Four Ways to a Greener Birmingham Sunday 10th September

The Greener Birmingham Coalition are offering a novel way to experience the city’s natural heritage.
As part of Birmingham Heritage Week the Greener Birmingham Coalition, more than 30 organisations and individuals working together to protect and enhance the city’s green spaces, are asking people to celebrate our natural heritage by joining a walk or bike ride to City Centre Gardens, behind Birmingham Library, for a community picnic on Sunday 10th September.
900 deaths per year are linked to air pollution in Birmingham alone, and it is estimated that access to good quality greenspace could save the NHS £105m per year in the West Midlands Combined Authority area. Birmingham is one of the UKs greenest cities and boasts more public open space than any other European city – but much of it is unconnected and difficult to access. The Greener Birmingham Coalition are asking people to tweet the best bits of their journey into the city centre – and where space needs improving and connecting to make wild green spaces appealing and accessible, and travel by foot and bike safe and inviting.
Guided walks and bike rides led by qualified bike leaders will start from four sides of the city and will travel along green networks and corridors to show how even in our urban environment, our green spaces are vital to the health and well-being of our citizens. Along the way there will be pick up points and activities at some of the lesser known wild places to recognise the community unsung heroes who voluntarily take care of parks, wild spaces, canals and woodlands. These will include local Friends groups and volunteers as part of the Birmingham Open Spaces Forum.
The ‘North’ walk will start at Handsworth Park at 11am, meeting by The Big Sleuth Bear in the Community Garden, and stop off at Edgbaston Reservoir at 12noon before arriving into City Centre Gardens at 1pm.
Participants can join at the start or meet at one of the pick-up points along the routes or head straight to the city centre for 1.00pm to join us for our Big Lunch picnic. Bikes can be hired by Big Birmingham Bikes in advance.
At the picnic there will be free fun activities for all ages including sports, nature trails and a smoothie bike.  The Real Junk Food Project will have food to share that would otherwise have been thrown out by shops and restaurants.
To find a walk or bike ride starting near you go to greenerwestmidlands.wordpress.com/greener-birmingham/

Posted on 9th August 2017