Tag Archives: Big Lottery Fund

A look back at our Awards for All events

Now that our Awards for All funding from the Big Lottery Fund has all been used up, we’ve put together a short summary with lots of photos of all the events and activities we were able to arrange thanks to the funding. Join us for a wander down memory lane – click here to read the Awards for All summary report!

A big thanks to the Big Lottery Fund, and also to the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham & the Black Country who were instrumental in helping to arrange and deliver these events.

We’ve also added this report to our Governance page so it’s easy to find in future.

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A few photos from our Views of the Rowley Hills walk

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Last Saturday we held our final Awards For All Lottery-funded event, a guided walk of the many fantastic views it’s possible to see from the Rowley Hills. Luckily the weather was clear and we were able to enjoy some great vistas! Thanks to everyone who came; here are a few photos. We’ll be posting a summary of all our Awards For All-funded events shortly; we are very grateful to have received this funding from the Big Lottery Fund which has enabled us to spread the word about the Rowley Hills via a varied programme of events and activities.

This weekend – Viewpoints of the Rowley Hills guided walk

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Join us and the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham & the Black Country this Saturday 26th February for our final Awards For All Lottery-funded event, a guided walk taking in some of the Rowley Hills’ great views across the Black Country. The walk will start from St Brades Close at 10:00am (see our Events page for a map) and will begin by heading over to the viewpoint above the Wildlife Trust’s Portway Hill nature reserve. From there we will go on to several other great locations high up in the hills, where you can enjoy fantastic views over the cityscapes of Birmingham & the Black Country. Walking boots or other sturdy footwear are a must for this walk, as the terrain is uneven and may be slippery in places. Wrap up warm and bring a flask with a warm drink if you like – the walk should last just over three hours and covers about 5 miles; we will be stopping at one of the viewpoints for a rest about halfway. This a family friendly event; dogs are allowed, however they must be on a lead at all times. The event is free but donations are always welcome to support the work of the Wildlife Trust. We hope to see you there!

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Photos from Netherton Tunnel, Pepper Pots and Bumble Hole walk

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Our group of fifteen had a fantastic time on last Saturday’s Lottery-funded Awards for All event walking over and under the Netherton Tunnel. Six of the seven remaining pepperpots on the Rowley Hills were visited and when we arrived at Bumble Hole Visitor Centre for tea and coffee, as proof of the achievement of walking through the tunnel, all of the participants received a certificate kindly provided by Bumble Hole Volunteers Group. Here are a few photos from the walk!

This weekend – Netherton Tunnel, Pepper Pots and Bumble Hole Healthy Walk

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This Saturday we have another exciting Lottery-funded event for you – something we’ve been wanting to do for a while, a guided walk through the Netherton Tunnel and Bumble Hole Nature Reserve. It’s the perfect way to make a healthy start to your new year! The walk will start from Regent Road Co-op car park and will take in the Netherton Tunnel, its ventilation system (the pepper pots) and Bumble Hole nature reserve. The tunnel is very dark with wet footpaths so bring a torch and sturdy footwear. The walk should last just over three hours and covers about 5 miles; we will stop at the Bumble Hole visitor centre for a tea or coffee at the halfway point. This a family friendly event; dogs are allowed, however they must be on a lead at all times. This event is free but donations are always welcome. You will also receive a certificate at the end of the walk to prove that you’ve walked through the Netherton Tunnel! For more information, please visit the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham & the Black Country website.

We also have a couple of conservation volunteering days coming up too, on the 6th and 21st January. Check out our Events page for further information.

Netherton Tunnel entrance (image © Brian Clift via Creative Commons)

Happy New Year from the Friends of Rowley Hills

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The Friends of Rowley Hills wish you a Happy New Year! 2016 was a good one for us; thanks to our funding from the Big Lottery Fund’s Awards for All project we were able to deliver many exciting events for the benefit and enjoyment of the local community and carry out more vital conservation work on the Rowley Hills than ever before. We look forward in 2017 to continuing with our work to conserve and enhance the hills for the benefit of wildlife and the local community.

