http://burntwoodbeafriend.org.uk/

Burntwood Be A Friend's community garden, St Anne's church, Chasetown (2026)

11/10/2026

Tomorrow st annes church chasetown, 10:00am start. We walk we talk we do life.. we don’t always have the answers, but we have two ears, and we are here to listen.

09/10/2026

🛒🔥 RIGHT GUYS… IT’S TIME FOR A £5, £10 OR £20 SHOP! 🔥🛒

I know, I know… I haven’t advertised our Burntwood Be A Friend Community Store on here for ages! 🙈 So today, I thought it was about time you saw what we’ve got in stock! 👀

And here’s the exciting bit… 🥦🍎 Next year, our Community Garden and Store will be working together, bringing fresh fruit and veg we grow ourselves straight into the store! 🌱💚 How brilliant is that?!

BUT WHAT CAN YOU GET FOR YOUR MONEY TODAY? 🤔

🥶 IN OUR FRIDGES:
🍅 Tomatoes, Cumberland pie, Lancashire hotpot, beef hotpot, steak pies, hot & spicy chicken tenders and yogurts!

❄️ IN OUR FREEZERS:
🍕 Pizza, Linda McCartney’s tomato & basil meatballs, Southern-fried chicken, quiches, protein bowls and fish!

🥫 ON OUR SHELVES:
Beans, tinned tomatoes, loads of soups and vegetables, peanut butter, coffee, oat milk, Cornflakes and enough crisps to keep a small army happy! 😂

🍎 FRUIT & VEG:
Courgettes, broccoli, cabbages, bananas, apples, mushrooms, oranges and onions for pickling!

♻️ Plus, don’t forget our SURPLUS TABLE — you never know what bargains you might find!

💷 Membership is just £3 for the YEAR! That’s it! 🙌

👇 NOW IT’S YOUR TURN!

🛍️ What do you reckon you could fill your bags with for £5, £10 or £20?

🍲 What would YOU cook with the ingredients we've got today? Drop your meal ideas in the comments — let's share some budget-friendly inspiration!

📣 WE’RE OPEN UNTIL 2:30PM TODAY!

Bring your carrier bags (you might need a few! 😂), pop in, grab a bargain and have a chat with us about the Community Garden, our wellbeing walks and all the other things we get up to.

💚 Supporting your community, stretching your budget and helping people along the way. That’s what it’s all about!

📍 Come and see us at Burntwood Be A Friend Community Store.

SHARE THIS POST — YOU NEVER KNOW WHO COULD DO WITH A HELPING HAND WITH THEIR SHOP THIS WEEK! 💚🛒

08/10/2026

🌱 12 MONTHS. ONE HELL OF A LOT OF WORK. AND WE’VE FINALLY DONE IT! 🌱

Three months getting our old garden ready to leave, followed by 9 months of digging, fencing, mowing, building, swearing and probably questioning our life choices! 😂

Today was a BIG one. 🧄🧅🌷

The guys got stuck in planting garlic, onions, daffodils and English bluebells — with plenty of learning along the way. Which way is up? Which way is down? 🌱😂 We now know!

We’ve also finished the compost bins, put the LAST POST in (apart from a couple of fence posts)… and we think that’s it.

NO MORE CONCRETE POSTS. NO MORE DIGGING. NO MORE BREAKING MY BACK. NO MORE SWEARING AT EACH OTHER! 😂🙌

Honestly, I couldn’t be prouder of the team. What we’ve achieved together over the last 12 months is bloody brilliant. ❤️🌱

Now the veggies are growing, the garlic and onions are in, and the garden is finally starting to look like a garden!

⚠️ Garden closed for the next 2 weeks while Adam has other commitments. We’ll be back in 3 weeks, fully charged and armed with far too many ideas! 😂

Well done everyone — hats off to us! 👏🌱

05/10/2026

☀️ MONDAYS USED TO BE THE WORST… NOT ANYMORE! ☀️

Blue skies, sunshine and the Burntwood Be A Friend men were off on our usual Monday Wellbeing Walk. 🚶‍♂️

I used to hate Mondays. Weekend over, back to work, back to the grind… 😩

But now? We look forward to them!

Monday is our chance to reset, walk, talk and just be men. 👊

We ask how everyone is, talk about the weekend, football, life… and if there’s fungi, birds or bugs about, Adam inevitably disappears down an ecological rabbit hole! 🍄🐦😂

Men of different ages, backgrounds and walks of life, all coming together, looking out for each other and making sure everyone knows there’s a safe space to talk, laugh, listen or simply walk.

