CityPark4Brum

Birmingham is blessed with an abundance of green space, and yet the distribution of parks in the city is very unequal, and worse still, many of the most economically disadvantaged parts suffer most from a green space deficit. With a huge rise in city centre living over the last two … Read more

Levelling Up Play

In December 2024 the Government launched an inquiry entitled: Children, young people and the built environment. This inquiry is investigating how improving planning, building and urban design could improve the health and wellbeing of children, and also benefit the whole population. “It will look at how children and young people … Read more

Ready, Set… ROAM!

The summer of 2022 in Birmingham was the stuff that dreams are made of – the city came alive with sports, community events and good cheer! With over 5 million visitors coming to Birmingham to enjoy the Commonwealth Games, there was so much to do and see it was hard … Read more

Introducing…ROAM-IN

Hidden away behind Kingswood Meeting House is a secret garden where our ROAM-IN community joins together to play. And come rain or shine (or perhaps that should read come rain or mud!) the garden echoes with the joyous shouts and laughter of children exploring and enjoying nature. Our ROAM-IN sessions … Read more

Building Community Connections

Since September 2021, we have been delighted to be able to offer a free weekly outdoor playgroup for the local community. This was made possible thanks to the generous support of the National Lottery Community Fund’s ‘Local Connections Fund’. The fund was created to help small charities and community groups … Read more

You too can #LetThemRoam

One of ROAM’s objectives is to inspire parents and caregivers in other communities to give their children the freedom to roam. In the second in her blog series, ROAM’s Laura Billingham describes how she and a friend gave their own children this experience close to home in Bearwood.  A year … Read more

More than just child’s play…

It’s been almost a year since ROAM recruited our wonderful session leaders Laura and Kaleigh. In a series of blogs, Laura reflects on some of the brilliant benefits of roaming, and being a ROAM leader. ROAM sessions are full of fun but there is always so much more going on. … Read more

Do-It-Yourself Forest School!

Collection jars

In October this year, ROAM teamed up with the Friends of Cotteridge Park on a joint initiative called ‘DIY Forest School’.  Every week we’ve issued a new activity sheet for children and their adults to use in the park, relevant to the season’s treasures! Written by ROAM session leader Kaleigh, … Read more

Paralympic champion Claire Cashmore MBE is ROAM’s patron

Claire Cashmore MBE

Every self-respecting charity needs a patron right? And we are so excited to reveal that Paralympian Claire Cashmore has agreed to be ours. Claire was one of the ‘Superhumans’ featured in the London 2012 media campaign, but this year, starred somewhat less glamorously, on the BBC website training during lockdown … Read more