King's Heath, West Midlands

Volunteers and businesses join forces for King’s Heath

King’s Heath Floral Trail is a 2012 Britain in Bloom finalist in the ‘Urban Communities’ category.

Five miles south of Birmingham City Centre, the suburban high street of King’s Heath is bustling. People are shopping, drinking coffees, resting on park benches and enjoying the flowers, but things were not always like this says Bob Prew, Chairman of the King’s Heath Floral Trail, who’s lived in the area for 30 years. 'There’s a lot more here now,' he says. 'In the past if we wanted to eat out we’d have to go to Moseley. Now we’ve got Balti houses, tapas bars and organic cafes.'

A testament to King's Heath

The transformation of the centre of the suburb is in part thanks to the work of the King’s Heath Centre Partnership (KHCP), a Business Improvement District (BID) comprising representatives of businesses, local voluntary bodies, residents and the council. 'In the last five years we’ve seen other centres decline but King’s Heath has started to thrive,' says Town Centre Manager, Kate Smart. 'We have a 6.5 percent vacancy rate for retail properties compared to a 13.5 percent national average.'

A floral trail

One of the partnership’s key initiatives is the King’s Heath Floral Trail, which draws together a multitude of environment-enhancing activities across the suburb.

Devised five years ago, the 10,000-step trail connects all of the floral and green spaces around King’s Heath, with an informative leaflet summarising the route.

Not only does the trail link together existing green spaces, it’s also created new features. Five years ago there were no baskets or planters in King’s Heath; today the bustling high street is dotted with more than 110 baskets, 60 railing boxes and 60 wooden planters looked after by volunteers.

Each volunteer is fired up by one of the many projects that are simultaneously bubbling away under the surface - King's Heath Transition Initiative, Highbury Park Friends, Highbury Orchard group, Playscheme group, Planter Carers, All Saints’ group, Grofun and 9 Carrots - 'The floral trail brings them all together,' says Bob Prew. 'The great thing about it is that it connects everyone who wants to make King’s Heath a better place to live,' he continues. 'Most of the ideas come from the volunteers and business support means that we can make things happen.'

Walking the trail

First stop is the Edible Garden in the grounds of the community centre. Inspired by local resident Alys Fowler, planted by children and volunteers.

The children’s planting is complemented by a colourful mural by local graffiti artist Hoakser. After receiving a commission here he’s gone on to paint the hoardings of several vacant shops across King’s Heath. Now he’s teaching young people to make graffiti art. A competition to create murals for the placards around the farmers’ market has 21 children sketching out their designs.

The hope is to encourage graffiti art rather than random tagging, he explains. 'The kids love it. They’ve done all the creative stuff and I’ll help to them paint their designs.'

Village pride

Further down the high street, a team of volunteers is busy planting roses in the recently created village square. 'This is the first village green that’s been put back to its original use in 40 years,' claims Ken Whittaker, horticultural adviser to the square’s management group. The work was financed by the Big Lottery’s Community Spaces Fund. 'It’s put the heart back into King’s Heath.'

Creative thinking

Five minutes away a new initiative has sprung up next to the site of the former music venue, the Ritz Ballroom. The King’s Heath Walk of Fame will celebrate the musical talent of the area, as well as others that have played here over the years. The first star nomination belongs to locally-born singer and actress Toyah Willcox, who celebrated with a special homecoming gig in the pub next door.

In addition to music, the suburb is steeped in history. The local Highbury Park was created from the merging of three large estates the 1930s, one belonging to the Cadbury family and another to political patriarchs, the Chamberlains. The park has Birmingham’s largest Friends group, which actively campaigns for improvements. Recently volunteers cleared a large area of overgrowth to allow for the restoration of Joseph Chamberlain’s stone viewing platform.

Planting for permiculture

Highbury Orchard is another group taking a hands-on approach to improving the park. Volunteers are planting a permaculture garden on the site of Chamberlain’s old orchard, using grafts from the few surviving apple trees.

Co-ordinator Liz Wright explains that the space will be somewhere for people to learn how to grow things, try woodworking or coppicing or just meet people. 'We’re creating two forest school areas too,' she adds, 'for the children from the local schools to use for outdoor lessons.'

Sustainability is high up the agenda in King’s Heath, encouraged by an active transition network. In individuals’ gardens, Grofun volunteers band together to help homeowners create spaces where they can grow their own produce. In shops, the 9carrots loyalty scheme encourages shopkeepers to invest in making their shops greener.

'We’re helping to make King’s Heath an attractive place where people want to live, work and shop,' explains Kate. 'There’s definitely a community spirit - people are proud to live here. The shops get involved too, litter picking and volunteering. It builds a pride of place and encourages residents to support local businesses.'

'When Toyah came back to King’s Heath to be inducted on the Walk of Fame she told her fans to ‘be proud, be loud and be heard’. That’s exactly how residents and businesses think, feel and talk about King’s Heath these days,' adds Bob in agreement.