The Birks

17/06/2026

The Birks Committee was saddened to hear of the death of another ex Grove member of staff, Pat Jackson - maths teacher extrordinaire. Whilst not involved with Birks trips, she will be remembered for organising the fabled student trips to South Africa and her commitment to raising funds for Vukani School, a Black Township School that had few resources but dedicated members of staff not unlike Pat. Here are a few photos from the first student visit in 2003.

13/06/2026

Emma Gledhill (nee Phillips) has kindly shared some old and new photos of her experience at the Birks. Emma visited in c.1993 as a Grove School student.
https://thebirks.org.uk/2026/birks-nostalgia-a-new-generation/

10/06/2026

09/06/2026

Fancy working with the Upper Duddon Landscape Recovery team? The National Trust are offering a Level 2 Assistant Ranger Apprentice role.

You will be working alongside our partners - including local farmers, the University of Leeds, Forestry England, and the South Cumbria Rivers Trust - as part of the Upper Duddon Landscape Recovery Project, restoring a diverse range of habitats. These include farmland, woodlands, heathland, peatland, and upland areas. You will gain hands-on experience in boundary repair and construction, habitat and monitoring surveys, access improvements, and the planting of trees and wildflowers. This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of an ambitious 20-year, 2,800-hectare restoration project.

More information in the link below. Application deadline is 22nd June.

Please share.
Showcase Cumbria Nature Rich Miterdale National Trust Lake District

https://bit.ly/43p5BGh

06/06/2026

Thank you to Janet Tozer for sharing these fabulous pictures from 1989. https://thebirks.org.uk/2026/birks-nostalgia-summer-1989/

31/05/2026

Many ex Grove students will be sad to hear of the death of Jane Bolger, English teacher and former Head of Sixth Form. Jane was a keen supporter of the Birks, regularly attending Ros and Jenny’s annual fundraising Garden Party. She will be sorely missed by many.

13/05/2026

Join us on a volunteer day to help maintain & remove tree tubes, remove non-native conifers, plant trees and wildflowers and allow the natural...

12/05/2026

Please email your photos to:
[email protected]

Thank you

12/05/2026

You have not been sending in your old photographs, so here are some to get you thinking. Tell us the names, tell us the year, tell us about your memories

22/04/2026

All are welcome at our volunteer days and we're a friendly bunch. You just need a reasonable level of physical fitness and some outdoor clothing (we can lend you some if needed, please ask). All instructions and tools are provided. Read more about a typical volunteer day here. If you are part of a ...