For a small Warwickshire village, Berkswell paid a high price in terms of the young men it lost during the Great War, 1914-18.Over thirty men died in the conflict and it was to honour their sacrifice that the village came together to erect a simple but evocative war memorial in the churchyard of St John […]
The well at Berkswell, with its life-giving water, has been at heart of the community for hundreds of years.Indeed, in the sixth century travelling monks from Lichfield baptised the local chieftain, Bercul, in the well thus giving the settlement its early name, Bercul’s Well. Over time the name Bercul’s Well has became corrupted to Berkswell.Even […]
In the UK we tend to be reserved when it comes to talking about our charitable giving. The phrase charitable benefactor often is associated with a wealthy individual, a philanthropist offering a charity a significant financial gift. It’s unlikely that any charity would turn down such generous funding, but most charities are reliant on smaller […]
Andrew a rather belated welcome to your role as Chair of Berkswell Charities. You follow in the steps of some respectful predecessors, not least our most recent Chair, Chris Powell. I know that alongside your fellow Trustee’s you’d like to thank Chris for his tenure and for what he achieved. We are all delighted that […]
Almshouses primary purpose is to provide safe, warm homes for those in need but with the ability to live independently. Community housing offering compassion and care. Independent Research has proven that living in an Almshouse increases longevity and supports wellbeing. At Berkswell Charities, we pride ourselves on the fact that we go one step further […]
I’ve lived in Berkswell since 2006, and have been aware of Berkswell Charities since moving to the village. It’s hard to miss the physical impact of the Church Lane Almshouse building on the village green and the contribution its residents make to the diverse population of the village. As I became more involved in village […]
I have lived in Berkswell for over 30 years now. I do not have paid employment - however, with two grandchildren under three years old and several other significant projects I am involved with on a voluntary basis, I'm always busy "working". Luckily whilst the Berkswell Charities Trustee meetings are generally held in the evenings, […]
In 2022 I moved to the area and also left a job of 20+ years, so pretty life changing. I started working in a freelance capacity, which gave me more freedom and flexibility in my working week. My other half spotted the Berkswell Charities Trustee vacancy advert on social media and suggested I apply. I’d […]
Local people will know that a small parcel of land on Back Lane Meriden is owned by Berkswell Charities. The site had been referred to Solihull Council in response to the recent Call for Sites. There was an error in completing the forms and we can confirm the land has now been withdrawn as a […]
Balsall Common Primary School Academy is blessed to have an indoor swimming pool where the near-700 pupils can learn life-long skills in water. And it’s not only pupils who benefit from gaining these skills, members of all ages of the local community are encouraged to come to the pool to learn to swim after-hours. Recently, […]
Since our last post in September,(see below) we are now in a position to provide an update on our Almshouse project. We are delighted to announce the planning application has been submitted. The link to the numerous documents is here. For the project to have reached this point, many hours of work have been spent […]
A new chapter in the life of the Berkswell Village Store has begun and it is now trading as a café and meeting space under the name of ‘The Nook’. The Store has been serving the local community for over a hundred years but closed early in 2024 and since then the Trustees of […]