Grant funding is a great opportunity for businesses and organisations to start a project that they would struggle to fund with their own money. 

Grants can be given for different types of projects including education and environment led work. At Millennium Point we offer grant funding for STEM-related projects to help encourage children to pursue a career within the industry.

So what is grant funding and how could it help you?

What is grant funding?

Grant funding helps encourage companies to take risks and drive growth, through giving them the opportunity to invest in projects that may have been too risky or expensive for them to invest in themselves. 

For example, £15.5 million of the Levelling Up Fund is going to be used to restore Moseley Road Baths heritage funding. The fund will also help make it more accessible and prevent further decline. 

The baths originally opened in 1907 and have been a part of the Balsall Heath community for 115 years. This highlights the huge positive impacts grant funding can have on both organisations and buildings, as well as communities. 

To learn more about the Levelling Up Funding going into the Moseley Road Baths, visit the government website.

How does grant funding work?

Grant funding works differently depending on the funding body’s application progress. For example their could be various stages such as:

How to find the right grant funding opportunity

Applying to grants can be extremely time consuming, even when the grant may not be offering a large sum of money.

Due to this and the fact that grant funding opportunities can have low success rates, you want to make sure that you read grant guidelines carefully and understand what they’re offering so that you don’t waste your time.

What should you look out for?

When applying for grant funding opportunities, you should look out for:

Examples of criteria you may need to meet

Grants may require you to meet a number of criteria, such as:

Further research

When looking at grant funding opportunities, it’s important to further research the grant and the funding body offering it, so that you fully understand what you’re applying for and whether it meets your needs.

You can do this by:

Grant funding opportunities at Millennium Point

Every year the Millennium Point Charitable Trust provides funding to not-for-profit organisations, schools and colleges across the West Midlands combined area.

 Applicants can apply for up to £20,000 to fund their STEM-related projects, depending on whether they meet eligibility criteria.

Over the last 5 years, The Millennium Point Charitable Trust has awarded over £2,100,706 to help fund STEM-related projects. 

Visit our website today to learn more about our grant opportunities.

How has Millennium Point supported groups through their grant funding opportunities?

Millennium Point has supported a multitude of businesses in funding their STEM-related projects, helping to improve STEM teaching for children of all ages, across the West Midlands combined area. 

Below are 3 examples of not-for-profit organisations and schools Millennium Point have supported through their grant.

Birmingham Botanical Gardens 

The Millennium Point Charitable Trust’s grant opportunities allowed the Botanical Gardens to introduce their sensational science sessions that give children the opportunity to undertake science experiments they may not be able to do at school. 

This has helped to get children further involved in science and the Botanical gardens as well, helping to improve the standard of teaching within the STEM curriculum.

To learn more about how Millennium Point supported the Botanical Gardens, visit our Youtube channel today.

Ark Trindal Primary

The grant from Millennium Point’s Charitable Trust allowed Ark Trindal to bring the science curriculum to life with an outdoor teaching space, which included a science garden with a renewable energy area. This has helped the school make teaching science more fun and hands-on, enabling children to learn through sight and touch. 

Ark Trindal Primary found the grant really quick and simple to apply for and has helped the school out massively in terms of teaching and engaging students in the science curriculum.

To learn more about Ark Trindal’s project and how Millennium Point supported them, watch our short video today.

King Solomon School: Breaking barriers

The grant Millennium Point provided for King Solomon School enabled them to create their project, ‘breaking the barriers of STEM’. 

The project included building a sensory garden and utilising an old car park that was a part of their playground and turning it into a safe, quiet and peaceful area where children can engage with outdoor learning.

The grant has allowed the school to develop areas for children to engage in science lessons in a physical way, while bringing the community of parents and grandparents together through them donating plants to the schools sensory garden.

To learn more about King Solomon School’s breaking the barriers of STEM project, visit our YouTube channel today.

You can learn more about other organisations Millennium Point’s grant funding has supported on our website.

Get in touch with Millennium Point today!

Here at Millennium Point we want to support as many people and children as possible and encourage them to pursue further education and careers within the STEM industries, highlighting why we started our grant funding opportunities.

