Help Build the Green Barn!

Aim

Help build the Green Barn: an all-weather community space for learning, wellbeing, nature and events at Edgbaston Reservoir.

Help Us Raise £50,000 to Build the Green Barn!

About Us

Birmingham Settlement is a charity dedicated to tackling social disadvantage and creating opportunities for people facing financial hardship, social isolation, poor health, and other barriers to participation. 

Established in 1899, Birmingham Settlement was founded by social reformers inspired by the Settlement Movement, which sought to tackle poverty and inequality by bringing people together to improve social conditions and create opportunities for disadvantaged communities. More than 125 years later, we continue this mission by supporting people facing financial hardship, social isolation, poor health, and other barriers to opportunity and wellbeing.

The Nature & Wellbeing Centre at Edgbaston Reservoir 

As part of our mission, we own and manage a three-acre playing field at Edgbaston Reservoir, a designated Local Nature Reserve (LNR) and Site of Importance for Nature Conservation, located just a short distance from Birmingham city centre. 

For decades, the site was largely abandoned, inaccessible and associated with antisocial behaviour, with no public facilities or infrastructure to support community use.

Since 2018, Birmingham Settlement has led a phased programme of investment to transform the site into the Nature and Wellbeing Centre, creating accessible facilities, learning spaces, community green spaces, and opportunities for people to connect with nature, improve wellbeing, and take part in environmental learning and community activities.

Having successfully delivered the previous phases of development and with increased demand for our spaces and a thriving community, the time is now right to complete the final stage of development.

Introducing The Green Barn

The aim of the Green Barn project is to complete the final phase of Birmingham Settlement’s Nature and Wellbeing Centre at Edgbaston Reservoir.

 Over the past seven years, we have transformed a previously derelict and inaccessible playing field into a thriving community space that supports wellbeing, environmental learning, creativity and connection to nature.

The Green Barn is the 'final piece of the jigsaw' - enabling us to fully realise the full potential of the Nature and Wellbeing Centre.

Why it is Needed

At present, the lack of permanent covered space significantly limits activity at the Nature and Wellbeing Centre during the winter months, periods of heavy rain, and increasingly during extreme heat. The Green Barn will provide a permanent, all-weather covered activity space, enabling the site to be used safely, comfortably and consistently throughout the year.

We are also constrained by the capacity and unsuitability of our existing facilities as community demand grows. The Red Shed, which serves as the site's community café and meeting space is increasingly overcrowded and has very limited capacity for workshops, events and larger group activities. 

It is frequently required to double as an activity space during poor weather, restricting its ability to function fully as a community café and social space as intended. The Green Barn will relieve this pressure, allowing the Red Shed to better fulfil its intended purpose while significantly increasing the site's overall capacity. 

Our two geodesic domes are very hot in summer months and are there being predominantly repurposed for growing. Again, this limits spaces for community use.

Demand for using the site continues to increase from local residents, schools, community groups, charities and businesses. We regularly receive enquiries that we are currently unable to accommodate due to capacity constraints, limited all-weather provision and the absence of a suitable larger covered space. The Green Barn will enable us to respond to this demand, supporting greater community use while generating income that can be reinvested into maintaining and developing the site.

The Solution 

The new space will support a wider range of community activities, school visits, wellbeing programmes, environmental education, arts and cultural events, overnight camping and large-scale gatherings such as our Neighbourhood Futures Festival. 

It will also address the growing need for shade and shelter as our climate changes, making the site more accessible, resilient and inclusive for everyone, particularly children, older people and those with health conditions or additional support needs and vulnerable groups. 

The Plans

We have planning permission in place, architects plans drawn up and we just need the funding to make it happen.

We are seeking to raise £50,000 through this Crowdfunder towards the construction of the Green Barn, the final phase of development at Birmingham Settlement's Nature and Wellbeing Centre.

This appeal forms part of a wider funding package to complete the project. We have already secured £111,000 through the Pride in Place Fund and are actively pursuing additional support from charitable trusts and foundations, social investment opportunities, fundraising events, corporate partners and our own charitable reserves.

There are 8 reward types available, but there is no requirement to select a reward - please donate what you wish - we are grateful for every donation large and small.

 Thank you

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 17th September 2026 at 10:46am