And today was another brilliant one. ❤️

Great walk, great company… and obviously coffee and cake afterwards! ☕🍰

Mondays really aren't so bad anymore. 💙

01/10/2026

🌿🐝 POOH CORNER HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN! 🐝🌿

Well… today has been another one of those days down at the Burntwood Be A Friend Community Garden! 😂

And yes, you read that correctly…

POOH CORNER! 🐻🍯
(P-O-O-H… before anyone starts thinking we've opened something slightly different! 🤣)

Yesterday we moved the greenhouse into its new home, partly so the birds could stop turning the roof into their personal toilet! 🐦💩😂

But there was also a serious reason behind the move. With a tree overhanging the greenhouse, we felt it was better from a health & safety point of view to get it moved away from the danger zone.

The bonus was that it gave us the perfect opportunity to re-square the greenhouse and get all the glass back where it should be — plumb, level and looking rather smart! 👌

Today we carried on getting the community garden area finished off, and we've made some really good progress.

🌱 Compost bins – DONE… well, nearly! 😂

We've managed to build one and a half bays of what are definitely NOT your average little compost bins!

We're using the fantastic gravel boards we've been donated, and these things are going to be BIG! 💪

We've worked out we're at least three boards short, although ideally we'd love to get a few more so we can build the sides four boards high instead of three.

The plan is to have a proper three-year composting system, giving everything plenty of time to break down and turn into the good stuff our garden needs. 🌿

Then, alongside these, we'll be building some traditional wooden compost bays for things like horse manure and other materials that break down much quicker, giving us usable compost within the year. ♻️🌱

And then there's Pooh Corner… 🐻💩

Let's just say we're going to have somewhere for all the good stuff to go! 😂😂

A massive WELL DONE to the team today. 👏👏👏

We've worked really, really hard. There may have been a little bit of moaning and groaning as Adam pushed everyone hard, as usual… 😇😂

But there have also been plenty of laughs, plenty of jokes and, most importantly, everyone has enjoyed themselves.

Because that's what our community garden is all about. ❤️

Dig for wellbeing. Grow together. Have a laugh. And occasionally build enormous compost bins. 😂🌱

We're getting there, one job at a time!

Keep watching this space… Pooh Corner is only just beginning! 🐻🍯🌿

24/09/2026

🌱😂 BURNTWOOD BE A FRIEND COMMUNITY GARDEN — WHAT ON EARTH ARE WE DIGGING UP?! 😂🌱

After yesterday’s great rotavating adventure, today was all about the glamorous side of gardening… 🤣

The guys were straight back in there, picking out stones, boulders, bricks, toys, bits of metal, glass and pretty much anything else you can imagine!

Honestly, we’re starting to think there might be an archaeological dig underneath our allotment! 🏺😂

But all that hard work has been worth it because, with the ground getting sorted, we’ve been able to crack on with finishing planting some of our raised beds. 🌱🥕🌿

And we really do need to give a MASSIVE THANK YOU to Lidl Burntwood for all the plants they’ve donated to us throughout the summer. ❤️🌸🌿

The generosity has been absolutely fantastic, and we’re really looking forward to working together again next year. 🙌

And then came the really exciting bit…

🐛 LIFE!

Worms.
🐌 Slugs.
🐌 Snails.
🐝 Bees.
🐝 Wasps.
🪲 Beetles.
🐜 Ants.

And loads more!

It might sound like a few creepy crawlies to some people, but to us it’s BRILLIANT NEWS! 🌍❤️

It’s amazing what a bit of TLC, hard work and a whole lot of digging can do. The garden is really starting to feel alive again, and seeing so many different insects returning is exactly what we hoped for. 🐝🌿🪱

Now we want to know…

👇 WHAT’S THE STRANGEST THING YOU’VE EVER FOUND WHILE DIGGING IN A GARDEN? 😂

A toy?
A bottle?
An old coin?
Something completely unexplainable?! 🤔😂

Tell us below! 👇

For now, it’s onwards and upwards! 💪🌱

Another week done, another bit of the garden brought back to life… and we’re already looking forward to what next week brings! ❤️

🌱🐝🪱🌻

24/09/2026

Enter the Lichfield District Community Lottery, support Burntwood Be A Friend and even possibly win an iPhone 18 Pro Max!!

https://www.lichfieldcommunitylottery.co.uk/support/burntwood-be-a-friend?utm_campaign=cause-page-social-share&utm_source=cause-page&utm_medium=social&utm_content=Hyperlink

23/09/2026

🌱🚜 BURNTWOOD BE A FRIEND COMMUNITY GARDEN — MAN FLU VS ROTAVATOR! 🚜🌱

Well… what a day! 😂

Today we had rain ☔, sunshine ☀️, wind 💨, cold 🥶 — basically every season in one afternoon!

