Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃

@kirstendevos

Birmingham Spokesperson for Mums for Lungs Mum of 3 👩‍👧‍👦 | Clean air & safe streets advocate @mumsforlungs.bsky.social @betterstreetsforbirmingham.org 🌱 #ActiveTravel 🚶‍♀️🚲 | #SafeStreets 📍 Birmingham

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Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· 17d

“Horror story,” they said. Six years later: families, music, markets, cafés - and today, hundreds of people enjoying the Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever. 💃🏻 This is what happens when we put people first. ❤️ #YorkRoad #StreetsforPeople #TheHeathBookshop www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/sho...

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· 26d

Here it is - the beautiful Blue Route strewn with shredded litter after the grass was mown. 😞 What possesses people to drop litter or throw it from vehicle windows? And now it’s a real hazard too, with all the dry grass, dust and debris.

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· 26d

On Sunday I filled 2 bags litter-picking the Bristol Rd Blue Route. Frustrating to find the grass has been mown with the litter, shredding it into tiny pieces. Could the cycle lane be swept urgently? It’s now a traction hazard for people cycling. @izzyknowles.bsky.social @a38cycleway.bsky.social

Person in a cycle helmet smiling beside a protected cycle lane with two full blue bags of litter collected after a litter pick. Other cyclists are waiting at nearby traffic lights.

Two full blue bags of collected litter beside a bicycle parked on the Bristol Road protected cycle lane, with dry grass and trees lining the route.

Grass verge beside the Bristol Road cycle route after mowing, with shredded plastic and other litter scattered across the cut grass.

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· 29d

Join the University of Birmingham for the Brockmoor Community Climate Celebration 🌿 I’ll be there representing @mumsforlungs.bsky.social at this free family event with activities, workshops and ideas for healthier, greener communities. 📅 Saturday 1 August | 10:30am–2pm 📍 Brockmoor Community Centre

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Jun 27

At King Edward V1 Camp Hill Boys on one of Birmingham’s hottest days on record, we spoke about air pollution and children’s health. We’re not doing enough to protect children’s health - cutting car dependency and enabling walking, wheeling and cycling needs to happen now. @mumsforlungs.bsky.social

Two women stand with bicycles outside King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys on a sunny day. One wears a Better Streets for Birmingham T-shirt and the other a Mums for Lungs T-shirt, promoting cleaner air, active travel and healthier journeys to school.

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Jun 19

Card with handwritten note:

“Dear Councillor

Innocent people have to live with bad air pollution. This is wrong!

Sahar
St John’s CE Primary School Sparkhill”

Card with handwritten text : “Dear councillor
Dirty air is terrible for everyone (especially ) people with asma We need to stop driveing. Please provid a School Bus for people how can’t walk wheel bike or scoot to School
Lucy
Deanery School”

An image of a pair of lungs outlined to the left hand side and words “keep our lungs clean”

Card with handwritten text:

“Dear Councillor,

I am writing to you because around our school there is lots of Lorries and cars and industries which is terrible for our school So I’m asking you to provide our School with zebra crossings.”

Card with handwritten text:

“We need to have less construction sites or use less cars because many people with asthma could have asthma attacks and could get in serious danger. Please can you make our school a School Street

Adderley Primary School”

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Jun 19

@mumsforlungs.bsky.social Birmingham supported the council’s #CleanAirDay event this week. On our stall, children wrote to councillors with clear, urgent ideas: School Streets, safer crossings, less traffic and less smoke. Thoughtful, direct messages - a reminder of the air they breathe every day.

Auntie Duck mascot stands in front of a large presentation screen displaying colourful logos, as adults and children sit in a grand hall with high ceilings and ornate décor

A handwritten card with a drawing of two birds, captioned "Lift Percy Shurmer," and a note urging a councillor to make a change for cleaner air.

Handwritten colourful note: “Dear councillor,” “We need clean air,” “Dirty Air stinks,” “I cough when I breathe in smoky air” From Aisha,” school message.

Children holding cards pose with the Cabinet Member for Transport and three Mums for Lungs volunteers wearing campaign T-shirts.

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Jun 18

Productive #CleanAirDay workshop with #WMCA on the #AirQuality Implementation Plan. Lots of options discussed, with a focus on communication, policy and governance, and active travel, plus School Streets and reducing domestic wood burning emissions. Good momentum on next steps.

A blue tram adjacent to a building (The Exchange University of Birmingham)

Large orange model of the sun (Helios by artist Luke Jerram) suspended from the ceiling in a spacious indoor cafe with tables, chairs, and informational displays.

A woman (Jackie Horgan) stands in front of a screen, engaging an audience in a meeting space.

A digital screen featuring a pie chart that represents statistical data with colour segments

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Jun 18

It’s #CleanAirDay and I’m off to the West Mids Air Quality Implementation Plan Workshop at The Exchange on behalf of @mumsforlungs.bsky.social, via the newly reopened Moseley station. Fantastic to have rail links back, but less diesel please, West Midlands Railway! 🚆🌿 @richardparkerwm.bsky.social

Newly opened Moseley Village railway station entrance with wide paved public space, planting, benches and cycle parking. A station sign stands in the foreground, with mature trees surrounding the site under a cloudy morning sky.

