Follow and comment on our work on the Manor Farm Park account. Use hashtags – #manorfarmpark, #cadburybarntrust, #friendsofmanorfarmpark
Find our events and updates posted on the Manor Farm Park and B31 Voices Community Chat pages.
Our purpose
Campaigning to bring back amenities to Manor Farm Park, and to promote activities improving health and wellbeing.
Website updates
We will update and relaunch our website soon. In the meantime, we continue to provide activities for people of all ages in our beautiful park. The events tab and our social media is the best place to find out what's happening in Manor Farm Park.
Our background
Manor Farm Park and
its Cadbury heritage
Manor Farm Park in Northfield, Birmingham comprises 50 acres of parkland including woods, ornamental trees, streams, a lake and varied terrain and natural features as well as geological features, and evidence of historic agricultural land use, and ancient hedgerows.
The park was donated in trust to Birmingham City Council in George Cadbury’s will and passed to the Council on the death of his widow Dame Elizabeth Cadbury. This included the Cadbury Barn which had been built by the couple in 1895 to provide refreshments for visitors in particular those from the inner city who were invited to enjoy “a day in the country”. The site was also used for the training of members of the Friends Ambulance Unit during World War 2, which was entirely in line with George Cadbury’s philanthropy and ethos.
Click here to read more about the Cadbury legacy.
The Cadbury Barn Trust charity
The Cadbury Barn Trust was established in 2020 following several years of discussions between a Stakeholder Group of interested parties and Birmingham City Council about how facilities for park users could be provided at the main entrance to Manor Farm Park. It is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registration number 1190666.
A number of consultations over the years confirm that people want refreshments, toilets and community space to facilitate a range of activities based in the park. Originally we planned to provide these by restoring and repurposing the Cadbury Barn.
Loss of the Cadbury Barn
Sadly arsonists destroyed the Barn in 2017 but the Stakeholder group agreed that their aim remained, to provide refreshment and toilet facilities appropriate to the modern day needs and desires of park users and the local community. The Cadbury Barn Trust was established to move forwards and find an alternative approach to meeting those needs.
Our plans
The Council holds a sum of money for community use in the park. We are in discussions with officers and councillors about the future use of the existing buildings, and the best way to deploy these funds for the benefit of the community. This led to the rectent public consultation which is now closed, but you can still
click here for more details of the proposals.
We have exciting plans to build new refreshment and welfare facilities, community space and other amenities including toilets in Manor Farm Park to enhance the health and social welfare of park users and the wider community.
Initially we are trying to secure temporary buildings to provide toilets, refreshments, storage and possibly meeting space during limited hours only.
Longer term, through a combination of demolition, refurbishment and new build, we aim to have a purpose-built community centre that provides an attractive and comfortable venue for social, sporting, and cultural events. Click here to go to our Site Design page for more details.
The park is tremendously valued by the community of the surrounding areas, and heavily used for walking and recreation. Park users have told us they are eagerly looking for the sort of improvements we have in mind.
We are also partnering with the Birmingham School of Bell Ringers who are looking to take on the Lodge and create an iconic new Bell Tower at the entrance.
News & Updates
Summer 2025
Summer
The Trust is putting together a programme for the summer holidays and this will be featured on the website and our social media platforms. Find out more on our events page.
We are recruiting an Activities Co-ordinator who will oversee the programme and be in the park for activities so that we can continue to provide opportunities for physical activity, enjoying and understanding nature and having fun with family and friends. If you are confident, organised, flexible and able to work on your own initiative then this could be for you. To get a full description of this post, please email Anita Nicholls at cadburybarnmanager@gmail.com. Closing date 1 July 2025.
Our plans to place a container/building on the car park to provide a fully-accessible toilet, refreshments space and a dry space for activities/meetings have had recent endorsement from Birmingham City Council and we hope to be moving forward on these very soon by undertaking a drains survey with a view of laying the base for the building to go on.
Spring 2025
Spring
Our Easter programme was well attended with activities including a Forest School session by EcoBirmingham, an Arts and Crafts session by Little Red House Creative, a six-week outdoor play programme run by ROAM and an opportunity to get up close to animals courtesy of Animal Club. More than 250 people attended these events.
The Environment Agency continues to consult with residents and local groups about their proposed flood management scheme in the park and we will work with them to endeavour to manage flooding whilst protecting the park environment.
If you would like further information about any of these, send an email to cadburybarnmanager@gmail.com.
2024
Summer 2024
Environment Agency Flood Alleviation Plans could threaten three Bournville Parks. Our partners, Friends of Manor Farm Park, are seeking the views of local residents and park users on the proposals. Access the latest updates at www.friendsofmanorfarmpark.org.uk.
2023
Autumn 2023
Jubilee Gate Sculpture unveiled
Northfield Arts Forum and the Trust have installed the Jubilee Gate Sculpture at the entrance to the park.
Made from steel, the sculpture represents elements of the park, trees, streams and hill, and provides a welcome to visitors of the park. The sculpture is not coated and will age naturally, changing colour as it weathers.
The Heart of England Trust funded the project.
