we explore the City of Nature.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to immerse yourself in the wonders of the great outdoors right in the heart of our city and discover how you can get involved in designing, caring for and enjoying our green and blue spaces.

Register on Eventbrite

Discover the Beauty of Birmingham’s City of Nature

Birmingham, a city rich in history and culture, is embarking on an inspiring journey to transform its urban landscape through the City of Nature Plan. This ambitious initiative aims to enhance the city’s green and blue spaces, promoting biodiversity, improving residents’ quality of life, and fostering a deeper connection between people and nature. Whether you’re a long-time resident or a visitor, Birmingham’s dedication to embracing nature will leave you in awe.

A Greener, Healthier Future

The City of Nature Plan envisions a Birmingham where everyone has easy access to lush parks, serene gardens, and thriving ecosystems. With a commitment to increasing green spaces across neighborhoods, the plan prioritizes creating environments where nature and community flourish together. From tree-lined streets to community gardens, every corner of the city is set to benefit from this transformative vision.

Explore Birmingham’s Natural Gems

Birmingham is home to a wealth of natural treasures waiting to be discovered. Here are some of the highlights:

  • Cannon Hill Park: A sprawling oasis in the heart of the city, perfect for picnics, leisurely walks, or paddle boating on the lake.
  • Sutton Park: One of the largest urban parks in Europe, offering a mix of woodlands, wetlands, and heathlands teeming with wildlife.
  • The Birmingham Botanical Gardens: A haven for plant lovers, featuring exotic greenhouses, beautiful flowerbeds, and educational programs for all ages.
  • Edgbaston Reservoir: A peaceful retreat for birdwatchers and water sports enthusiasts alike.
  • The Rea Valley Route: A scenic cycling and walking trail connecting the city to surrounding countryside vistas.

Why It Matters

Urban nature isn’t just about beautification; it’s about sustainability, health, and community. Green spaces play a vital role in combating climate change, improving air quality, and reducing urban heat. They also provide a sanctuary for wildlife, supporting Birmingham’s biodiversity. For residents, these spaces are essential for mental and physical well-being, offering places to relax, exercise, and connect with others.

Get Involved

Birmingham’s City of Nature Plan isn’t just about physical spaces; it’s about people. The city invites everyone to participate in this green revolution. Whether it’s volunteering for tree-planting initiatives, joining local conservation groups, or simply enjoying the outdoors, there are countless ways to be part of the movement.

For those looking to make a difference, the plan offers opportunities to collaborate on projects, from designing new green spaces to maintaining existing ones. Schools, businesses, and community groups are all encouraged to take part, ensuring that this vision for a greener Birmingham becomes a reality.

Looking Ahead

The City of Nature Plan is a testament to Birmingham’s forward-thinking approach to urban development. By prioritizing nature, the city is setting a benchmark for sustainability and livability. Future generations will inherit a Birmingham that harmonizes modern urban life with the timeless beauty of the natural world.

Experience It for Yourself

Don’t just take our word for it—experience Birmingham’s natural wonders firsthand. Plan a visit to one of the city’s many green spaces, participate in a local nature walk, or attend one of the upcoming events celebrating this initiative. Together, we can create a city that thrives in harmony with nature.

Let’s build a greener, healthier Birmingham—one park, garden, and trail at a time.

Green Champions – Wild at Heart

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

• Balsall Heath West

• 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

Garrison Lane Bench Chat

You may have been following my Friendship Bench Chat project as I take time to sit down on a bench in a park and chat to friends and colleagues about benches, parks, nature and most importantly give them an opportunity to chat about themselves and if they are OK. We know that a connection with nature brings us increased wellbeing. Just looking at images of a healthy natural environment can help us to relax, children often use the word calm when we ask them how they feel when they are outdoors in nature. But in some of our urban environments helping children to connect with nature can take a lot of work. Our green spaces need to be well managed and we often need connectors, people who help make the connections, for many of the city’s children to be able to benefit from the joy that our parks can bring.

In this bench chat I talk to one of those connectors – Helen Harvey who until recently worked for Birmingham Open Spaces Forum and has left a legacy of nature connection for one school right next to Garrison Lane Park.