To discover more about whether Millennium Point’s Charitable Trust grant can help you, get in touch today!

Bursaries and scholarships are both great ways to support students financially while they’re at university, however bursaries and scholarships are often confused as being the same thing.

Both scholarships and bursaries are given out to help students financially without the need for them to pay them back.

This blog will explore the difference between a scholarship and a bursary and how you can make the most of them.

What’s a scholarship? 

Scholarships usually come from independent third parties and universities to help students accelerate their education by offering financial aid. They often place focus on academic excellence. 

Eligibility may include: 

What’s a bursary? 

Bursaries are usually offered to those with financial needs to help cover education costs or one off payments to help with living costs.

Criteria students need to meet to receive a bursary:

Despite this criteria, some bursaries may not be available to:

Tips on applying for a scholarship or bursary

Applying for a scholarship or bursary can be very stressful, as you want to get everything right. But with these 7 tips, you’ll find applying for a scholarship or bursary easier than ever.

Consider your chances 

When applying for a scholarship or bursary it’s important to consider your chances. For example, if your parents earn a high income you’re unlikely to receive a bursary. However you may be eligible for scholarships relating to academic or musical achievements. 

You should also look at the value of the award and how many are available, to help you understand how likely you are to receive it. 

Check if you need to apply and whether there’s a deadline

Scholarships often require you to fill out an application to see whether you’re eligible and a good fit for the award. However bursaries tend to be automatically awarded as a result of personal circumstances or grade achievements.

If you need to fill out an application for an award, then you’re likely to need to have a place confirmed at a university. Due to this you should keep an eye on application deadlines to ensure you apply on time and give yourself the best possible chance.

Look at key dates and when you may be successful

When you’re applying to a scholarship you should look at the eligibility, how to apply and when you’re meant to hear if you’re successful. 

In terms of bursaries depending on income or personal circumstances, you’re likely to know whether you’re eligible for a bursary when you get your student finance assessment. 

Share your information with student finance

When you apply for your student loan you should tick the box that allows student finance to share your information with universities. This allows them to judge whether you’re eligible for any scholarships or bursaries. 

Look out for other opportunities

You can keep an eye out for any new scholarships or bursaries when you visit university open days or interviews. Clearing is also a great time to look out for scholarships or bursaries as some universities may make increases to fill application places. 

Take pride in your application

When completing an application it’s important that you take the time and effort to fill it out properly. You should check for any errors and ensure you answer all questions honestly and accurately. 

Furthermore, if you’re having difficulty answering or understanding any questions in the application, there’s no harm in contacting the university or provider for help.

Be realistic

When applying or thinking about applying for a bursary or grant you should consider whether you want to attend a university because you like it or because you like the award they offer. If it’s the latter, it isn’t wise to attend a university you’re not interested in and you should consider other options.

Types of scholarship or bursary

Scholarships are usually awarded for merit based and talent based achievements, whereas bursaries are usually awarded on a need basis.

Types of scholarships

Types of bursary

Benefits

Scholarships tend to offer an automatic reduction or cover entire tuition fees and can also offer discounts alongside annual, term-wise or one-off payments for living costs. 

Whereas bursaries offer money to cover education costs or one off payments to help with living costs.

Despite scholarships and bursaries offering awards for different reasons they have a number of similar benefits, such as:

Millennium Point’s scholarship

Millennium Point Trust has partnered with Birmingham City University to offer a scholarship where one undergraduate degree is paid for each year. 

With over 20 courses included in the scholarship there’s lots to choose from. However the application deadline closes on the 17th March 2023. To apply for the scholarship, visit our website today.

How to apply

You’re eligible to apply to the scholarship if you’re 18 and planning on starting university by September 2023. You must be within the West Midlands Combined Authority and looking to start a degree included within the scholarship list.

Eligible degree courses include:

Engineering

Built environment

Digital Technology

Computing

The application has two stages with the second stage being an assessment day where you’ll participate in developmental workshops. 

For further advice on applying for a scholarship, read our helpful guide here.

Background

The Dorothy Parkes Centre is an award-winning community centre based in Smethwick, an area in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell in the West Midlands. They provide a safe place of welcome and opportunity for the local and wider community.

