Your park needs you.

Selly Oak Park needs your help. We currently have two vacancies on the FoSOP committee. This involves about 7 meetings a year, delivering leaflets (about twice a year) and helping at the the Selly Oak Festival (30th June 2012). If you would like to become a committee member contact chair @ friendsofsellyoakpark.org.uk. We would also value casual help with any of the following. Delivering leaflets, Stewarding at Selly Oak Festival, Conservation work in park - again contact us at the e-mail above.

Selly Oak Festival 2012

The 2012 Selly Oak Festival will take place in June. If you would like a stall or would like to help out with the festival in any other way send a message to festival@friendsofsellyoakpark.org.uk.

Annual General Meeting - 18th September 2011

All who live in the Selly Oak area, use the Park or have a connection with it are invited to attend our AGM in the Scout Hut, Gibbins Road, at 3pm on Sunday 18th September.

Latest play equipment

We are pleased to introduce this basket ball chute as our latest item of play equipment. If you've not been down to the park in a while why not come and try out our new climbing frame and zip wire too!

Selly Oak Festival 2011

The Friends of Selly Oak Park would like to extend a big "thank you" to all who came to the Selly Oak Festival, and to the stall-holders for making the event such a great success: Ariel Scouts, Friends of the Earth, St Mary's School, Tiverton School, Harborne Lane Allotments, Here 4 Animals, St Mary's Church, History Corner, Liberal Democrats, Christian Life Centre, RSPCA, Blue Cross Animal Centre, Labour Party, Vineyard Church, Stonehouse Gang, Kurdish Education Centre, Lapal Canal Trust, Hands off Bournville School, Water Mill School, Northfield Manor School. Special thanks to Councillor Dave Radcliffe for refereeing our football tournament. Thanks also to the following organisations for their support: Birmingham City Council, Quadron, Robert Wilkinson's Funfair, British Red Cross (First Aid), and West Midland's Police. Finally thanks to our paid acts, Bloco Louco Samba Band and Black Mountains Falconry of Wales.

Selly Oak Festival, Sat 18th June 10am-2:30pm

Free entry to Festival
Junior Football Tournament 10am
Falconry Display 11:30am
Samba Band 12 noon to 2pm
Falconry Display 2pm
Stalls open 10am-2:30pm

Bring a completed Nature Trail Quiz to claim a child's gift.

Something to look forward to:

Zip down to the Park

Zip down to the Park and try out the new Zip wire and climbing frame during the rest of the school holiday.

When you have had a go, please come back to this website and tell us what you think about the activity zone - fill in the play equipment survey (see the bar on the right).

Tell your friends about it too,

... get them to have a go,

... and complete the survey.

Please help us

If you see anyone vandalising the Park and damaging any of the facilities and features there please let us know. Use the phone the number (0121 454 7810) that is given on the notice by the Park Lodge in Gibbins Road, or call the police on 0845 113 5000. If the vandalism is extreme and in progress or if you are concerned for anyone's safety call 999.

Thank you.

Something to do at Easter

Why not take a stroll around Selly Oak Park and see how many interesting items of the new Nature, Art and History Trail you can spot. There are 17 - but can you find them all? Its an attractive oasis in a busy city - see the pictures in the gallery above.

Or you could try the new zip wire and climbing frame.

You could even fly your kite.

Nature Trail Launched

A Friends of Selly Oak Park committee member
quizzes wood carver Graham over his design for
the welcome post. 

Friday 11th March 2011 was a special day for Selly Oak Park as it saw the launch of our new Nature Trail. You may have seen various items of art work springing up in the park in the last few weeks. Well with two additional carvings and one bench completed on Friday we finally launched the trail. Councillor Wright declared the trail open after speeches from Neighbourhood Manager Tracey Hewitt and members of the Friends committee. This was then followed by a tour of the trail. We were joined by Children form St Mary's School, the three artists who have worked on the trail, members of the Lapal Canal Trust, Birmingham Trees for Life (who planted 9 new trees to celebrate the event), members of the original park keepers family and several senior staff from Birmingham City Council. All agreed that the trail is a major assets to the park and the neighbourhood.

