Author: caldmorecommunitygarden

A Little Piece of Me for the Whole of Us – free art workshops with Tina Hofman

caldmorecommunitygarden Leave a comment

Yam From Here: Migration and the Making of the Black Country

Step into an inspiring world of stories, games and shared experiences in this free three part workshop series

To book please click the link or scan QR code below:

Register on Eventbrite

Step into an inspiring world of stories, games, and shared experiences with multidisciplinary artist Tina Hofman – performer, director, researcher, and co-founder of Notnow Collective and the Migrants in Theatre network. Born in former Yugoslavia, Tina’s work is rooted in movement and storytelling foregrounding questions of memory, chaos and fantasy, care, and migrancy.

Across three playful and immersive workshops, participants will explore themes of Home, Journeys, and Community. Guided by Tina’s signature approach – from participatory performance, dynamic storytelling, sensory experiences, and multilingual games – each session is an invitation to connect, create, and reflect together.

The workshops will culminate in the Tile Shifting Mural – a collective artwork built tile-by-tile, each representing personal identity, memories, and ideas related to the Yam from Here project. Through visual design and short audio descriptions, the mural becomes a shared space for dialogue, inclusivity, and discovery.

Expect laughter, learning, and a celebration of diverse voices. Whether through games, choral storytelling, or creative making, you’ll contribute “a little piece of me for the whole of us” – leaving with not just art, but a stronger sense of community.

Find out more: tinahofman.org | @hofmanica | notnowcollective.com

Delivered by the European’s Welfare Association

Funded by Heritage Lottery Fund

What?

A free workshop series exploring Home. Journeys and Community in the Black Country hosted by theatre-maker Tina Hofman.

From storytelling, performance-art and tile-making, each session is an invitation to connect, create and reflect together.

When?

September 6th                  2.30-6.30pm

September 19th               6pm – 9pm

October 11th                      2.30pm – 6.30pm

Where?

Caldmore Community Garden

12 Careless St

Walsall, WS1 3RH

Caldmore Community Garden Receives A Green Flag Community Award For The Seventh Year Running

caldmorecommunitygarden Leave a comment

Walsall garden raises the Green Flag for seventh year running

A much-loved community garden in the heart of Walsall is celebrating once more after receiving national recognition for the seventh year in a row.

Caldmore Community Garden has again been awarded a Green Flag Community Award, recognising the continued dedication of local residents in creating and maintaining one of the country’s best community-managed green spaces.

The award, run by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, sets the benchmark for publicly accessible parks and green spaces across the UK. It celebrates well-managed spaces that bring people together, support biodiversity, and provide vital opportunities for health and wellbeing.

Established in 2011 on a once-derelict piece of land owned by Midlands landlord whg, the garden is managed by Caldmore Village Festival Group and supported by Walsall Council. It has grown into a vibrant community hub where people can come together to grow food, connect with others and enjoy the outdoors.

The award comes just months after the garden’s long-term future was secured, thanks to a lease extension jointly agreed between whg and Caldmore Village Festival Group. The longer lease provides stability for the group and will support their ambitions to attract additional funding and expand the activities on offer for local residents.

Mohammed Arif, Chair of the Caldmore Village Festival Group Board, said:
“The Green Flag recognition is a fantastic way to showcase our community garden and the house. On behalf of the Caldmore Village Festival Board, I would like to thank Walsall Council and whg for their continued support, and our staff and volunteers for their tireless efforts to maintain and improve this space.

“We are very fortunate to have had Walsall Council and whg as our core partners from day one. Their support has made a huge difference in helping us attract funding for activities that benefit the diverse community we serve, alongside the dedication of our staff and volunteers.”

Sarah Clarke, Director of Housing and Customer Service at whg, said:
“Caldmore Village Festival Group have created something really special. Their commitment and creativity have transformed the garden into a safe, welcoming space that strengthens community bonds and supports wellbeing, and the Green Flag award is a deserved reflection of these achievements.”

Cllr Adrian Andrew, Deputy Leader of Walsall Council, said:
“The commitment of the local community and the Caldmore Village Board to this project has been incredible, creating an oasis of green and tranquillity in the middle of the urban sprawl. Green Flag recognition is a reflection of the hard work that has gone into the garden, and my congratulations go to all involved.”

Caldmore Community Garden is open to all free of charge.

Pictured (L to R): Sarah Clarke, Steve Breeze, David Lawrence, Anna Webster, Mohamed Arif, Estelle Fisher and Cllr Adrian Andrew celebrate by raising the flag.