Older
Winter 2022
George Cadbury’s Centenary
A memorial service in Bournville this October marked George Cadbury’s death on 24 October 1922. We owe much to the vision and work of this man; of course, he developed chocolate as a major consumer item but there is much else that he left us. For example, the design of Bournville as the suburb we know today was largely down to George’s vision for simple beautiful designs and the work of his architect William Harvey Alexander who transferred it into reality. He also left part of the estate for the Manor House to Birmingham Corporation which, in 1955, become Manor Farm Park.
But, as Cadbury Trustee Peter Douglas-Osborne argues in an article for the Birmingham Post, George’s legacy probably shaped the design of modern cities across the world. The Garden City Movement was thought to have started in 1903 with the building of Letchworth in Hertfordshire. However, Peter’s research shows that the Garden City Movement drew heavily on the principles George used to build the Bournville estate which started in 1879. George was a modest man who refused a Lordship and an honorary degree from the University of Birmingham and it comes as no surprise that he did not take credit for a movement that clearly was inspired by his own work in to create our Bournville.
Summer 2022
The Trust ran its first Summer Activity Programme this year. We put on a range of activities for all ages and had over 320 attendees. Foraging, Tree Identification, Forest School sessions for under 5s, Art for Adults and Yoga were all well attended. Thanks go to the Celebrating Communities Fund that provided the funding for the sessions.
A step closer to getting a community centre in the park
Earlier in the year we responded to the Council’s consultation about the future of the Farm Buildings; there were over 300 responses, most of which were positive. We have now heard that the City Council has applied to the Charity Commission to seek a variation to the original deeds that would enable the Cadbury Barn Trust and the Birmingham School of Bell Ringing to develop the site for users of the park. We expect the Commission to reply next year.
Helping the Trust
Trustee John Stewart took over as chair from Lesley Pattenson in the summer. The Trust would like to thank Lesley for her hard work and leadership of the Trust, especially for her determination to form the Trust. Lesley remains as a Trustee. We welcome Julie Johnson-White as a Trustee. Julie has many years of experience in local government and the civil service and knows the local area very well.
Temporary container provides amenities
With the support of the Birmingham City Council Parks Department, we received planning approval to site two temporary containers in the car park.
The first, a storage container, was installed in the park in April 2022, see photos below.
We subsequently secured enough grant funding to purchase and install a second container with welfare facilities including a toilet, kitchenette and storage in order to support events in the park organised by ourselves or the
Friends of Manor Farm Park. See proposed location in red, nera the Shelter. It will not reduce parking spaces.
The Arts Council Jubilee Fund
Thanks to the adults and children who helped design, paint and decorate the new storage container alongside artists from the Northfield Arts Forum. The container is proving invaluable in saving time for volunteers from the Friends and the Cadbury Barn Trust who no longer have to carry equipment, displays and other materials from their homes when needed.
A new entrance feature for the park, 'The Jubilee Gate', was installed in late 2023.
Progress from 2020 to 2025
Since Cadbury Barn Trust was incorporated as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) in July 2020:
- Successfully applied for grants to fund holiday activities for local residents each Easter and Summer.
- Worked with Birmingham City Council on plans for temporary facilities to include a toilet, kitchenette and storage in order to support events in the park.
- Our planning application to site these two containers in the corner of the car park was successful, due to the support of local people.
- Partnered with the Birmingham School of Bell Ringing to develop site plans.
- Produced outline plans for the development and management of the site.
- Received National Lottery Awards for All funding for project management support.
- Secured a grant from the Harry Payne Trust for marketing and publicity and from the Cooke and Wolstenolme Trust towards the interim welfare container.
- Secured funds to purchase and install the interim welfare container.
- Arts Council grant to paint the containers and fund a new entrance feature, 'The Jubileee Gate', installed in 2023.
- Collaboration with the Friends of Manor Farm Park on the Heritage Trail.
- Video about the park and its history produced with Heritage Lottery funding.
- Worked with Birmingham City Council on their Public Consultation in 2022. Our request was an application to the Charities Commission requesting the variation to George Cadbury's will to allow us to lease part of the site.
- Regular contributor to Friends of Manor Farm Park Annual General Meetings.
Watch our video
Manor Farm Park Heritage Trail
The Manor Farm Park Heritage Trail has been created, thanks to a Heritage Lottery Grant.
A series of QR codes have been
sited around the park at key points and leaflets about the heritage trail have been delivered to local residents. They can also be
requested by emailing
secretary@friendsofmanorfarmpark.org.uk
Get involved
If you think you have the skills, experience, enthusiasm and time to support our project, we would love to hear from you. Roles range from Trustee of the Board to advisors, fundraisers, social media experts. We are seeking to diversify our Board, so we represent people from different ethnic backgrounds and cultures, younger people, and women. We also need people with skills in law, property or charity law, property development or building. Contact John or Anita at cadburybarnmanager@gmail.com to discuss this opportunity.
Our Board of Trustees
Trustees are drawn from the local area and include professional, business and political people with experience in finance, construction, health, heritage, social affairs and recreation.
