Local Interest: Rowheath & Rowheath Farm

An undated picture postcard of ‘A CORNER OF THE RECREATION GROUNDS
AT ROWHEATH, BOURNVILLE’. Probably dating from the 1930s or 1940s.

Today, Rowheath is a community-based organisation set around Rowheath Pavilion Church. At the centre is the Rowheath Pavilion building surrounded by green space and sports facilities, opened in July 1924. Before the area around became built up, Rowheath was a piece of farmland between Rowheath Farm, the farm building situated on Oak Farm Road, and Haygreen Farm, on Haygreen Lane. The Rowheath land had an old public footway running north-east through it, which later became Heath Road, and another …

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School Resources: Local Place Names

Roman roads of Britain.

Place names can tell us a lot about the history of where we live. They can tell us what a place looked like in the past, how it was used, who lived there, or important events which happened there. Place names can reveal layers of history going back hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Many permanent landmarks, such as rivers or hills or have Celtic names, and help us to understand that although our landscape changes, the land we walk on has been walked on for generations. Place names help to bring the past to life.…

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School Resources: Create a Museum

One of the first museums.

This is a great activity for learning historical skills and heritage processes, which can also support literacy and art. It’s designed to spark creativity and encourage curiosity about the past and the objects held by museums.

Tees Valley Museums have created a “Museum in Your Classroom” toolkit to support schools. It includes inspiration, templates, resources and case studies to spark the imagination.

This activity can focus on a visit to a local museum, or children recalling a museum that they have visited with family. Children can be asked to remember …

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Meet our Volunteer Coordinator! Jen

Jen joined Friends of Stirchley Library in December 2023 as FOSL’s Volunteer Coordinator. Here she explains more about her role and what Stirchley Library means to her…

How are you involved with Friends of Stirchley Library?

I’m the volunteer and community coordinator appointed in December 2023. My role includes training and supporting the volunteers, and engaging with the broader Stirchley community. I’ll also be chatting to local schools and community groups about what they’d like from their local library, and encouraging some interesting book-related activities.

What does the library mean to you?

Growing up locally, Stirchley Library was somewhere me …

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We got funding!

We’ve very pleased to announce that we’ve successfully secured funding from The National Lottery Community Fund to recruit a new Volunteer Coordinator! Jen Dixon has recently taken up the post, and over the coming months will be managing our volunteer network and working with local groups and organisations to deliver activities for the community. If you are interested in becoming involved in volunteering, or have ideas for community events and activities at the library please get in touch with Jen.

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