There is a variety of groups, classes, and activities that are available at the centre which all aim to help tackle local issues.

Aim of the project

The Centre had the aim to deliver eight science shows, during the school holidays over a twelve-month period and engage an audience who would not normally participate in learning in environments like this. The three-hour long sessions were themed around seasonal times of the year. They were led by science communicators from award-winning STEM organisation Femtinos.

Continuing, the aim with the project was to also raise the profile of STEM skills and careers. Dorothy Parkes thought that the members of the local community did not know the value of STEM and how it was linked to a diverse range of careers.

What impact has it made?

A £20,000 grant was awarded to Dorothy Parkes Centre. The project was popular in the area with a range of events happening throughout the year. Halloween, Easter & Commonwealth were all fun and interesting themes to engage the young community. Each session welcomed 50 young people and 50 parents to take part.

To build on the grants legacy, sessions were filmed and then uploaded to YouTube for wider audiences to view and the accessibility to do it from home.

‘We are delighted to have had the opportunity to run this project for the last twelve months. The quality of the shows and the feedback received was fantastic and it will be missed. A lot of families commented on what a great offer it was during the school holidays and the fact it was educational helped the children and even some of the parents.’

Why did they receive the grant?

The centre wanted the local community to view the centre as a one stop hub for the community. STEM was completely missing from the schedule and they hope they can continue the sessions for the wider community.

The project application was all about the advancement of STEM and education for the public benefit within the Smethwick area of Sandwell. The Dorothy Parkes Centre wanted to address the STEM skills gap through education and re-education of STEM skills for children and parents.

Here at Millennium Point we offer grant funding to help support companies and charities improve engagement within STEM related subjects. 

Below are a few examples of Schools Millennium Point has helped through grants and funding.

Longwill School for the Deaf – Sensory STEM 

Longwill is based in Northfield, Birmingham and is a specialist school for deaf children aged between 2 and 11. The school is underpinned by a sign-bilingual philosophy that encourages the fullest possible development through early communication.

What challenge did Longwill face?

The school came to us wanting help to create ways for pupils to develop an interest and understanding in science through using speech and sign language. The small grant is being used to purchase 10 visualises and compound microscopes which are high impact learning tools. These can be used in STEM lessons to magnify flowers, leaves, skeletons or fossils onto screens to help children develop a scientific understanding.

What impact has this made?

This has given 50 children between 3 and 11 the opportunity to engage in scientific activities in ways they previously hadn’t been able to. 

The school received a small grant as they presented an outside-of-the-box approach to inspiring children with disabilities to engage with  STEM subjects.

To read more about the Longwill School for Deaf, click here.

Aston Villa Foundation – ‘STEM Stars’

The Aston Villa Foundation is a registered charity in charge of the community and social responsibility work of Aston Villa Football Club. Their mission is ‘working together to enrich lives’. They work with a variety of backgrounds in Birmingham and support Aston Villa’s wider family as well. 

What did the foundation need help with?

STEM Stars introduced a new STEM programme in six schools within a 3 mile radius of Villa Park, where funding will be used to buy a Sphero robot package to help teach young people coding through using football. 

The programme aims to encourage young people to better engage with STEM education and raise aspirational levels, as the areas around Villa Park are both educationally and income deprived. 

What impact has this made?

The STEM programme has allowed young people to engage with computer science in ways they wouldn’t previously be able to access.

The programme gained a small grant as they identified key problems in the area while providing imaginative solutions to STEM related issues. 

To read more about the Aston Villa foundation, click here.

Ahead Partnership – STEMfestWM

Ahead Partnership is a leading social enterprise aiming to connect children with employers to promote education and employability while raising awareness of STEM careers. 

The project

The project involves a week-long festival with employers and 250 students chosen from secondary schools and FE sixth forms/colleges across the West Midlands. The festival aims to enthuse young people in STEM and build a stronger talent pipeline. 

What impact has this made?

The project impacted 250 pupils, 16 schools and 2 further education colleges. Students have also developed confidence through participating in events and have developed an understanding of how their learning links to different careers. 

The partnership gained a small grant due to its extensive portfolio of successes in engaging young people in education and equipping them with the skills and links needed for the industry. 

