COMMUNITY GARDEN FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS OPENS IN BARTLEY GREEN

A brand-new community food growing space and Green Gym has opened for locals in Bartley Green, thanks to funding from Mondelēz International, as part of its Health for Life® programme

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

The new space, which opened on Thursday 13 April, is located at Milebrook Community Centre, giving local residents the chance to take part in free-of-charge outdoor Green Gym sessions, a feature of the Health for Life initiative delivered by The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) and funded by Mondelēz International. The sessions encourage participants to be active outdoors and grow their own fruit and vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes.

The transformed green space offers the Bartley Green community the scope to enjoy social interaction, whilst getting involved in hands-on horticultural activity and learning new skills in an outdoor and natural environment, which aims to benefit the health and wellbeing of participants.

This is the fifth Health for Life community food growing site now being managed by TCV in the heart of Birmingham and follows the launch of a similar space at Rowheath Pavilion in Bournville in 2021. The Milebrook Community Centre Green Gym sessions will be held every Thursday between 10am – 12pm, running alongside the popular weekly coffee morning at the centre.

Ahead of the launch, nine Mondelēz International employees have spent time volunteering at the space to help build raised beds for fruit and vegetables, as well as creating a polytunnel – the first of its kind within the Health for Life Green Gym locations in Birmingham.

The Health for Life initiative aims to promote active and healthy lifestyles to people of all ages and abilities, working through schools and in the local community, enabling participants to increase physical exercise, learn more about eating healthily and inspiring them to grow their own fresh produce whether in a community space or at home.

Kelly Farrell, community affairs manager at Mondelēz International, commented: “Promoting sustainable changes which lead to a healthier lifestyle is what our Health for Life programme is all about, so we’re delighted that Bartley Green’s new community food growing space is officially open.

“The Green Gym provides residents with the weekly opportunity to meet like-minded people, embrace nature in a green space whilst having the chance to grow their own food. We hope the local community enjoy the new location!”

Kerry Brewer, manager at Milebrook Community Centre, added: “Supporting the health and wellbeing of our local residents is at the forefront of everything we do at Milebrook Community Centre, so we’re delighted to have a Green Gym space on-site. We’re really excited to introduce the new space to our regular visitors and also look forward to welcoming new faces as part of the Green Gym sessions every Thursday morning.”

TCV offers a range of activities through Mondelēz International’s Health for Life programme to individuals and community groups across South Birmingham – including Bartley Green, Northfield, West Heath, Edgbaston and Bournville.

For more information on Mondelēz International, please visit www.mondelezinternational.com, and to find your local Green Gym, head to www.tcv.org.uk/greengym/.

Contact

For all press enquiries, please contact Mondelez@rewiredpr.com, or:

Notes to Editors

About Mondelēz International

Mondelēz International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MDLZ) empowers people to snack right in over 150 countries around the world. With 2021 net revenues of approximately $29 billion, MDLZ is leading the future of snacking with iconic global and local brands such as Oreo, belVita and LU biscuits; Cadbury Dairy Milk, Milka and Toblerone chocolate; Sour Patch Kids candy and Trident gum. Mondelēz International is a proud member of the Standard and Poor’s 500, Nasdaq 100 and Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Visit www.mondelezinternational.com or follow the company on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MDLZ.

About Health for Life

  • Health for Life is an evidence-based programme supporting children and adults in Birmingham to live healthier lifestyles by engaging people in growing food, physical activity, healthy eating and cookery.
  • Health for Life is funded by Mondelēz International, with an investment £4.6 million to date, and delivered in schools by Services For Education and in the community by The Conservation Volunteers.
  • Since 2011, Health for Life has engaged 211 Birmingham schools comprising 167 primary, 26 nursery and 18 secondary schools benefitting 73,560 pupils. It has also reached more than 168,300 adults in the city including teachers, parents and community members.
  • Over 1260 Mondelēz International employee volunteers have given practical support to programme schools and community spaces.
  • Health for Life has developed 18 community food growing spaces and continues to deliver Green Gym activities in five of these location.
  • The programme has received national acclaim with Mondelēz International winning the Food and Drinks Federation Health and Wellbeing Award in 2013 and Business in the Community’s ‘Big Tick’ 2014, in the Building Stronger Communities category, for the Health for Life in primary schools programme. Both the Health for Life show garden and separate schools’ wheelbarrow displays won ‘best in show’ awards at BBC Gardeners’ World in 2016.

About The Conservation Volunteers (TCV)

TCV is the delivery partner for Health for Life in the community. Every day TCV works across the UK to create healthier and happier communities for everyone - communities where its activities have a lasting impact on people’s health, prospects and outdoor places. TCV does this by bringing people together to create, improve and care for green spaces. From local parks and community gardens to Local Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest; from school grounds and hospital grounds to waterways, wetlands and woodlands; connecting people to the green spaces that form a vital part of any healthy, happy community. As part of Health for Life in the community, TCV delivers Green Gym sessions which help people get active outdoors, improving their environment and growing their own fruit and vegetables for a healthier lifestyle.

For more information visit http://www.tcv.org.uk/midlands/health-for-life.

Follow us on https://twitter.com/TCV_Birmingham or https://www.facebook.com/HealthForLifeInTheCommunity.