And then there was Adam… 🤧

Poor old Adam has apparently contracted the most serious illness known to mankind…

MAN FLU. 😂😂

But despite being on death's door, he bravely put his shorts on, pulled on his boots and headed down to the garden.

Because obviously… nothing says “I'm poorly” quite like operating an industrial rotavator! 🤣

A few weeks ago, a very kind gentleman approached Burntwood Be A Friend and offered us the use of an industrial rotavator to help us tackle the taster allotment plots.

After spending far too long trying to dig the ground by hand, we reluctantly admitted…

“Yep. That sounds like a VERY good idea!” 😂

So today was rotavator day! 🚜🌱

And WOW… what we found underneath the soil! 😳

We uncovered:

🔩 Metal bars
🧱 Enough bricks to build a small house
🪵 Random bits of goodness knows what
🧶 Carpet
…and probably enough buried treasure to open our own archaeological museum! 😂

But actually, finding all of this is brilliant news.

Because every bit we find is one less bit sitting underneath someone's future allotment.

The four allotment strips have now been rotavated and we're ready for the next stage — raking, removing as many stones and bits of debris as possible, and getting these plots ready for people to enjoy. 🌱🥕🌻

And we really do want to say a massive THANK YOU to the gentleman who kindly lent us the rotavator and wishes to remain anonymous.

Your generosity, time and equipment have made a huge difference to the garden, and we genuinely appreciate it. ❤️

🛠️ NOW… THE CAP IS OUT! 😂

As you know, we're a charity and we're always trying to make things happen with what we've got.

We're currently looking for:

🔨 Hand tools
🪵 Scaffolding boards
♻️ Useful materials that we can repurpose

And yes, scaffolding boards can be a little worse for wear — we're quite good at turning something that's seen better days into something useful! 😂

BUT… one little favour please.

We absolutely LOVE donations… ❤️

We don't love surprise dumping! 😂

We've had a few things turn up at the garden without anyone letting us know.

We completely understand that people are trying to help, and we genuinely appreciate the thought behind it. But if everyone starts leaving things at the garden, we could very quickly end up with something that looks more like a community dumping ground than a community garden — and unfortunately, the charity could then end up having to pay to remove things.

So please, don't just leave things at the gate. 🙏

If you've got something you think we could use, just:

💬 Comment on this post
📩 Message the page
📞 Get in touch with Burntwood Be A Friend

We'll happily arrange for someone to meet you and have a look.

And finally…

Please spare a thought for poor Adam.

After bravely battling the elements, operating the rotavator and fighting off the dreaded man flu, he has apparently returned home suffering from:

☑️ Bad back
☑️ Bad arms
☑️ Headache
☑️ Exhaustion
☑️ And what doctors are calling a “very poorly little tiny head” 🤣🤧

So let's all wish Adam a speedy recovery…

Because apparently he's going to need at least 14 hours of bed rest, three cups of tea and somebody to tell him how brave he is. 😂😂

Well done today, Adam! 💪

And a HUGE thank you to everyone who keeps helping us turn this little patch of ground into something really special for the community. ❤️🌱

Burntwood Be A Friend Community Garden — one muddy job at a time! 🌱💚

17/09/2026

🍂 THE WINTER IS COMING… SO WE’RE GETTING READY! 🍂

What’s been happening at the Burntwood Be A Friend Community Garden today?

A bit of w**ding.
A bit of sorting.
A LOT of pallets! 😂🪵

With winter creeping ever closer, we’ve started getting the garden ready for the colder months. Because there’s nothing worse than leaving everything until winter arrives and then running around trying to move, sort and protect everything when the weather turns! 🌧️❄️

Today, our participants got stuck in and helped w**d the concreted area, clear things up and, most importantly… sort out our ever-growing collection of pallets! 😂

We’ve been incredibly lucky to have more pallets donated to us, so rather than simply throwing them into a giant pile, we’ve started creating proper storage bays.

We now have separate areas for:

🪵 Usable offcuts – because, let's be honest, I’m a great hoarder! 😂 You never know when that random bit of wood is going to become exactly what we need.

🔨 Processed wood – pallets that have already been dismantled, de-nailed and are ready to be used.

🪚 Pallets waiting to be processed – because apparently we now have enough to keep us busy for the next decade! 🤣

And the difference is amazing.

What was becoming a rather chaotic area is now clean, organised and looking absolutely spotless! 🙌🌱

But here's the thing…

Today wasn't really about pallets.