To learn more about the Ahead Partnership, click here.

Trinity School – STEM Room

Trinity High School is a co-educational academy school for 13-18 year olds located in central Redditch.  

The challenge

Students at the school are highly interested in STEM, however the school was previously unable to provide them the resources they needed. The solution to this was to transform an old art room into a new STEM room, fitted with computers and CAD/CAM machinery to provide learning within ICT, Maths and Science.

What impact has this made?

The project has enhanced  teaching of the STEM curriculum and has allowed the school to expand their after school STEM activities. The room is also being used as a STEM learning hub for other schools, helping to expand STEM skills across the area. 

The school gained a small grant due to them demonstrating how the project would impact both the school and the wider community. 

To learn more about Trinity high school’s STEM project, click here.

King Solomon International Business School: Breaking the barriers to STEM

King Solomon International Business School is Birmingham’s first Christian free school with 1,200 students aged 4-19. 

The school aims to close the diversity gap through a fully realised STEM programme of extracurricular activities, helping encourage students to consider a STEM career path. 

How did we help to fund this programme?

Millennium Point has helped fund multiple extracurricular activities, including:

What impact did this have?

The projects aim to engage everyone in the school in STEM related activities, having a positive impact on 1,200 students between 4 and 19 years old.

The school gained a small grant as King Solomon School demonstrated a clear passion for STEM and provided a clear objective for increasing diversity in STEM. 

To learn more about the King Solomon project click here.

To learn more about how Millennium Point’s grants can help you impact STEM education, get in touch with us today.

Applications for life changing scholarship open next month on Monday 9th January 2023. In partnership with Birmingham City University each year Millennium Point Trust fund an undergraduate degree at BCU.

There are over 20 courses to choose from included in the scholarship. The deadline is on Friday 31st March 2023, meaning plenty of time to complete the application.

Hatem impressed judges last year with his passion for Computer Science

Hatem was studying at Solihull College with ambitions to study Computer Science at university. In Hatem’s application he made it clear how much winning the Scholarship would mean to him, his great passion for computers and his mission to use computing and technology to better lives. The Millennium Point Trust team were hugely impressed with Hatem’s application and selected him along with four other finalists.

All the finalists attended an assessment day at Millennium Point, where they each presented to a panel of five judges, Hatem impressed the panel the most and was selected as the lucky winner of this year’s Scholarship, which has already helped launch the careers of seven outstanding STEM students. Hatem has since started his Computer Science degree at Birmingham City University that started in September 2022.

Applying is easy and simple

The competition is open to applicants aged 17 and over within the West Midlands Combined authority, who are looking to start a qualifying degree in September 2023.

Read the application form carefully and start to answer each question. Think about why you want to study your chosen degree and what you want to do in the future. Also discuss any personal attributes and skills that could help you be the next winner of the Scholarship.

It’s a two-stage application, with the final stage being an assessment day. If you make to the final, you will be invited to participate in developmental workshops that will focus on supporting our personal development and professionalism in both interview and presentation skills.

We’re here to help you every step of the way

We want everyone to have the best chance of success when applying for our scholarship scheme, and sometimes bigging yourself up can be a little daunting. That’s why we have created a helpful guide to aid you through your application. Keep an eye out on our social media for any new blogs, videos or resources that can help further.

You can always contact our friendly Trust team for any other enquiries you may have.

Unlock your student’s future by getting your school involved

Get your school involved and spread the word about the scholarship. Tell parents, students, teachers, and colleagues. The bigger it gets, the more impact we can make together.

We have created a teacher’s portal with assets and information that can help you provide students information on how to apply.

Are you a business wanting to get involved? Visit our business portal here. We’re always on the lookout to collaborate with businesses and professionals on the Millennium Point Trust scholarship.

Why do we do this?

At Millennium Point we believe that STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) is important for the future of the region. Now, more than ever young people need our support and encouragement for them to unlock their potential. The scholarship is just one of the ways we can provide support to help them achieve people’s goals.

Learn more about Millennium Point Trust

Our multi-award-winning charitable trust invests on average £4.8m each year towards furthering Stem education within the West Midlands.