Helen Harvey sitting on a bench in Garrison Lane Park

You can listen into our chat by clicking on the audio link at the bottom of the page. It’s a good one so you may need a hot drink and perhaps a biscuit, you can always walk it off later in the park.

Helen describes Garrison Lane Park and the contemplation area we chose to sit in for our chat. One feature that is easy to miss is a sun shaped design on the floor which as we find out can represent different things to different people.

Helen has been involved with the City of Nature work from the early days of the Future Parks Accelerator Project, helping to bring Dawberry Fields Park to life and then taking on a whole ward (and more) with the Bordesley and Highgate Future Park Standard Pilot and remains connected to nature and parks through her own voluntary work with the Friends Group at Holders Lane Woods and supporting other community projects in Birmingham.

I don’t record every bench chat I have, but I do share the one’s I do record, this one will need you to make a bit of time to listen in to but as always the personal insights, and as Helen says joyful stories, and the laughter make our chat really worth sharing. So you are welcome to join us on a green metal bench in Garrison Lane Park as I ask Helen if she is OK.

If you don’t know me, I’m Debbie Needle the Community Coordinator for the City of Nature Programme and I would love to come and chat with you in your park, please contact me if you would like to share your story. But whatever you do, please visit your park, make time to talk to family, friends and colleagues and remember you don’t need to keep it short, just let the conversation flow and enjoy.

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Bloomsbury Park Bench Chats

It’s not every day you see a clown getting his blood pressure tested. But at the Nechells Be Healthy Environmental Fun Day in Bloomsbury Park it was just one of the memorable moments I can recall from a lovely event. It was a very warm and sunny day filled with laughter and occasional screams of delight at the “slight of hand” magic tricks that never failed to amaze everyone. The afternoon had been organised by Yvonne from Birmingham Open Spaces Forum https://bosf.org.uk/ to introduce residents in Nechells to a range of opportunities to use green spaces for their health and wellbeing and a great time was had by all those who came to the very well attended event in August.

There were plenty of ways to help people of all ages connect with nature to help improve their physical and mental health. Over 40 children opted to leave the other activities to join the very passionate and knowledgeable Chris Millward Jnr on a bird walk around the park and learn about the history of the land the park now stood on.

Birmingham’s Park Rangers Teresa and Penny https://naturallybirmingham.org/out-and-about-with-birminghams-park-rangers/ led sessions to help families get to know the trees better and play a “let’s get recycling sorted” game. But it was Ranger Penny’s nail balancing skills that amazed the children most.

The National Trust https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ engaged people in thinking about a new pocket park and use paper cups to introduce bulb planting to improve biodiversity and cheer up green spaces. The Canal and Rivers Trust https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/ were there to encourage people to use the canals for exercise – “You are probably closer to a Birmingham canal than you think.”

There were lots of fun games for the children to try including cricket and advice for adults about getting healthy and staying healthy including the daily mile walking route in the park and talking therapies. For me it was another chance to stop and spend some time enjoying Bench Chats https://naturallybirmingham.org/2024/08/16/friendship-bench-chat/ with friends and colleagues.

Although the park does have benches Alex Morton from the National Trust and I chose one of the logs that have been left in the park under the shade of some large trees for our chat. Alex was one of three friends who took some time away from the crowd to sit and chat for a few minutes and you can listen in to our conversation here:

Yvonne Wager, one of the Volunteer Development Officers who work for Birmingham Open Spaces forum, joined me under threes to talk about the success of the Be Healthy Day and think about the mental health benefits of parks and making time to talk about ourselves and the challenges we may face as our lives change. You can listen in to how our conversation covered the business side of connecting people to nature and personal choices that we need to consider as we get older.

Finally my friend Nikolai Attard also from the National Trust talks to me about what he can see from our log bench which he explains includes community, the future and a lack of flowers in the park. It is so lovely to hear the children playing around us and hear Nikolai’s description of the different organisations working together becoming a community. Sharing stories about spaces like canals and parks and what makes us happy. Asking the question are you OK? and listening to the answer. You can listen to the answer here:

“Every breath we take is a symbol of what being connected to nature actually means”. Sitting on a log in park it all becomes a bit philosophical but very wonderful. Talking to Nikolai – always a pleasure.

You can try Bench Chats for yourself – give it a go, it really does make a difference.