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SOCIAL VALUE

Druids Heath - Pride in Place

VOLUNTEER MONTH 2026

Carnell undertook a Community Wants & Needs Assessment (CWaNA) of the Midlands region and identified Druids Heath as an area we could help.​

It is ranked 2nd of the 45 Midlands based Pride in Place (PiP) areas and in the top 0.2% most deprived places in England, according to Indices of Multiple Deprivation.​

National Highways were looking for community initiatives for their Volunteer Month in June 2026, so Carnell accelerated plans to help out in the area.​

The Regeneration Room is a local hub staffed by Birmingham City Housing Officers who know residents and the challenges they face. They identified two opportunities to help that match our skills:​

-Garden Clearance for four vulnerable residents.​

-Clearing Fly-tipping from the streets​

To better tackle the social value project, we worked in collaboration with HW Martin and Tarmac.​

While this wouldn’t be a perfect fit for the NH SV themes, it aligned with NH Volunteer Month and the PiP theme ‘Creating Thriving Places’ and its Housing, Quality & Neighbourhood Environment outcome.

FLY TIPPING

  • The estate suffers from fly tipping, often by people from outside the estate. Clearing this up would enhance the local environment and neighbourhood quality.​
  • The broken windows theory posits that visible signs of disorder, like vandalism or litter, encourage further crime and antisocial behaviour, suggesting that addressing minor offenses can prevent more serious crimes.​
  • Tarmac provided two operatives with a flat-bed van who drove around the Druids Heath estate finding rubbish and fly-tipped items including fridges, ovens and several sofas.​
  • In the week leading up to the event, the challenge of what to do with the collected materials was raised. Our Housing Officer contacts Jo and Vanya made some calls meaning we could take it to the local recycling centre free-of charge, albeit still with the paperwork.

gARDEN CLEARANCE

Four residents who needed help clearing their gardens were identified by the housing officers:

  • -An individual who had suffered with a heart attack and could no longer hang out his washing as his garden was too overgrown.
  • -A couple who have 4 children, all with disabilities.
  • -A family with complex needs, having a 7-year-old child who had never been in the garden.
  • -A mother who has Multiple Sclerosis and depression.

 

Along with HW Martin, we supplied two teams of three  each over three days to support the initiative. Drawing on their experience delivering site clearance activities as part of the National Highways NRTS contract, the teams worked to restore overgrown gardens for local residents. HW Martin also supplied a skip to support the clearance of one property, while Tarmac assisted by removing the large volumes of vegetation generated throughout the project. Despite challenges, including heavily overgrown gardens that required hedge trimmers just to gain access, as well as rat and wasp nests, the teams successfully cleared four gardens, making them safe, accessible and enjoyable for residents once again.

 

RESULTS

We’re committed to creating positive, lasting change in the communities locally. By working alongside our partners, local organisations and National Highways, this volunteering initiative demonstrates how practical action and collaboration can make a real difference.

Donna Dind, Social Value and Supplier Lead at National Highways, said: ​”Supporting Druids Heath is a great way of giving back to our communities and helping to ensure its residents have clean and tidy streets, and green spaces they can enjoy.”

We’re proud to have played a part in supporting Druids Heath and helping to create a cleaner, greener environment for its residents.

“The garden clearances and fly-tipping work carried out will make a tangible difference to residents in Druids Heath, particularly those who are unable to maintain their own outdoor spaces. This is exactly the kind of partnership working that can help strengthen neighbourhoods and improve people’s quality of life.”
Al CarnsMP for Birmingham Selly Oak