Over the years we have provided funding to scholarships, grants and projects that benefit the region. Find out more about our Trust in our brand-new brochure here.

Keep up to date when scholarships go live

Applications open on 9th January 2023 and end 31st March 2023, bookmark our scholarship page and get ready to see what you can achieve!

After a hugely successful event last year, St Basils returned to Millennium Point on Friday 25th November to host their annual big sleepout. The event took place in our Cinema Square car park and was once again successful at raising funds to help end youth homelessness.

The St Basils Big Sleepout is the oldest, longest running event of  its kind. It’s one of St Basils most popular events among their community, with volunteers challenged with sleeping out in the cold during winter to understand the difficulties that homeless people go through on a daily basis.

How St Basils are doing their bit to beat homelessness

St Basils work with young people ages 16-25 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, to enable them to find and keep a home, grow their confidence, develop their skills, increase opportunities, and prevent homelessness.

This year St Basils announced the annual event had amazingly raised £62,000 and funds are still coming in.

A community united

It was fantastic to see so many organisations braving the cold and taking part in the event, 400 individuals settled in for the night in cardboard boxes all to raise funds for the good cause. Throughout the night volunteers took part in the much loved Creative Cardboard Competition for the best dwelling, with a prize given to the lucky winner.  The cardboard boxes were provided by Schumacher, who have been providing packaging for the sleepout for over 15 years.

Much needed warmth was delivered with free vegan curry and hot drinks provided by the Langar Aid project.

Fundraisers were also entertained during the night by The Band of the West Midlands Fire Services to keep spirits high on a very cold evening.

Couldn’t make it to the sleepout? You can still make a difference

It costs £5 a day to support a young person and keep them at a St Basils project. Supporters can make a one-off donation here. Help change a young person’s life for the better today.

St Basils are back planning the oldest and biggest sleepout in the UK in Birmingham. On Friday 25th November, St Basils will host their annual big sleepout at Millennium Point in Birmingham to raise vital funds to support young people experiencing homelessness in the West Midlands.

St Basils are a homelessness charity based in the West Midlands that have been supporting young people in in fear of losing their home since 1972.

St Basils are not charging for this event, it is FREE! But get involved and raise as much as you can by having people sponsor you. Free vegan curry and hot drinks will also be served by Langar Aid on the night!

You can register for the event here.

Homelessness shouldn’t be part of growing up

St Basils work with young people ages 16-25 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, to enable them to find and keep a home, grow their confidence, develop their skills, increase opportunities, and prevent homelessness.

Abbie Vlahakis, CEO of Millennium point, said “We are delighted to offer our venue and support once more to the St Basils team, whose commitment to improving the lives of young vulnerable people aligns to our own charitable mission.

While a sleepout is challenging, a night without home comforts pales in comparison to the true horror more than 8,500 young people in the West Midlands alone are experiencing every single night without a home or place of safety.

We urge as many people and businesses as possible to sign up and join us at the sleepout. Together we can raise a record amount of funds so St Basils can continue to provide life changing support to young people in dire need throughout our communities”.

Challenge yourself and make a difference with St Basils Big Sleepout

The Big Sleepout sees hundreds of people from companies, families and groups taking part by challenging themselves, raising money and having fun; particularly in the much coveted ‘creative shelter competition’.

Barrie Hodge, Head of Fundraising and Marketing at St Basils said “Most of our young people who need support are either in full time education or working part-time and sometimes have more than one job yet are already struggling to survive on a very low income. This year St Basils celebrates its 50th anniversary and with the soaring costs young people are experiencing, we are needed more than ever.  We welcome people from across the region to come along, sleepout for the night and help us raise money to support those who need it the most”.

Can’t make it to Millennium Point, you can still make a difference

St Basils will also be running ‘The Big Sleepout from Home’ at the same time. So, if you can’t make it to Millennium Point, you can still get involved in your back garden, office, community hall or ‘sofa surfing’ at home.

You can find out more and apply for your Big Sleepout pack by emailing [email protected].

Supporters can also make one off donations here, it costs £5 a day to support a young person and keep them at a St Basils project.

