̽»¨Ö±²¥

̽»¨Ö±²¥ is a Strategic Learning Partner of the  (BBG) and our Vice-Chancellor, Professor David Mba, is a patron of the Gardens (above with Sara Blair-Manning, Chief Executive of BBG). We asked Chris Maher, BBG's Head of Commercial & Visitor Operations, to outline how they plan to grow their business.

Growth, Renewal and Green Shoots

Working at a botanical garden, you get used to hearing words and phrases like growth, renewal, and green shoots. Nature-based metaphors are everywhere. They find their way into funding bids, strategy documents, even casual conversations. And while we might roll our eyes at the occasional unintentional pun, the truth is that in our case, they’ve been unusually apt.

Over the past two years at ̽»¨Ö±²¥ Botanical Gardens, we’ve been in a real phase of renewal — one that’s touched every part of our15-acre site and daily operations.  As an independent charitable trust with a remarkable, and even more surprising, intact 19th-century designed landscape and established social heritage, the Gardens are one of ̽»¨Ö±²¥â€™s most distinctive spaces. But like many historic attractions, our infrastructure and operating model have needed care and attention for some time. What we’ve done over the past 24 months is to reposition ourselves to meet and respond to some of the world's most pressing concerns (climate breakdown and biodiversity loss): and to do it in a commercially resilient and operationally coherent way-rooted in a clear sense of place and purpose.

As we lay the groundwork (yes, groundwork) for an ambitious £19.5m capital project – including the restoration of our iconic glasshouses, new visitor spaces, and investment in our learning and horticultural facilities – we’re stepping into a new era for the Gardens, with stronger operational and commercial foundations.

A More Sustainable Commercial Core

It’s not always the eye-catching stuff which takes the most time to address. In the past twelve months we have procured and configured a new diary system for the site; improved a range of underlying systems, processes, and our approach to data. We have worked and re-worked staff and volunteer teams, roles, and structures. We have improved our IT support and launched a new visual identity and website. This challenging and fast paced rate of change has been necessary behind-the-scenes and has made a real difference in terms of our organisational confidence. We now make more deliberate choices about the place we are trying to save, what type of organisation we’re trying to become, and we build on the great things that were already here such as our award-winning schools programmes.

A good example is venue hire. At the end of 2024, we brought this in-house for the first time in years. This significant change means we now manage the diary for the entire site, enabling us to present the Gardens as a combined indoor-outdoor venue. From corporate events to community gatherings, we’re now better placed to offer a more joined-up experience and to manage the site and its resources more effectively. Our new website and catering offers will launch on 1 May, offering a glimpse of our spaces and services.

A New Café Concept

One of the most visible changes here at BBG will arrive in May with the relaunch of our café. We’re partnering with Medicine Bakery to introduce a new grab-and-go offer, combining their approach to quality with the needs of a family-friendly destination.

This ¾±²õ²Ô’t just about great food and coffee—though both will be on offer. It’s about making the café a welcoming and flexible space, where people can relax, connect, and feel at home. Medicine will also be running our event catering as one of a range of suppliers, and operate our bars, bringing new energy to private hire and public events. In a city that over the past ten years has become known for its food scene, it was time we ‘upped our game', and this is a huge and welcome step forward.

Public Programming, Reimagined

Our public programme has also had a significant overhaul. We now offer a more coherent year-round calendar, with varied reasons for people to visit every season. From a new programme of seasonal artisan markets to an expanded four-day summer cinema season, around 90% of our events offer has been revised and expanded.

These aren’t just bolt-on commercial events; they’re part of our long-term strategy to broaden and increase audiences and encourage people back again and again to the Gardens for a wide range of different experiences.

This Easter, for instance, our teams are working with ̽»¨Ö±²¥-based producers OPUS on Alice in Easterland—an interactive family event featuring performances, workshops, and a themed trail through the Gardens. It reflects the more thoughtful, place-specific approach we’re taking; while working with local partners and people doing great things in our city.

Our Strategic Learning Partnership with BCU

In 2024, we launched a strategic learning partnership with ̽»¨Ö±²¥, giving staff and students free access to the Gardens. Beyond access, the collaboration supports new ways of working, using our global plant collections and opens opportunities for innovation, learning and international collaboration. This will culminate in a summer exhibition held at the Gardens which will show case a new growth garden and a fashion show using natural dyes. As part of the partnership we are working with the B2B team to look at mutual business initiatives and with their alumna Molly Ratcliffe on her Waste Projekt.

More widely, we have shifted our focus towards working with local hospitality and creative partners. From I AM YOGI, Infamous Arts, Flatpack Festival, Mockingbird Cinema and ̽»¨Ö±²¥ Artisan Markets to a range of new hospitality partners like Loki Wines, Smoke + Ash, Medicine, and Mahirs. We’re collaborating with people who know the city and care about it.

This approach helps us to connect with regional audiences, reduces costs and environmental impact, and makes our events more distinctive and relevant to people in Brum. Frankly, it’s also more fun, working with people who bring enthusiasm for ̽»¨Ö±²¥, want to improve the City’s national reputation and who understand what makes the Botanical Gardens unique.

Looking Ahead

With so much positive progress made, we’re now actively seeking support from the local business community. The Gardens play an important role in promoting and delivering natural capital benefits to Brum (mitigating the City’s heat island effect, delivering cleaner air and capturing carbon) and are part of the wider cultural and educational  offers in the city—but like many charitable organisations, our running costs have increased sharply in recent years.

There are many ways to support the Gardens or get involved, such as hiring our venue or booking a team away day and getting ‘hands-on’ in the gardens. Another option may be to sponsor our family trails or an event within our public programme. We are keen to work with businesses whose values align with ours, and who see the value in supporting (and saving) one of ̽»¨Ö±²¥â€™s most cherished green spaces.

Key upcoming dates and developments:

• 17 – 20 April: Alice’s Easterland Adventure
• 1 – 5 May: Café launch weekend, introducing Medicine Bakery at the Gardens
• 1 May: Launch of new venue hire website and catering partnerships
• 2 August: Botanical Gardens Artisan Market

A full list of programming can be found on the .