Birkby Community Wildlife Garden

19/03/2026

Please join us for a pre-Easter activity session- a bit of a tidy up before the spring/ summer growth really gets going.

Sunday 29th march 11-1

It would be great if you could bring gloves, secateurs or even a spade or something like a mattock, but if you would just like to come and say hello that would also be great. With the daffodils out and tulips coming it is a great time to enjoy being outdoors!

19/03/2026

Do you know anyone who could provide us with some free landscaping / groundworks advice? The BCWG committee recently met for its AGM and discussed plans for the garden through 2026. One of the suggestions put forward that had a lot of interest was the idea of making the bottom path of the garden (the section that runs parallel with the public right of way) into a wheel chair accessible path. This would involve a feasibility review of the proposed route as well as an estimate of the materials and work that would most likely be required. We could then submit an application for charitable support and, if successful, hopefully begin to turn the idea into a reality. Please do get in touch if you or anyone you know with this kind of expertise can spare us an hour or two to assist with scoping out the practicalities of this project.

12/03/2026

This event in May looks quite interesting for those keen on Woodlands!

Join Luke Barley, the National Trust’s senior adviser on woodland, on a journey into the woods, to discover the trees that made Britain. Ancient woods

15/02/2026

Birkby Community Wildlife Garden
Annual General Meeting 2026
Sunday 1st March 2.00 p.m.

Anyone welcome. Tell us what you think or get involved! Please contact for details of venue.

03/11/2025

Our community garden is part of this wider umbrella group. Anyone is welcome to attend their AGM- details below- and you might find their website interesting. https://naturalkirklees.org/homepage/

Natural Kirklees Annual General Meeting
will be held at 2pm
on Wednesday, 3rd December 2025

at the Visitor Centre,
Beaumont Park, Beaumont Park Road,
Huddersfield HD4 7AY

Note this meeting may extend beyond 4pm as we welcome updates regarding the move of Parks and Green Spaces under the Environmental Strategy and Climate Change Directorate and the new Litter Picking Strategy in Kirklees

Agenda

1. Welcome and Introductions - Ed

2. Apologies and Minutes of the Last AGM, last Quarterly Members meeting and Matters Arising (weblinks to the minutes of the last AGM and Quarterly Meeting are towards the end of this newsletter) - Ed

3. Maryke Woods - Kirklees Council - Operations Manager Parks & Green Spaces - Update on the Parks and Green Spaces Team service delivery and the transfer of the team under the Environmental Strategy and Climate Change Directorate.

4. Trustees Annual Report and Natural Kirklees Financial Report - Ed
This AGM is taking the unusual step of publishing the Trustees Annual Report and Financial Report ahead of the AGM so that we reduce the time Ed talks to the meeting and enables a summary of the facts to be presented, and to enable time for any questions from the members in relation to the past year’s activity and expenditure.

5. Appointment of Trustees and officers - Ed
In accordance with our constitution 1/3 of the trustees must stand down each year. This year Stefanie, David Rudd and Phil Slater are due to resign in rotation. David and Phil are willing to stand for re-election, Stefanie Rofke has resigned as a trustee due to work commitments.
Confirmation of co-opted Trustee - Adrian Pitts
Election of any new nominated Trustees
Formal Resignation of Ed Day as chair of Natural Kirklees
Election of the appointment of Adrian Pitts as the new chair
Confirmation of the role of Secretary and Treasurer

Ed Stands down and Adrian takes over the role of the Chair

6. Questions relating to Natural Kirklees future objectives and activities - Adrian
'Adrian is keen to know if there are new ways that any member groups think we can develop. Particularly any ideas for attracting and enthusing new members across member groups. Also if there are new things that Natural Kirklees should be doing. As not everyone will be able to attend the meeting Adrian will be happy to receive comments direct to his email: [email protected]'.

7. Presentation - David McQuillan, South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust introducing a groundbreaking new creative health app, Create & Bloom, offering an innovative way to boost mental health and wellbeing through creative activities

8. Proposed Future meetings:
4th March 2026
2pm-4pm, Community Room, Trinity Methodist Church, Trinity Street, Mirfield WF14 8AD.
3rd June 2026
7pm-9pm, Visitors Centre, Beaumont Park, Beaumont Park Road, Huddersfield HD4 7AY.
2nd September 2026
2pm-4pm, Community Room, Trinity Methodist Church, Trinity Street, Mirfield WF14 8AD.
9th December 2026
2pm-4pm, Visitors Centre, Beaumont Park, Beaumont Park Road, Huddersfield HD4 7AY.

9. Litter Picking in Kirklees – an update from Nick Jenkin and Rachel Palmer (Kirklees Council) on the proposed strategy currently being formulated, coproduced by Kirklees Council and Community Groups in partnership with Keep Britain Tidy.

10. Any Other Business

Your gateway to the green spaces Become part of a growing network, support our beautiful landscape. Join our newsletter Natural Kirklees is the umbrella organisation for all the “Friends of” groups and “Greenspace” management groups within the Kirklees geographical area. We are independent f...

26/10/2025

Remember the activity session planned for 11am- 1pm today. Everyone welcome!

07/10/2025

Autumn activity session- Just after the clocks have gone back on
Sunday 26th October 11am-1pm. We should all be refreshed after an extra hour's sleep!

The garden will need a litter pick, cutting back of brambles, and clearing around the planted bushes and trees to help them flourish in spring.

The following Friday will be Halloween, and I still have some cut-out halloween shapes (witches, bats etc), in case anyone would like to hang them in the trees and lead a spooky torchlit halloween family walk or something similar, or just add a halloween hunt for kids to the Sunday activity session... Get in touch if you would like to do this :)

Lovely weather for exploring the garden, particularly for fungal forays!

18/06/2025

Saturday 2nd August 12-4 there's an event at Stirley Farm

Spring into action with these events. You don't need to be a part of to join in - everyone's welcome!

10/06/2025

The Woodland Trust have published their report on the state of the UK's woods and trees. Some interesting statements on urban trees and wildlife-

'The ‘urban forest’ provides vital ecosystem services such as shading, cooling and supporting physical and mental wellbeing. The urban forest provides most people’s primary form of contact with trees and woods.'

'The importance of urban trees and green space for restoring nature to urban cities is recognised by government in the recently published Green Infrastructure Framework to guide local policy-making, including a Standard for Urban Nature Recovery. This requires the locally determined expansion of nature-focused green infrastructure and restoration of urban wildlife-rich habitat. Government is also expected to re-affirm the Environmental Improvement Plan commitment that everyone should live within 15 minutes of good quality green space, a commitment which must be backed with measures to overcome both physical and socioeconomic barriers...'

A policy summary report for England based on the evidence from the State of UK's Woods and Trees 2025 report.

14/03/2025

Beginnings of spring :)

05/03/2025

As the daffodils come out a couple of group work sessions to combat brambles taking over paths and saplings seem needed. Please join in- Sunday 9th March 10am-1pm and Sunday 6th April 10am-12noon. Wear gloves and bring secateurs or similar if you have them.