Want to book an event space with Millennium Point?

The multi-award-winning Millennium Point has 11 versatile event spaces to choose from and an excellent events team to help you with your event.  

For further information about the event, charity, or venue you can get in contact with our team.

We’re excited to say applications for the next round of funding for projects is now open!

A project to build a fully operational light aircraft, STEM training toolkits for schools and a car engineering workshop for girls are just some of the exciting projects amongst the successful applicants in The Millennium Point Charitable Trust’s Small Grants Programme.

Grants up to £20,000 can be applied for here, you have until the 2nd December to apply, good luck!

Endless possibilities with STEM

Over the past five years, the Millennium Point Charitable Trust has awarded over £2 million to charities, not-for-profits, community groups and schools to further STEM education. Millennium Point Charitable Trust has previously seen the rewarding outcome of past projects such as ‘Breaking the Barriers to STEM’ with a fantastic STEM garden. Ahead Partnership engaged students at their Digitech Festival with inspiring guest speeches and activities from STEM industries. Ark Tindall Primary transformed an outside space into a Science Area to enhance their STEM curriculum.

Last year Millennium Point Trust saw 100 applications from schools and not-for-profit organisations all aiming to recieve a share of the grant money to better STEM education in the region.

Vanessa Currie, Head of People, Learning and Development at Millennium Point comments:

“We are pleased to announce the latest round of grant funding from the Millennium Point Charitable Trust.

The West Midlands is the largest hub for science and innovation outside of London, with the youngest population in Europe and one of the highest percentiles of STEM graduates in the UK.

With many schools being forced to cut costs and resources to deliver their curriculums, we risk seeing the skills gap widen as less children are engaged in STEM, which is why this initiative is crucial now, more than ever.”

Award-winning charity in the heart of Birmingham

All funding given by Millennium Point Charitable Trust is made possible by the commercial activity that takes place in the landmark Millennium Point building. It all feeds back into the charitable trust, enabling to be donated and invested in STEM-related organisations, projects, and initiatives.

When booking events with Millennium Point you are widening your CSR and supporting the local region. Find out how and more about our unique event spaces here.

Apply for a grant today and support the future of STEM 

At Millennium Point we believe that STEM is important for the future of the region, so we are excited to see what this year’s applications bring.

The next round of applications for the 2023 grant are now open and close at 5pm on 2nd December 2022.

Since its launch in 2018, Millennium Point Charitable Trust has provided almost £400k to more than 100 projects across education, STEM-focused charities, sporting charities, and museums.

You can apply for a grant on our website here, if you need any help look at our frequently asked questions page or speak to one of our friendly Trust team.

Are you looking to book an event and love a good Summer sale? If so you’ve come to the right place. Book an event for September at our award-winning venue and get 20% off your room hire. We’ll also throw in a complimentary round of tea and coffee on us. Simply use the code MPSUMMER22 on our enquiry form.

What does Millennium Point offer?

Our venue is equipped with 11 versatile event spaces, ranging from outdoor networking spaces to one of Birmingham’s biggest screens. Whatever your event needs, we have you covered, our friendly events team are on hand to help you all the way, ensuring your event will be a winner.

If you’ve got an event in mind, don’t hesitate to fill out our short form below and our team will give you a call back.

Make a big impression on our giant screen

Accommodating up to 354 delegates, our Auditorium is just what you need for making that big impression. Along with having one of Birmingham’s biggest screens, this space offers high tech AV (with on-site support), LED lighting, a newly refurbished performance stage and branding opportunities.

We also offer affordable Virtual and Hybrid packages available in the Auditorium.

The big question you’re probably wondering is what event types are suitable for this space? Well we are pleased to say our Auditorium can cater for a large range of events including conferences, lectures, product launches, AGM’s, award ceremonies, film screenings and much more.

Take a virtual tour here.

Dress and lay out our Platform space any way you want

Directly below our Auditorium takes you to Platform, an incredibly versatile event space that can be dressed and laid out any way you want.

This space is perfect for receptions, launches, banquets, fund raisers, award ceremonies and much more, giving you the open and spacious feel that a conventional meeting room doesn’t have.

Take a virtual tour here.

