History
Built in 1803, on the 4th October 1804, the Birch Meadow Chapel was licensed at the County quarter sessions as a Baptist meeting place. After being decommisioned in 1927 it became the Elite
Cinema. During WW2 it was used by the local ARP and Home Guard, before becoming the Bladen club in the mid sixties. Today, some might say, we have come full circle with a thriving cinema club
and live music events.
What we are now
Its independent Management Committee of volunteers (Trustees of the Charity) work hard to ensure that the Birchmeadow remains an attractive venue for top quality live music, for dances, amateur dramatics, cinema, and various other activities that aim to meet the needs of the people of Broseley and its surroundings.
In recent years the Council and the Birchmeadow have secured grants to help refurbish parts of the building, and the Council has provided essential maintenance works. The Committee is keen to make the most of all our spaces to broaden the use of the Centre, and to include training, health and fitness activities, and children's functions (including those that can exploit the safe and easy access onto Broseley's outstanding Birchmeadow Park).
Working with its user groups, it offers a range of presentation and entertainment facilities, with a large hall and several other rooms for different kinds of function.
Registered Charity 1085489
Thanks for grant-aid and for general support
in recent years must go to ...
Postcode Local Trust : Local Joint Committee : Grassroots
Millichope Foundation : Shropshire Council : Awards for All
.... and of course Broseley Town Council itself
The installation of the large solar PV system on our roof in August 2017 was only made possible through the grant of £19,040 from the Postcode Local Trust, a grant-giving charity funded entirely by
players of the People's Postcode Lottery.
Broseley Town Council receive the Feed In Tariff from the electricity that's generated by the system.
The Birchmeadow Committee's Vice Chairman, who oversaw the installation said “not only does it demonstrate the community’s commitment to embracing sustainable energy
generation, but it has the potential to help Broseley Town Council reduce the running costs of the Centre,
the town’s largest community asset”.