A brand-new community food growing space and Green Gym has opened for locals in Bartley Green, thanks to funding from Mondelēz International, as part of its Health for Life® programme.

The new space, which opened on Thursday 13 April, is located at Milebrook Community Centre, giving local residents the chance to take part in free-of-charge outdoor Green Gym sessions, a feature of the Health for Life initiative delivered by The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) and funded by Mondelēz International. The sessions encourage participants to be active outdoors and grow their own fruit and vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes.

The transformed green space offers the Bartley Green community the scope to enjoy social interaction, whilst getting involved in hands-on horticultural activity and learning new skills in an outdoor and natural environment, which aims to benefit the health and wellbeing of participants.

This is the fifth Health for Life community food growing site now being managed by TCV in the heart of Birmingham and follows the launch of a similar space at Rowheath Pavilion in Bournville in 2021. The Milebrook Community Centre Green Gym sessions will be held every Thursday between 10am – 12pm, running alongside the popular weekly coffee morning at the centre.  

Ahead of the launch, nine Mondelēz International employees have spent time volunteering at the space to help build raised beds for fruit and vegetables, as well as creating a polytunnel – the first of its kind within the Health for Life  Green Gym locations in Birmingham.

The Health for Life initiative aims to promote active and healthy lifestyles to people of all ages and abilities, working through schools and in the local community, enabling participants to increase physical exercise, learn more about eating healthily and inspiring them to grow their own fresh produce whether in a community space or at home.

Kelly Farrell, community affairs manager at Mondelēz International, commented: “Promoting sustainable changes which lead to a healthier lifestyle is what our Health for Life programme is all about, so we’re delighted that Bartley Green’s new community food growing space is officially open.

“The Green Gym provides residents with the weekly opportunity to meet like-minded people, embrace nature in a green space whilst having the chance to grow their own food. We hope the local community enjoy the new location!”

Kerry Brewer, manager at Milebrook Community Centre, added: “Supporting the health and wellbeing of our local residents is at the forefront of everything we do at Milebrook Community Centre, so we’re delighted to have a Green Gym space on-site. We’re really excited to introduce the new space to our regular visitors and also look forward to welcoming new faces as part of the Green Gym sessions every Thursday morning.”

TCV offers a range of activities through Mondelēz International’s Health for Life programme to individuals and community groups across South Birmingham – including Bartley Green, Northfield, West Heath, Edgbaston and Bournville.

For more information on Mondelēz International, please visit www.mondelezinternational.com, and to find your local Green Gym, head to www.tcv.org.uk/greengym/.