Flexible interconnected conference suites

Experience a truly flexible approach to conferences and meetings with our Connect event suite. Accommodating up to 100 delegates, this interconnected space offers three rooms equipped with the latest AV and presentation facilities, making it the perfect solution for hosting meetings, conferences, workshops, training days and away days.

Take a virtual tour here.

Help support STEM in the region by booking with us

Help support STEM in the region and widen your CSR just by booking an event at Millennium Point. Commercial profits from our multi-award-winning events business and landmark public building go towards our charitable trust. The Millennium Point Charitable Trust reached a landmark £30m in STEM support to organisations across the West Midlands over the last seven years.

Find more interesting content from Millennium Point over at our news section, or follow us for daily updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn with @MillenniumPoint. Millennium Point is a landmark public building and multi-award-winning events venue in the Eastside of Birmingham City centre. Profits from our commercial activity are invested by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust into projects, events and initiatives which support the growth of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and education in the West Midlands.

When Millennium Point heard about LoveBrum’s volunteering opportunities, they were eager to get involved. Earlier this month a few members of the Millennium Point team joined Moor Pool Heritage Trust to help tend to the green spaces. Once overgrown, the space’s pathways are visible once more for all to enjoy.

Who are LoveBrum?

LoveBrum is a registered charity that supports hidden gem projects across Birmingham that are often volunteer led and that deliver real change, with outcomes that can be seen, measured, enjoyed, and loved.

They support the ‘hard-to-reach’ projects, those causes that do not receive the platform or funding that they probably deserve. LoveBrum aim to support over 30 projects per year, and to reach out to all corners of the city to remind people how great Birmingham is. Every penny raised from individual memberships and fundraising stays in Birmingham and goes straight to the chosen causes.

LoveBrum have funded almost 200 local, hard to reach causes, ran 11 successful fundraising events raising over £200,000 to fund Birmingham projects. Since beginning LoveBrum now have over 1,000 members who are passionate about Birmingham.

Who are Moor Pool Heritage Trust?

The Moor Pool Heritage Trust is a charity born out of the Moor Pool Residents Association in 2011, formed specifically to acquire the community facilities for the benefit of the local and wider community. Following this success, the Trust now strives to protect and preserve Moor Pool for the benefit of future generations, but also to ensure it raises awareness of its importance to the wider public.

We caught up with one volunteer, Vanessa, Head of PLD at Millennium Point to find out how the day went

As a charity we are keen to help and support other local charities and we were quick to respond when LoveBrum asked if anyone would like to volunteer to help Moor Pool Heritage Trust, based in Harborne who were looking for a team to help tend to their green spaces as they had become rather overgrown! This was a fantastic opportunity to give something back to our local community and do something to help Moor Pool residents and schools.

Volunteer

The day was amazing from start to finish – the team at Moor Pool looked after us like we were family, the sun was shining and after a quick tour around we were soon chopping down a massively overgrown orchard area used by local schools, weeding outside the community hall, and clearing pathways. The results were amazing and rewarding as the outcome of our work was quickly visible. We may have picked up a few stings from the very tall stinging nettles and scratches from brambles, but the team worked seamlessly together to get the work done. It was quickly apparent how easy the work seemed to be as we were truly working as a team.  The day is one that we would like to repeat, and I think each one of us took away a secret wish to move one day to Moor Pool estate to live. It is only a short distance from the city centre but is has a rich history and is a real hidden gem to visit.

Volunteer

Why did Millennium Point volunteer?

Millennium Point recently became a patron for LoveBrum who offered us the opportunity to volunteer. As a community driven organisation, we are eager to support activities that can benefit the city and the region. By teaming up, we can make a better future for all.

This isn’t the only way we try to help; we are a strong supporter of STEM education and provide funds for grants, projects, and scholarships. You can keep up to date with all our latest news on the Trust here.

Find more interesting content from Millennium Point over at our news section, or follow us for daily updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn with @MillenniumPoint. Millennium Point is a landmark public building and multi-award-winning events venue in the Eastside of Birmingham City centre. Profits from our commercial activity are invested by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust into projects, events and initiatives which support the growth of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and education in the West Midlands.