Its happened again!

What's going on in Selly Oak Park? Every time you blink another sculpture appears. This log settee is the latest arrival. I wonder what's next?

Nature Trail Launch - 11th March

Over the past few weeks and months you may have noticed different features appearing in the Park - the Cyril Squirrel willow sculpture, wood carvings, seats, finger posts, plaques, interpretation boards. These are all part of a Nature / Art / History Trail which has been co-ordinated by Tracey Hewitt our Neighbourhood Manager, with much support from the Friends of Selly Oak Park. The nature Trail is now nearly complete and will be offically launched on 11th March 2011.

P.S. A date for your diary - the Selly Oak Festival, in the Park, is being planned for 18th June 2011. We already have attractions booked. Please contact us (details on the right) if you wish to participate with a stall or similar.

Willow sculpture installed




Park historian (Ken Pugh, Right) works with
designer Bob Green (left) while Tracey Hewitt (centre)
 takes a short break.

 

Wednesday 9th February was a great day for the park and for the Friends as this was the day when we installed our willow sculpture. The sculpture, which depicts a squirrel, was designed by Bob Green and installed by Bob with the help of two groups of children from St Mary's School and members of the Friends of the park. We were also greatly assisted by the Park Keeper, Derick, and by the Neighbourhood manager for Selly Oak St Mary's, Tracey Hewitt.

 



A pupil from St Mary's School
helps weave willow.



The willow squirrel is part of the nature trail that Tracey has been championing in the park and represents an excellent natural play feature with its tunnels and hide aways. In time the willow rods will take root to provide a green canopy in the summer. New shoots will be worked back into the structure.

New benches

We are very pleased that five new benches have been installed in the park. Three of these were paid for by the Friends (using money given in sponsorship by Robert Wilkinson's Fun Fair) and two by a grant from the City's Community Chest scheme.

Selly Oak Festival 18th June 2011

We will be hosting the 2011 Selly Oak Festival on 18th June 2011. This will include a junior (8-11yr, 5-a-side) football tournament. To request a stall or enter a team please e-mail festival@friendsofsellyoakpark.org.uk

Welcome Post



New welcome post



Oak leaf motif



A new welcome post has been installed at the Harborne Lane / Gibbins Rd entrance to the park. Carved from solid wood the post depicts a canal boat approaching a bridge. This image was chosen because the park is bordered by the old Dudley No. 2 (Lapal) canal and the post is close to the site of Harborne Wharf (now occupied by the Scout Hut). The post, which was paid for in part by the Lapal Canal Trust, is part of our Nature and History trail. It is matched with a similar welcome post depicting a woodpecker which sits at the top of the Gibbins Rd frontage. Both posts feature an oak leaf motif on their reverse sides to represent Selly Oak.



Woodpecker post



We expect the Nature / History trail to be completed in mid March. The trail itself is funded by Birmingham City Council and Grassroots. Nature items will include a story telling bench with bird carvings designed by children at St Mary's School, a signpost indicating natural features of the world, a willow sculpture, the Millennium wood, and signs relating to park wildlife and habitat. History items will include the park keepers lodge and the first park keeper, the donors of the park; Mrs Gibbins and her sons, Weoley Park Farm and the Lapal Canal.

Memories?

Do you have connections with, or memories of, Selly Oak Park?

• What are your first memories of the Park?
• When did those events take place?
• How have things changed?
• Have you got photographs of the Park in days gone by?

Would you be willing to share memories and photographs with us?

The Friends of Selly Oak Park would be delighted to hear from you. You can comment or post a reply here or, if you would prefer, you can send an email to: history@friendsofsellyoakpark.org.uk.