The Ladywood Community Project has enjoyed a busy summer, bringing families together through day trips, practical support and celebrations, with the Colmore Community Working Group continuing to support its work in the local community.
From first-time visits to Birmingham Botanical Gardens to days by the seaside, the project has created opportunities for families to make memories together, while also helping local households manage the financial pressures of the school holidays and prepare for the new academic year.
Days out creating lasting memories
A trip to Birmingham Botanical Gardens brought together 44 adults and children for a day of entertainment and exploration. Families enjoyed Antz, an interactive circus production featuring acrobatics, trapeze and chair balancing, with performers encouraging the audience to get involved.
With packed lunches provided, families could enjoy a picnic before exploring the gardens and visiting the play area. Importantly, three families were visiting the Botanical Gardens for the first time, giving them the opportunity to experience somewhere new together.
The project also organised a summer trip to Weston-super-Mare, taking 69 adults and children to the seaside by coach. With packed lunches provided and six hours to enjoy the coast, families could spend the day as they wished, from building sandcastles to swimming in the sea.
Seven families were joining a trip with the project for the first time, including families who had never visited the seaside before. The day provided a valuable opportunity for parents and children to enjoy a new experience together, regardless of the heat, with temperatures reaching 32°C.
Supporting families through the school holidays
Alongside its summer activities, the project continued to address the financial pressures facing local families through its holiday hunger initiative.
Working with schools, Children’s Trust workers, benefits advisers and other charities, the project has so far supported 72 families and 186 children with supermarket vouchers. Families received vouchers worth £70 for households with one child and £100 for those with two or more children.
Referrals highlighted a range of challenges, including low incomes, debt, delayed benefits, unemployment and rising household bills. Some families had also recently moved into the area and were living in hostels without facilities to store food.
The project expects to continue providing support into September, recognising that financial pressures can persist beyond the school holidays, particularly as children return to school.
Practical help was also provided through the project’s pants and socks appeal, with donations from Whistle, BMI and Birmingham Colmore helping to provide essential items for local primary school-aged children. The donations were warmly received by parents and carers experiencing financial hardship.
Helping children start the new school year with confidence
The transition from primary to secondary school can place additional financial pressure on families, particularly when compulsory uniform items feature school logos.
Thanks to support from WPR, the project’s 2026 school uniform initiative helped 15 families, providing 24 children with new school uniforms and PE kits.
By helping children start their new schools fully equipped, the initiative aims to ensure they feel comfortable, confident and ready to settle into their new surroundings alongside their peers.
Celebrating 40 years of community support
July also marked a significant milestone for the Ladywood Community Project as it celebrated its 40th anniversary with an event at the Unitarian Church, which generously provided the venue free of charge.
Around 80 people attended, including local residents, professionals from the Children’s Trust and local charities, business contacts and both the newly appointed and recently retired councillors for Ladywood.
Guests explored displays celebrating the project’s early years, took photographs at a balloon arch and joined a planting activity, decorating pots and naming baby spider plants to take home. There were also refreshments, including samosas and homemade cakes generously baked by Sharon from Federated Homes.
A competition to name the project’s anniversary display was won by a local resident, who received a family pass for Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
The project expressed its thanks to everyone who attended, donated gifts or volunteered their time, helping to create a warm and memorable celebration of four decades of community support.
Continuing to make a difference
The summer highlights the important role the Ladywood Community Project plays in supporting local families, creating opportunities for shared experiences and helping children access the essentials they need to thrive.
Through the Colmore Community Working Group, Birmingham Colmore continues to work alongside community partners such as the Ladywood Community Project, helping connect local businesses with initiatives that make a meaningful difference to people living in the area.