It wasn't even really about w**ding.

It was about clearing our heads. ❤️

A couple of our participants arrived this morning admitting that, if they were completely honest, they'd much rather have stayed in bed.

And that's okay.

Sometimes getting yourself out of the house is the hardest part.

But by the end of the session?

There was laughter.
There were jokes.
There were smiles.
There was a bit of banter.
And there was that feeling of “I'm glad I came.” 😊

And THAT is what this garden is about.

🌱 It's not just about jobs being completed.
🌱 It's not about targets being hit.
🌱 It's not about how much we can get done in a morning.

It's about getting outside.

It's about moving your body.

It's about having a cuppa and a laugh.

It's about having somewhere you can turn up exactly as you are.

And sometimes, it's simply about clearing the garden while the garden helps clear your head. 💚

So a massive WELL DONE to everyone who came along today. You made a real difference to the garden — and hopefully to yourselves too.

Now… who's ready to see what we get up to next week? 👀🌱

Do a little. Do it often. And keep moving forward. 💚

🌱💚

10/09/2026

🌞🌱 WHAT a differencea day makes. at Burntwood Be A Friend Community Garden! 🌱🌞

The sun was shining ☀️, the birds were tweeting 🐦, there was a little nip in the air… and honestly, it felt crisp, clean and absolutely perfect for getting outside, getting our hands muddy, our feet even muddier, and getting stuck into the community garden! 👩‍🌾👨‍🌾

And what a busy morning we've had! 💪🌱

🔨 THE POTTING BENCHES ARE DONE! 🔨

Rob and Steve finished off the final potting bench today, and just look at the difference it's making!

We've now got:
🪑 Seated areas
🌱 Potting benches for children
🌿 Larger benches for general use
♿ Accessible potting benches for wheelchair users and people with limited mobility

It's starting to feel like a proper community space, and there is a real buzz around the place now. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm getting VERY excited about what this garden is becoming! 😍

💪 THE LADS GOT STUCK IN! 💪

After seeing what one of the guys achieved on his plot yesterday, the lads decided:

"Do you know what? Let's do the other side!" 😂

So out came the spades and forks and off they went!

They turned over the entire plot, removing loads of hardcore, rubble and all sorts of things that definitely shouldn't be hiding in our soil! 🤣

But, of course, digging meant one thing…

🪱 WORMS! 🪱

And you know me… give Adam a worm and he'll give you a biology lesson! 🤣

Cue explanations about worms, how they breathe, how many hearts they have, different types of worms, what they do for our soil and why we'd be in serious trouble without them! 🌎🪱

There were a few eye rolls.

A few "Oh my days, will this man ever leave us alone to dig?" moments…

But they carried on! 😂👏

And whilst the lads were busy digging, Wendy and Emily got stuck into some planting. 🌱

We've had some lovely plants donated by Lidl, and they got those planted up, before heading around the garden to do a bit of tree husbandry.

Sadly, we've lost quite a few of our young saplings this year because of that ridiculous heat 🥵🌳, but they've carefully removed the ones that haven't made it and given the remaining trees some much-needed TLC.

🌿 AND THERE'S MORE TO COME!

We're also planning a brand-new bed ready for next year.

We're thinking something a little different…

👃 A sensory bed filled with herbs and plants with different smells and textures.

A lovely place to sit, relax, watch the bees 🐝 and other insects buzzing around, and simply enjoy being outside.

And then, of course, we finished the morning in the only way we know how…

☕🍰 CAKES. CHAT. CHECKING IN WITH EACH OTHER.

Because that's what this place is really about.

Yes, we're growing vegetables.

Yes, we're improving the garden.

Yes, we're creating something amazing.

But we're also creating a place where people can come together, have a laugh, get their hands dirty, have a cuppa, eat far too much cake and simply check in with one another. ❤️

And today, everybody got involved.

Everybody contributed.

And everybody is starting to see what this place could become.

🌱 AND WE'RE NEARLY THERE…

In the next couple of weeks, we'll be starting to get some vegetables planted! 🥕🥦🌱

So keep your eyes peeled, because this garden is really starting to come alive!

If you'd like to get involved, volunteer, grow something, learn something new, have a cuppa or simply come along and see what we're about…

📩 Drop Burntwood Be A Friend a message.

There is always something to do, someone to talk to and probably a cake somewhere! 😂🍰

Happy growing, everyone! 🌱💚

Burntwood Be A Friend's community garden

11/10/2026

09/10/2026

08/10/2026

05/10/2026

01/10/2026

24/09/2026

24/09/2026

23/09/2026

17/09/2026

10/09/2026

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