After such a fantastic weekend, the next three days promise to be equally wonderful as Balsall Heath Community Festival brings together so many more people to celebrate Balsall Heath! A quick summary, flyers below, offering joy and fun in gardens, exhibitions and in our fabulous Faith Centres across Balsall Heath from 6th to 8th July!
Community Festival so far in pictures
Day 1 – Anawim is 40
We started our Festival with a party at Anawim, a visit to the Fire Station and drama at Pickwick Park!
Crowds at Retrofit Balsall Heath Drama Pickwick Park, the start of #BHCFest26!Firemen Louis reads about the history of Balsall HeathAll ready for guests at Anawim’s 40thBell is rung every day to ‘Call to Muster’ at the New Fire Station – hope to see the fire engine at an event later this fetsival!New Fruit and Nut Village Garden at AnawimJoy ceremonially planting the fig tree with Fruit and Nut VillageWatering in the new fig treeAward Ceremony, singing, poetry and tree planting with Fruit and Nut Village at Anawim.
Day 2 – History on the Lane
We talked to shop owners, passers by and local organisations like Friends of Balsall Heath Park as the next history interpretation panels were installed bu Balsall Heath Local History Society. Find out more on our history trail across Balsall Heath.
‘Our history is important, all of it.’
Shops and so much more, down ‘The Lane’BCC street cleaner loves us celebrating our history, cleaned all around our new sign.Entrance to Balsall Heath ParkAnawim staff with the new heritage panel outside their HQBy Balsall Heath Park, so much historyInstalled outside Anawim before their 40th Celebration
Day 3 – East West Procession and more!
Litterpicking at Balsall Heath Park to start our procession, with Peter, creator of the Retrofit Balsall Heath mobile model home.Last read through of the script for the Three little pigs playLitter managed!Start of the ProcessionAli guides a young wood carverArt and Crafts at Seven Street ParkCarnival Exhibition in Seven Street ParkParty begins at Seven Streets ParkBanners on display in the parkTrying on a new necklaceMore woodcraft in the ParkMore woodcraftFlag makingDrumming to George Street ParkChilling in Calthorpe ParkA short stop for Change Kitchen delicious foodTea and cake breakThe mobile model Retrofit Balsall Heath House on the move!Drumming workshop starts A grand evening in Calthorpe ParkCarrying the banner3 Little Pigs Retrofit Balsall Heath drama at George Street Park
Celebrate the creativity, diversity and community spirit of Balsall Heath with a joyful walking procession from Balsall Heath Park to Calthorpe Park on Sunday 5 July as part of Balsall Heath Community Festival.
Expect colourful banners, Brumbeats drummers, pop-up street theatre, family activities and plenty of carnival atmosphere as we walk together across the neighbourhood, celebrating local pride, greener homes, vibrant parks and the people who make Balsall Heath such a special place. Walk the whole route or join us wherever you can. Make your own mini banner, enjoy performances, meet neighbours old and new, and help launch Retrofit Balsall Heath’s new community banner.
Everyone is welcome—bring your friends, your family and your carnival spirit!
Event details
11.00am: Meet at Balsall Heath Park
11.30am–1.30pm: Free mini flag and banner-making workshop at Seven Streets Park(activities, refreshments and carnival exhibition until 2.00pm)
12.00pm: Procession sets off
2.00pm: Retrofit street drama at George Street Park
3.30pm–5.00pm: Drumming workshop and refreshments at Calthorpe Park
Join us for the whole procession or simply drop in along the route—everyone is welcome!
Calthorpe Park, Birmingham’s first Public Park, was opened in 1857 for the ‘public health’ of people in Balsall Heath. We’re celebrating the achievements of Balsall Heathans living locally making a positive impact (first panel at Seven Streets Pocket Park)
Dan Burwood from Fruit and Nut Village helped locate and install Calthorpe Park Panel:
“I’m really happy to see the history of these places. It links with what we’re doing now, to engage people with being in green spaces differently. Trying to grow perennial food, share skills around that kind of thing [links] with what was here before. I think that helps us to imagine what might be here in the future.”
Dan Burwood with the new interpretation board on the corner between Cheddar and Edward Roads
“It’s heartening to see how these things shift because we’re growing edible perennial. Food, lots of fruit trees, nut trees in these Parks now. And people were doing that before. I think the way things are isn’t the way things have to continue to be.”
Traditional allotments (some previously nearby on Edward Road) are ‘allocated’ for individual use. Fruit & Nut Village designs and plants forest gardens, community orchards, and edible hedges that belong to everyone. They focus on perennial food crops, meaning plants, bushes, and trees that live for many years. They support communities to be more self-sufficient and work in local spaces to provide freely abundant food.
Growing Together in Calthorpe Park
Fruit and Nut Village and Friends of the Earth Postcode Gardeners work together supporting many sites near existing Parks and in more urban spaces, including:
The Calthorpe Interfaith Community Orchard, located in Calthorpe Park is a true testament to Balsall Heath’s diverse community. It regularly hosts interfaith tree-plantings and celebrations. It will be a part of our Balsall Heath Community Festival, bringing people of all backgrounds and faiths together to share food under the shade of fruit trees.
Partnering with Anawim (Birmingham’s Centre for Women), Fruit & Nut Village hosts regular site planning and care sessions on Mary Street. They creat safe, therapeutic, and educational spaces where women can connect with nature and learn sustainable growing skills. Find out more on 3rd July event, the launch of Balsall Heath Community Festival.
Seven Streets Pocket Park, also a part of our Commuity Festival as part of our ‘Green Trail’ on 5th July.
Get Involved at Calthorpe Park
The beauty of a forest garden is that it thrives on collective care. Whether you have a green thumb or have never touched a trowel in your life, there’s always a space for you. You can join a relaxed weekday care session, drop into a weekend workshop, or simply stop by to enjoy the peace and quiet of the orchards.
Keep an eye on their social channels or local noticeboards for upcoming Balsall Heath sessions—and next time you’re walking through the neighborhood, look up! You might just find your next healthy snack growing right above your head.
