04/09/2026
Reminder that our Heritage Week event is happening on September 13. Our Bfoe Heritage volunteers will have a selection of images and objects from The Warehouse/Birmingham Friends of the Earth from the past 50 years of campaigning to make a better, greener Birmingham and to build a welcoming, inclusive community space for activists in our city. See post below for further details and to book (free) tickets.
As part of Birmingham Heritage Week we are holding another open day on Sunday September 13th, from 11-3pm. This one is to share how Birmingham Friends of the Earth retrofit our Victorian buildings to create an energy-efficient, community-owned hub for social change and to hear about some of the retrofitting work that took place in the early days of our co-op.
Birmingham Friends of the Earth got the keys to “The Warehouse”, a derelict complex of Victorian buildings including a c.1832 cottage and warehouse, in 1977. Over the ensuing decades these buildings have been eco-renovated to improve their environmental performance and to provide space for a range of groups and businesses working to build a better, fairer world.
The latest project to install a new roof with solar panels and batteries, internal wall insulation and passive provision for a future heat pump, was completed earlier this year, but the building is now under threat of demolition from the Midlands Rail Hub - ironic considering the campaigns that BFoE has run over many years for rail improvements! See our website for how you can support us in fighting this.
At this event you will be able to get a behind the scenes look at parts of the building not usually open to the public and hear the fascinating stories of both the people and campaigns that have been supported here, as well as the challenges and opportunities of retrofitting an historic building to the highest standards of energy efficiency.
Light refreshments will be available from BRIG Cafe at the Warehouse and the Digbeth Community Gardenwill also be open. Well-behaved dogs are welcome. This event is suitable for all ages.
There is step-free access to the cafe space where talks will take place. Most of the building is accessible to wheelchair users on the level or via a platform lift and there are accessible toilets available on both floors. Blue badge parking is accessible on Allison Street or in Selfridge's Car Park (exit approximately 50m from our entrance).
This event is free, but please sign up via this link: https://actionnetwork.org/events/creating-an-eco-friendly-space-for-social-change-at-the-warehouse