Lesley Pattenson
Trustee, former Chair to July 2022
I retired following a career as a project manager, researcher, consultant and trainer at local, regional and national levels both within the NHS and as a free-lancer, with particular expertise in user and community engagement, equality and diversity, communications and health promotion. Alongside my career, and utilising those skills, I have been involved in establishing, developing and contributing to the running of voluntary and community groups for nearly 5 decades.
As a local resident I joined the Friends of Manor Farm Park committee in 2008 and in 2012 established a Stakeholder Group to try to secure community facilities in Manor Farm Park. I went on to chair the Cadbury Barn Trust when we established it as a CIO in 2020, but handed over to John in 2022. I remain committed to securing amenities in the park so that it can further develop and flourish as a space for pleasure and relaxation, learning, physical activity, volunteering and promotion of wellbeing.
John Stewart
Chair (from July 2022)
I have been the Chair of the Trust since mid-2022 and an active member of the stakeholder group which lead to Cadbury Barn Trust’s creation. A governance and regulation specialist in the energy industry. I was a director of several management companies and led policy teams developing industry wide codes of practice.
As a committee member of Friends of Manor Farm Park, I managed the development of the Park’s Heritage Trail.
Peter Ullathorne
Treasurer
A Birmingham University graduate and a Chartered Accountant, I have lived in the area for over 40 years. I am an experienced company director and charity Trustee, having served on the boards of national and local charities and industrial companies.
I have been involved with Manor Farm Park for many years, and have a keen interest in the heritage of the park, including its use by the Friends Ambulance Unit during the Second World War, and the social philosophy of the Cadbury family.
Peter Mayer
Evan Joanette
Trustee
I joined Cadbury Barn Trust in 2022 to support on community engagement, with a background in online outreach and social media messaging. I have over 15 years of experience in the public and private sector in the water industry dealing with regulation. For over a decade, I supported customers, many vulnerable, lending them a voice as they tried to resolve water supply, sewerage flooding or bill-related problems.
I have lived near Manor Farm Park for over 10 years and have been actively engaged with Birmingham City council’s community forums and initiatives in the area.
My vision for the park is to see the onsite facilities improved to support more community events to bring together residents from South Birmingham and beyond. I hope that Manor Farm Park could one day be a contending outdoor venue for family, music and food festivals.
Peter Douglas Osborn
Trustee
I enjoy public work, and I'm especially proud of representing Weoley Castle for 18 years on the city council. I've retired from being chairman of Shencare Community Transport, but retain board membership.
I love to fly having learned at Birmingham Airport while serving on its board. Learning about transport has been a fascination during my lifetime.
My association with George Cadbury began when I used to spend lunch breaks at the Friends of Manor Farm Park meeting house, way back in 1970. A stern bust of Mr Cadbury, who built that house, used to look down at me!
Nisha Budhia
Trustee
I am a Chartered Accountant with over 15 years of experience working with a variety of client from large listed entities to
charitable organisations.
I am local to and have enjoyed spending time in Manor Farm Park for a number of years and joined the Cadbury Barn Trust in 2024. My vision for Manor Farm Park is for it to become a vibrant community hub providing a space that enhances the quality of life for all residents, promoting wellness and an appreciation for the natural environment.
Kate Evans
Trustee
Kate is events manager with a wealth of experience in the West Midlands and beyond having worked at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, West Midlands Growth Company, Reach plc (Birmingham Post). Kate also specialises in projects in the political arena and has recently completed work for The Rt Hon. Liam Byrne MP, Labour's Environmental Campaign and Reddtich and Bromsgrove District Councils.
Kate has also run projects in the third sector for Age UK Birmingham, National Association for the Children of Alcoholics and Alzheimer's Research UK.
Having grown up in South Birmingham she is local to the park and is passionate about making nature accessible to all, particularly for children in urban areas who may not have outdoor space at home.
Matt Partridge
Anita Nicholls
Part-time Project Manager
I have been with Cadbury Barn Trust for two years as its Project Manager. I have worked in the voluntary sector for many years in management and chief executive positions and as a consultant. Much of that work was in South Birmingham so I know Manor Farm Park well and have spent enjoyable times there with my children. I am actively involved in the delivery of activities in the park for all ages ensuring they are safe and funded and meet the needs of local residents. I see the park as a place where we can spend time outdoors, learn about the natural environment, engage in physical and creative activity and have fun with family and friends. This is important to our wellbeing in a stressful world.
Our key partners
The
Friends of Manor Farm Park is a long established organisation which
helps maintain the park environment
and organise activities in the park.
Birmingham City Council's Parks' Department managers and local councillors are supportive of our plans and have worked closely with us over many years.
We also have the support of:
- Bournville Village Trust
- The Active Wellbeing Society
- Northfield Community Partnership
- Manor Farm Sports Club
- Birmingham School of Bellringers
- Friends of Bournville.
Our funders include:
Governance
Cadbury Barn Trust is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered by the Charity Commission for England and Wales, number 1190666.
Registered office 5, B29 4JX
Bankers: Unity Trust Bank plc
Contact
We would love to hear from you, whether you have questions, suggestions or offers of help.