Birmingham Botanical Gardens has launched a £15,000 fundraising campaign to create environmentally sustainable composting facilities at the heritage site.
The ‘Spread the Composting’ campaign will see the Grade II* listed charity in Edgbaston aiming to raise more than £86,000 through grants and support from environmental organisations – and it is hoping its visitors, members and supports will be able to top up the funding to take it to the £101,000 needed for the scheme.
Elizabeth Frostick, Development Director at the Gardens, said: “An effective composting process is pivotal to our ability to sustain a varied ecosystem of plants, and soil biodiversity is key to our success.
“Our composting redevelopment project will replace the existing 60-year-old structure with a new facility that can process 200m3 of green waste per year, reducing our operating costs by £15,000 a year.
“We will begin the project as soon as we have the funding in place, with the aim of completing it in spring 2023.”
She said if supporters were able to raise £15,000 now, it could secure an additional environmental grant of £40,000.
“Compost is a vital ingredient for gardens and as the current guardians of this beautiful space, we know how valuable it is to help our thousands of plants to thrive every year,” said Elizabeth.
“It not only helps us to dispose of green waste, it conditions the soil and improves its fertility, helping our varied living collections to thrive.”
As a charity, the Gardens, which is home to four Victorian glasshouses, receives no regular public funding. Instead, it relies on the generosity of public donations, grants and income it can generate through admissions, memberships, retail, weddings and events.
Set within a Conservation Area, it is a 15-acre oasis just one mile from the city centre and has more than 7,000 formally documented plants, with the largest and most diverse botanic collection in central England.
It also provides a unique educational resource and welcomes visits from nurseries up to colleges, as well as uniformed groups and adult learners.
The Gardens, which welcomed the Queen’s Baton Relay as part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games build up, has set up a JustGiving page. Donations can also be made via its website, by post or in person.
