The Lickey Hills Society
Charity 1000852
Overview
Summary
The Lickey Hills Society appears to be a place-based civic stewardship organisation rather than simply a conservation group. Its role spans protecting a distinctive landscape and its heritage, interpreting that place for the public, and influencing decisions that may alter it. The combination of educational activity, practical conservation, fundraising and scrutiny of development plans suggests a long-term model of guardianship: sustaining public connection to the Hills while acting as an informed advocate for their character and future.
Operational geography
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Rubery and Rednal
Confidence: high
Birmingham City Council identifies the Lickey Hills Society as the friends group for Lickey Hills Country Park. The Council records current, place-based activity by the Society at the park, including guided walks, litter picks, invasive-species clearance, biodiversity recording and provision of visitor infrastructure.
- Birmingham City Council, Lickey Hills Country Park
The Council lists The Lickey Hills Society as the park's friends group and says its initiatives include weekly guided walks, litter picks, Himalayan balsam clearance, biodiversity surveys, information boards at main entrances, and equipment and amenities for the park. - Birmingham City Council, Lickey Hills Country Park
The park's main entrance and visitor centre are in Rednal. - Charity Commission register, The Lickey Hills Society (charity 1000852)
The charity reports that it conserves and preserves the Lickey Hills in north Worcestershire and south-west Birmingham through activities including walks and visits, scrutiny of development plans and conservation activities.
Remaining uncertainties
- The Society's current activity is strongly evidenced at Lickey Hills Country Park, but the available sources do not establish a separate operational site of its own. The Charity Commission says it does not own or lease land or property, so its registered Rednal address should be treated as a correspondence address rather than a confirmed service site.
- The Charity Commission records Birmingham City and Worcestershire as places where the charity operates, and its governing document refers to the Lickey Hills, their environs and the former Longbridge ward. This supports a wider local sphere of interest, but does not by itself evidence current delivery in additional present-day Birmingham wards.
- Birmingham City Council describes the Society as supporting park rangers, which evidences a material working relationship with the Council's park operation. The available evidence does not define any formal partnership agreement or show that this relationship extends the Society's activity beyond the Lickey Hills site.
Additional evidence needed
- A current programme, annual report or official Society update identifying the locations of recent walks, conservation work, planning advocacy and educational events.
- Confirmation from the Society or Birmingham City Council of whether any current activities take place outside Lickey Hills Country Park, including elsewhere in the former Longbridge ward or in Worcestershire.
- Evidence identifying whether the registered address is used for meetings, public activities or administration only.
Areas of work
- Environment/conservation/heritage
- Recreation
Who they help
- The General Public/mankind
How they help
- Makes Grants To Organisations
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
- Provides Human Resources
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A guardian of place, not a single-purpose charity
The Society appears to treat the Lickey Hills as an interdependent landscape in which nature, recreation, history, architecture and public wellbeing must be protected together.
Why it matters
This helps explain why its remit reaches beyond environmental conservation. It may be positioned to identify trade-offs that narrower heritage, planning or recreation organisations could miss.
Show evidence
“Its objects include planning and architecture, public education, and preservation, protection, development and improvement of historic or public-interest features.”
Source:Charity Commission“It protects landscape, flora, fauna, architecture, historical significance and the general character of the Lickey Hills.”
Source:Organisation
Public enjoyment is linked to active protection
The Society appears to see public access, learning and wellbeing not as outcomes separate from conservation, but as reasons to conserve the Hills and build support for their care.
Why it matters
This suggests that walks, visits, talks and lectures may be part of a stewardship strategy: cultivating informed users of the place who can value and potentially defend it.
Show evidence
“It conserves and preserves the Lickey Hills for public enjoyment, recreation, knowledge, education and general well-being.”
Source:Organisation“Activities include talks and lectures, walks and visits, and conservation activities.”
Source:Organisation
The Society may occupy an important civic-watchdog role
Its scrutiny of development plans and advocacy activity indicate that it may act upstream of physical conservation, seeking to influence proposals before they affect the Hills or their setting.
Why it matters
This distinguishes the Society from organisations focused only on maintenance or education. Its value may lie partly in protecting the area’s future character through planning engagement.
Show evidence
“One object is to promote high standards of planning and architecture in or affecting the area of benefit.”
Source:Charity Commission“Activities include scrutiny of development plans.”
Source:Organisation“The charity provides advocacy, advice and information.”
Source:Charity Commission
- The Society’s geographic area of benefit and relationship to landowners, local authorities and park managers are not specified.
- There is no evidence about the scale of its grants, volunteer contribution, membership base or influence on planning outcomes.
- It is unclear which communities participate in or benefit most from its activities.
Remaining uncertainties
- Recent annual reports, accounts and trustee reports showing projects, grants, partnerships and priorities.
- Evidence of planning responses, conservation outcomes and relationships with relevant public bodies.
- Information on participation, membership, volunteers and the accessibility of walks, talks and visits.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
Conserve/preserve the area of the Lickey Hills in north Worces./sw B'ham for the general public's: enjoyment, recreation, knowledge, education, general well-being. By protection of: landscape, flora, fauna, architecture, historical significants and general character. Activities include: raising of funds; talks & lectures; walks & visits; scrutiny of development plans; conservation activities.
Charity objects
1) TO PROMOTE HIGH STANDARDS OF PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE IN OR AFFECTING THE AREA OF BENEFIT 2) TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC IN THE GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY, NATURAL HISTORY AND ARCHITECTURE OF THE AREA OF BENEFIT 3) TO SECURE THE PRESERVATION, PROTECTION, DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF FEATURES OF HISTORIC OR PUBLIC INTEREST IN THE AREA OF BENEFIT