Growing Multicultural Crops – Gardening and Cooking Workshop with Garden Organic – 2nd September 12-3pm

caldmorecommunitygarden Leave a comment

Tired of turnips? Bored of broad beans? There are many reasons to diversify what you are growing such as preparing for a more unpredictable climate or finding out about different cultures but most of all it’s a lot of fun!

In this workshop we will introduce you to foods from a wide range of cultures with tips on how to grow them including dudi (gourds), lemongrass, tarro, calalloo and turmeric. We will also take some herb cuttings.

There will be plenty of practical work so that you have a plant to take home, and we will also make dudhi halva so that you have something tasty to try.

About Garden Organic
Garden Organic is the national charity for organic growing. We have been around since 1958 and have over 20 000 members. Our goal is simple – to get people growing organically. We do this in lots of ways:
• Working with communities providing them with support in their growing
• Providing horticultural advice to gardeners
• Campaigning on topical issues such as the use of peat or pesticides
• Preserving traditional and heirloom varieties in our Heritage Seed Library
• Researching into organic gardening techniques

We also have an organic demonstration garden at Ryton on Dunsmore just outside Coventry, where you can book onto to tours and workshops. For further information visit: www.gardenorganic.org.uk

The workshop is free and funded through the National Lottery Community Fund.

Please book in advance by e-mailing caldmoregarden@gmail.com or Text / Whatsapp Anna on 07871813252. Please let us know if you have any food allergies.

What’s on this Summer at Caldmore Community Garden?

caldmorecommunitygarden Leave a comment

From tomorrow our summer holiday activities start in the garden!

Summer Holiday Activities at the Garden

FREE

Children must be accompanied by adults. 

Thurs 24th July 

Tots – older siblings welcome

Fri 25th July

Games day

Sat 26th July

Garden Saturday: Pond-dipping with Froglife

Follow this link to register:

https://forms.gle/DbB1AyF8c7DjU8UD8

Weeks starting 28th July and 4th August 

HAF play scheme

2nd August

Garden Saturday: Campfire

9th August

Garden Saturday: Kitchen Sink Science 

Join Fiona and Albert to investigate the properties of ice. Learn how to pick up a block of ice with a piece of string and cut a block of ice with out using a knife! Make an ice rainbow and create glowing spinach.

Wed 13th August 

Friction Science

Join Fiona and Albert to discover the importance of friction in everyday life. Investigate ways of reducing friction. Make a friction ramp using an empty shoebox (if possible please bring your own shoebox).

Thurs 14th August 

Open Tots – older siblings welcome

Fri 15th August 

Bubble day 

Sat 16th August

Garden Saturday: Making summer resin necklaces

Wed 20th August  

Magnetic Science

Join Fiona and Albert to investigate magnetism. Discover what materials are magnetic. Use magnetism to make a compass. Make a magnetic fluid and use a magnet to build a tower of metal nuts.

Thurs 21st August 

Open Tots – older siblings welcome

Fri 22nd August 

Sports and Games day

 23rd August – 29th August

Garden closed

Circus Garden Party at Caldmore Community Garden on Saturday 19th July 2025

caldmorecommunitygarden Leave a comment

🎪🌞 Roll up, roll up… the Circus is coming to the Garden! 🌞🎪

Join us at Caldmore Community Garden on Saturday 19th July for a Circus Garden Party to kick off the summer holidays in style! 🎉

🕛 12PM – 4PM | FREE ENTRY | Fun for all ages!

🎶 12–1PM – Circus-themed songs with B’Opera!
Enjoy a joyful, circus-themed live music concert the whole family will love.

🎭 1.30PM – Dazzling Circus Show by Kids Circus Workshops!
Sit back and be amazed by a playful performance full of fun!

🎪 2PM – Circus Skills Workshop!
Ever wanted to learn some circus skills? Now’s your chance to join in and learn from the pros!

🎨 Plus all afternoon:
✨ Arts & Crafts
🎟️ Tombola
☕ Café with homemade cakes and refreshments

🎈 Bring the whole family for an afternoon of laughter, creativity, and community fun in the beautiful garden setting.

With support from National Lottery Community Fund, Black Country Touring and Youth Music, thank you for making this event possible!

CircusGardenParty #FamilyFun #CaldmoreEvents #SummerAtTheGarden #FreeFamilyDayOut #caldmorecommunitygarden #Walsallfamilyfun

Easter Egg Hunt – 12th April 2025 12-4pm

caldmorecommunitygarden Leave a comment

Join us for our annual Easter Egg Hunt Event this April at Caldmore Community Garden.

