Events
details of events at warley woods, community trust
Events at Warley Woods in May and June
A few events coming up at Warley Woods. Firstly two nature walks. 4th May there is a chance to walk the Woods with Chris Shortis. He’s our official tree advisor, but also a local resident who uses the woods. A walk with him is always fascinating (10am at the Pavilion, £2 adults, children free). Then an early start on Saturday 11th May 5am for the Dawn Chorus Walk. Matt Hadlington is a ranger at Sandwell Valley, but also a Warley Woods volunteer. He’ll be leading the walk, supported by Liz Coleman. Again meet at the Pavilion, £3 for adults, including a cuppa. Finally tickets are on sale for Alice – an extraordinary adventure – our professional theatre show this year Sunday 16th June at 3pm.
Dates for Forest Friends and Forest School in half term
Sandwell’s Play Team has let us know that they’ll be back in Warley Woods on Thursday 30th May. There will be the usual two options, Forest Friends (10am- 12pm) for ages 3-7 with their parents and Forest Play (10am – 2.30pm) for ages 8-14. It’s all about being in the outdoors and the woodland, making dens, climbing, learning about woods. Places need to be prebooked, so call 0845 352 7853.
April Update
Two ’nature’ events to look forward to in the next month. On Saturday May 4th Chris Shortis will be leading one of his popular Tree Walks round the park . You might be surprised at the range of unusual trees there are on the site and Chris’s walks are always interesting and informative. It starts at 10 am from the Pavilion and there will be a small charge. On Saturday May 11th Matt Hadlington, one of our volunteers, will be leading the Dawn Chorus Walk. This starts at 5 am from the Pavilion and Matt will help you identify the different birds from their songs. There will be a small charge and drinks will be available afterwards.
Tickets are now available for the Theatre in the Woods on Sunday June 16th at 3 pm. The play is ‘Alice—an Extraordinary Adventure’ and is based on the books by Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and Through the Looking Glass. The play is suitable for children and adults and the theatre company tell us that there will be the opportunity for participation for some children. Tickets are available from the shop at the Pavilion or online at http://www.heartbreakproductions.co.uk/database/warley-woods-smethwick Thanks to Derek Spires, Estate Agents for sponsoring this event.
We have some exciting new Golf Offers this Spring for both regular players and those who are not as familiar with the course. For members of the Golf Club based at the course we are offering £2 off 18 holes and £1 off 9 holes right through until the end of December. So why not consider joining the Golf Club? Membership costs £50/£30 (concessions) so it would not take long to recoup the costs of membership by taking advantage of this special offer! In addition to this, there will be vouchers available in the local press enabling two people to come and play golf for a tenner. The Two for a Tenner vouchers will be in the Express and Star on Friday April 12th, in a door drop in postcode areas B64 and B65 on 18th/19th April, and in the April edition of The Gem magazine which is delivered round South and West Birmingham. The vouchers are valid until May 31st and must be handed in when you come and play.
Companion Care Vets, who sponsor The Picnic in the Park, are now offering a 10% discount on all their goods and services to members of Warley Woods Community Trust. So if you are not a member of the Trust why not join now so that you can take advantage of this great deal from the vets? Membership is £6/£3 (concessions) a year, or £12 for families, and forms are available at the Pavilion or here on this website on the documents page. By the way, the date for the Picnic this year is Sunday July 14th.
From time to time we need a volunteer ‘Handyperson’ to do odd jobs for us around the Pavilion. This might include jobs such as carpentry, general repairs or painting. If anyone is interested in offering their services to help out when needed we’d love to hear from you! Please contact Viv Cole, Trust Manager, on 420 1061 for more information. Also, we will shortly be looking for volunteers to paint the Lobby entrance in the Pavilion and rewallpaper the meeting room and if you’d like to help with this again please let Viv know.
Easter Egg Roll – Monday 1st April 11am
Now in its 6th year, we will be ready to roll on 1st April at Upper St Mary’s entrance. Bring your hardboiled eggs to roll down the hill – we have different competitions for different age groups, including the popular roll for adults. You can enter your painted egg in the competion, buy a raffle ticket for the “giant”or follow the Easter Trail. All activities cost £1 and all welcome 11am – 12pm and onwards at the Pavilion.
March Update
Did you know that there is an evergreen oak in the Woods? It’s quercus canariensis also known as Algerian oak and is native to Spain, Portugal and some North African countries. It is quite unusual to find it in Britain so we need to cherish it. It is not far from the main drive and its leaves look like oak. If you’re walking round there before the trees come into leaf you should be able to spot it.
Don’t forget the Easter Events taking place on Easter Monday, April 1st. The Easter Egg Roll starts at 11 am with registration from 10.30. There will also be the Easter Egg Treasure Hunt and the Painted Egg Competition (bring the egg already painted with you) and a raffle—tickets on sale on the day.
You are reading this news online, but did you know that we send out a quarterly Leaflet to members of the Trust? This has much more information in it. For example the Spring edition, due out on 26th March, has a piece by Viv Cole, the Trust Manager, about what she and the Trust have been doing over the last 3 months, there are profiles of 2 of the Trustees so that members know who is involved in making decisions on their behalf, a report on the Walk for the Woods, a piece about forthcoming golf events, including National Golf Week , a prize crossword and other articles. Could you consider becoming a member? The cost is only £6 a year for an individual or £12 for a family, and £3 for concessions. Membership fees can be gift-aided so the Trust gets additional money, and it all goes to help the park looking good. Membership forms can be downloaded here or are available in the shop. Companion Care Vets, who sponsor our Picnic, are offering 10% off all their goods and services to members of the Trust. Another reason for joining!
Over the next few weeks the Trust will be having stalls at the Crafty Muthas Spring event on March 23rd at St Mary’s Church hall, Bearwood, and also at the May Day event in Lightwoods Park on Monday May 6th. If you’re around then come along and say hello to the volunteers who will be looking after the stall and ask any questions you might have about the Trust.
There is some new stock in the shop, including some lovely dog mugs. When you’re out in the Woods why not call by and have a look. The shop is open until 7 pm on weekdays from next week, and 6 pm at weekends. …and don’t forget the Picnic – Sunday July 14th from1 pm to 6 pm.
