Growing Our Green Heritage April Update

Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ rich, uniquely biodiverse natural environment is one of the UK’s most significant historic Botanic Gardens. Since 1829, it has been devoted to conservation, growing plant diversity and public understanding – a purpose vital to earth’s survival.

Embedded in Birmingham’s scientific and people’s history, social and cultural life, this green sanctuary has protected and brought the value of plants to millions and a vast urban population. In some places fragile, tired, and deteriorating, the core heritage at The Gardens is at risk, threatening access for future generations. The Gardens and Glasshouses urgently require major investment to safeguard this rich asset for another 200 years. In addition, the site and operation requires investment to meet contemporary visitor expectations, to enable it to grow its offer and ensure its financial sustainability for the future.

Thanks to the generous support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, (£590,000), and with a contribution from The Gardens’ reserves, we are currently in the developmental stages of the ‘Growing Our Green Heritage’ project, to safeguard the future of this special space.

The substance of the Major Project is to restore the heritage assets, rationalise visitor operations, improve planting and interpretation to create a financially sustainable first-class visitor destination, community resource, centre for horticultural excellence and high-quality green space. The project will also continue to expand its engagement with others to promote the value of nature/green spaces and highlight the role botanical gardens play in conserving plant biodiversity and increasing public understanding of issues.

Currently the Staff Team are working with various capital project experts such as Architects (both conservation and new build), Landscape Designers, Interpretation, Access, Hospitality and many others to finalise the project plan.

Each month I will be sharing progress and key moments of the development phase. In due course there will also be opportunities for local residents and other interested parties to see the development plans and get involved in supporting the project.

Birmingham Botanical Gardens began life as an exclusive environment for scientific study and advancement, but quickly evolved and diversified to become so much more than this. To this day The Gardens remain a beloved green resource for the people of Birmingham, where the lives of people and plants are closely intertwined. It is the ambition of the project to protect and restore this unique asset for Birmingham, its residents and visitors and we hope that you will support The Gardens Trustees, Staff and Volunteers as we develop the project.

Thank you for all your continued support.

Sara Blair-Manning –  Chief Executive