– 12:30pm and 3pm- Easter Egg Hunt for children aged 1-4 years old.

Little ones must be accompanied by a grown- up, no older siblings allowed in the tots area. Please don’t be late!

– 1pm to 3pm- Easter Egg Hunt Trail for older children-

Complete an Easter Egg Trail, solve the clues and claim your chocolate egg! No need to come at a specific hour, your child can do it at any time during the event.

– 2pm – Concert by Karolina Wegrzyn – Award winning polish folk singer and Multi instrumentalist.

There will be lots of other activities, including:

🥚Easter arts and crafts

🥚 Tombola

🥚Face- painting

🥚Cakes and drinks at our community Café.

It’s a Pay as you feel event- we are a charity and need your support putting events like this for the benefit of the local community. Put some spare cash into a box or pay by card to help us bring you more activities in the future.

Growing Through Music – New Music Education Programme at Caldmore Community Garden

caldmorecommunitygarden Leave a comment

We are very excited to announce that we have received £24,199 from the Youth Music Trailblazer Fund for a new programme of music education for children at the Garden!

The project will be delivered at the Garden in partnership with the amazing B’Opera – opera for babies and young children.

The project includes:

  • the continuation of our weekly First Songs sessions every Friday 10am – 12pm;
  • four Relaxed Concerts at the Garden;
  • new after-school choir for children and their families.

Come and join us, watch your child explore the sensory world of sounds and music, and enjoy the beautiful space of Caldmore Community Garden!

Easter HAF Programme

caldmorecommunitygarden Leave a comment

Caldmore Community Garden will be running Easter HAF programme from 15th April to Friday 18th April, starting from 11AM and finishing at 3PM. The second week will be available at AAINA Hub next door.

We will be doing our own special mix of arts and crafts, science, gardening, nature exploration, forest school and outdoor play.

The programme is only available for children eligible for free school meals, so you need a code to register. To register, please visit the page below, log in, and choose Caldmore Community Garden’s Easter Play Scheme.

The link is:

https://go.walsall.gov.uk/…/holiday-activities…

Please register as soon as possible as places are on a first come first serve basis. If you are having difficulties, please contact us and we will do our best to help.

Apple Wassail at the Garden – Saturday 18th January 12-4pm

caldmorecommunitygarden Leave a comment

Join us for our Apple Wassail event on Saturday 18th January 2025, 12-2pm!

– Learn more about winter fruit tree pruning at our free workshop with gardening expert Sally Cunningham
– Share a lovely lunch with hot home-made soup and cake
– Join in with a traditional Wassail procession to bring good apple harvest in the coming year
– Enjoy Wassail and folk music by Mike Bethel and sit with us around the campfire.

The workshop is 12-2pm, with music and Wassailing starting after lunch at 2:30pm.

The event is funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority and The National Lottery Community Fund.

Here is to the bountiful New Year in the Garden!

Christmas at the Garden!

caldmorecommunitygarden Leave a comment

Mark your calendars, because Saturday the 14th of December, is set to be a day of festive cheer and community spirit! From 1-4PM, join us at Caldmore Community Garden, for Christmas at the Garden – a heartwarming event that’s guaranteed to get you into the Christmas spirit!

What to Expect?

The garden will be transformed into a festive wonderland featuring Santa’s Grotto, where you can meet Santa and his cheerful elves. Capture magical moments with the man in red himself!

Here’s what else is in store for the day:

  • Christmas with B’Opera: A truly enchanting experience for all ages! At 1PM, enjoy a Relaxed Christmas Concert, followed by carols and winter songs at 2:30PM. Let the beautiful music fill you with the joy of the season.
  • Activities Galore: From Christmas crafts to a festive tombola, there’s plenty to keep everyone entertained. Children can look forward to some special presents as well!
  • Seasonal Treats: Savour the taste of Christmas with mince pies, homemade cake, mulled apple juice and other warming hot drinks available in our cafe.

Free Entry – No Booking Required!

The event is completely FREE and open to everyone – no booking is needed, so just turn up and enjoy the festivities. Whether you’re looking for a fun day out with the family or simply want to soak in the holiday atmosphere, there’s something for everyone at Christmas at the Garden.

A Special Thank You

This magical event wouldn’t be possible without the support of The Inclusive Communities Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund. Their contribution helps us create wonderful moments that bring the community together.

So, gather your loved ones and join us for an afternoon of Christmas cheer, music, and laughter. We can’t wait to see you there!