Birmingham Botanical Gardens has been awarded £9.075m from The National Lottery Heritage Fund towards its major restoration, Growing Our Green Heritage, to preserve a nationally significant historic botanic garden and save Birmingham’s priceless heritage for future generations.

With over 90% of the funding now in place, they are appealing to all those who care about the Gardens to help them finally close the gap. This will mean that over the next 4 and a half years, this landmark project will restore the Gardens’ historic Grade II listed glasshouses, enhance visitor infrastructure and amenities, improve sustainability and expand public access to education, horticulture, heritage and nature in this unique green space. It will increase public understanding of the importance of plant biodiversity to life on Earth and share the importance of plants to people, our places and the planet. 

This vital and timely funding made possible by National Lottery players will ensure that urgently needed repairs and restorations are carried out to secure the future of this treasured historic site. Without intervention, the Victorian glasshouses, identified as at risk by Historic England, would have faced closure within 2 years. They will now be carefully restored to the original designs, providing the perfect conditions to protect and grow BBG’s globally significant Living Collection of plants. As one of just over 100 internationally ‘accredited’ botanic gardens in the world, BBG cares for 30,000 plants of unique scientific and heritage significance, some rare and critically endangered. As an independent charity, the loss of the iconic structures would have threatened BBG’s long-term future and endangered a fundamental part of Birmingham’s cultural and environmental heritage.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund and collective support mark a turning point in the Gardens’ 190-year history. It will resolve critical infrastructure issues and offers the opportunity of a generation to remedy fundamental threats to BBG’s survival, recalibrating its position as a leading botanic garden in the UK.

As part of the wider project, the Gardens teams are reviewing a timely and pertinent question. ‘What is the role of a 21st Century Botanic Garden in a super diverse and youthful city, within the global contexts of the Climate Emergency and severe biodiversity loss?  It is anticipated that through project collaborations with communities, visitors, partners and volunteers some answers to this challenge will arise. 

The project will also future-proof BBG’s role in plant conservation and environmental education, revising its founding scientific purpose through deeper collaboration with strategic Higher Education partners, including the University of Birmingham and Birmingham City University. The project will safeguard a unique institution and create a place of horticultural excellence, research and learning in an outstanding biodiverse natural environment for all in Birmingham and beyond.

New outdoor learning facilities will deliver a step change in learning outside the classroom. They will welcome 25,000 school children each year, expanding learning provision around plants, heritage, biodiversity and environmental sustainability, to meet growing demand for BBG’s award-winning schools’ programme.

A stunning central courtyard will be created through demolition of the detrimental add-ons, enabling BBG to host wide-ranging income-generating events. Outdated buildings will be removed, and where possible materials reused taking a circular economy approach. The existing café will be intelligently reused to create a visitor welcome building which will radically improve the visitor experience, including an expanded café overlooking the Gardens and a new reception, retail and plant sales area, contributing to long term financial sustainability.

For more information visit birminghambotanicalgardens.org.uk