Here are a few photos from one of our recent Lottery-funded events – the Christmas crafts morning at Oakham Library which was well-attended and enjoyed by all!

More hard work from our excellent volunteers!

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Our hard-working volunteers were out on Portway Hill once again at the weekend. They had a great day in the unseasonably warm sunshine doing further work to expose the Rowley Rag rock face and improve the path. Here are a few photos of them at work!

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Photos from Halloween event

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Our Lottery-funded Halloween event on Saturday was a great success! Surrounded by autumn colour, staff from the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham & the Black Country and volunteers from Friends of Rowley Hills helped kids to make some very spooky Halloween-themed crafts, including creepy clay models and scary skeletons! Below are a few photos from the event. Thanks to everyone who came!

Visitors seeing what’s on offer.

Plenty of info and activities on offer!

Trick or treaters welcome!

How to make your own spooky skeleton!

A very ghoulish clay hand!

A spooky skeleton!

Laura & Jayne embracing the Halloween spirit!

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Upcoming events

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We’ve just added plenty more Lottery-funded new events to our website, including volunteering days for the winter season – we will be continuing to work with the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham & the Black Country on improving Portway Hill’s access, habitats and key features.

The next event in the diary though is this Saturday when there will a free Halloween-themed family fun day at Bury Hill Park, with lots of activities including clay art, creepy crawlies and scary drawings! Come along any time between 11:00am and 3:00pm, and in the meantime check out our Events page to see what else we have planned for the coming months.

Upcoming events

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We have been busy arranging lots more exciting Lottery-funded events for the coming months. See below, and keep checking our Events page as we’ll be adding further details!

Litter pick, Thursday 25th August, midday – 3:00pm. Join the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham & the Black Country at Portway Hill for a fun day out meeting new people, helping the environment and learning new skills. Meet on St Brades Close, opposite to the entrance to Bury Hill Park. No need to book, just turn up!

Hedgerow management day, Wednesday 31st August, 10:00am – 3:00pm. Join the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham & the Black Country at Portway Hill for a fun day out meeting new people, helping the environment and learning new skills. Meet on St Brades Close, opposite to the entrance to Bury Hill Park; be sure to wear sturdy footwear and suitable work clothes. No need to book, just turn up!

Fun Day, Blackheath Library, Wednesday 31st August, 11:00am – 3:00pm. Free family fun for all including storytelling, crafts, games, raffles, stalls and a bread and butter pudding competition. The Friends of Rowley Hills hope to have a stall at this event. Click here for further information.

Bramble management day, Friday 2nd September, 10:00am – 3:00pm. Join the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham & the Black Country at Portway Hill for a fun day out meeting new people, helping the environment and learning new skills. Meet on St Brades Close, opposite to the entrance to Bury Hill Park; be sure to wear sturdy footwear and suitable work clothes. No need to book, just turn up!

Bird walk, Monday 5th September, 10:00am – 1:00pm. At a peak time for bird migration, we will be looking for some of the various species that pass through the Rowley Hills on their journey south. A great way to enjoy a healthy walk and appreciate nature at the same time! Meet at St Brades Close; no need to book.

Portway to Warrens Hall walk, Saturday 1st October, leaving at 10:00 from St Brades Close. Further information to follow.

Family fun day, Saturday 29th October, 11:00am – 3:00pm. Further information to follow.

Black Country Geological Society volunteer day, Portway Hill, Saturday 3rd December 2016, time TBC. The BCGS will be clearing vegetation from the rock face at the Wildlife Trust’s Portway Hill reserve. All welcome, no need to book. Click here for more information about the Black Country Geological Society.

Black Country Geological Society volunteer day, Portway Hill, Saturday 4th March 2017, time TBC. The BCGS will be clearing vegetation from the rock face at the Wildlife Trust’s Portway Hill reserve. All welcome, no need to book. Click here for more information about the Black Country Geological Society.