Passengers wait on the platform at Moseley Village railway station beside a West Midlands Railway train. Electronic departure boards hang above the platform, with the new station buildings and surrounding woodland visible in the background.

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Jun 14

6 of us “took the stage” at Cannon Hill parkrun yesterday to ~800 people ahead of #CleanAirDay, encouraging walking, cycling, wheeling & public transport to cut Brum air pollution. 3 of us are medics & 4 are breast cancer survivors, so it’s a message close to our hearts 💚 @mumsforlungs.bsky.social

A group of six women in matching Mums for Lungs branded white t shirts stand on a park bandstand while a person in a blue vest speaks to them using a loudhailer. Bags and supplies are visible in the foreground.

A group of six women in matching white Mums for Lungs branded t shirts stand on a park bandstand. One is speaking using a loudhailer. Bags and supplies are visible in the foreground.

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Jun 3

On #WorldBicycleDay, I’m thankful for 600 miles of freedom on two wheels around Scotland’s east coast and Orkney. Wind in my face, spectacular landscapes, wildlife encounters and memories that will stay with me forever. A true trip of a lifetime. #LoveToRide

Two cycle tourists stand beside loaded touring bikes on the waterfront, with the iconic red Forth Bridge spanning the background across a calm estuary.

Two touring cyclists stand beside a National Cycle Network waymarker and blue directional signs on the Angus coast, with the sea stretching behind them.

A cyclist rides along a quiet country lane bordered by stone walls and vibrant yellow rapeseed fields stretching across the Scottish countryside.

Two people with touring bicycles stand on a grassy cliff overlooking the sea and the ruins of a stone castle (Dunnottar) in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Apr 20

I’ve cycled past this spot hundreds of times but never noticed the small plaque until today. The tulips caught my attention. A simple, heartbreaking tribute to David and James Wassall - two of three young men who lost their lives after a collision there. In my thoughts today.

Yellow and red tulips bloom beside a tree on a grassy bank alongside a cycle lane (the A38 ‘blue route’). There are cars and a van on the carriageway on the left hand side, under a partly cloudy sky.

Plaque on a tree trunk with tribute to David and James Wassall, noting their birth dates and passing on 21-10-12. Underneath are decorative ribbons and delicate fabric roses. A red double-decker bus is visible in the background.

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Apr 7

We were in Lancashire when the first trains set off on the Camp Hill line this morning, but it was wonderful to see the excitement online 🚆 Caught the New Street to Moseley this evening - on time and so great not to be stuck in traffic. Exceeded all our expectations ☺️ www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Train station departure boards display trains to Kings Norton at 19:25 calling at Moseley Village, Kings Heath, Pineapple Road & Kings Norton. People stand below, waiting. Mood is busy.

Smiling woman in casual denim jeans and green top stands beside an open train door on a platform

Train station platform at sunset with a few people walking towards an orange and black train. Bench in the foreground and green exit sign on the left; trees line the background.

Sign for Moseley Village station with railway symbol, surrounded by modern planters and trees.

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Apr 4

Completed my 100th parkrun today - 100 all at Cannon Hill Park! 🎉 Huge thanks to lovely friends, to 5k Your Way, Move Against Cancer for their support and all the volunteers 🙏💕 #LoveParkrun @cannonhparkrun.bsky.social

Two women stand behind a "Cannon Hill parkrun" sign in a park; one wears a "Breast Cancer Now" shirt and the other gives a thumbs up. Trees and bushes are in the background.

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Apr 2

I honestly thought a giant fungus had sprouted in my garden! Turns out it was a partly deflated balloon arch from who knows where. When I had to clear it up, I was struck by the sheer amount of plastic - utterly over the top, wasteful, and frankly something that should be banished to Room 101!

A cluster of pastel-coloured balloons on the ground among greenery and plants in a garden.

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Mar 29

Air quality alert for the West Midlands tomorrow (Mon 30 March), with moderate levels expected. Guidance focuses on health advice, but should also include reducing emissions - less driving, no burning wood or garden waste - as seen in London. @mumsforlungs.bsky.social

Graphic showing “Air Pollution Forecast: Monday 30 March” with a row of colour-coded boxes labelled low (green), moderate (yellow), high (orange), and very high (red). The “moderate” category is highlighted for the West Midlands.

Public health guidance for moderate air pollution. It advises that vulnerable people, including those with lung or heart conditions, should reduce strenuous outdoor activity and may need to use medication like inhalers more often. The general population is told they can continue normal activities.

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Mar 27

Delighted to be at the #LivingStreets #WalkingSummit on behalf of @mumsforlungs.bsky.social this week. As new guidance lands on safer streets for women and girls, it's clear: walking and wheeling cut air pollution - but only if streets feel safe for everyone. Clean air starts with better streets 💚

Five people stand side by side in front of a stage at the Living Streets National Walking Summit, smiling at the camera. From left to right: Zak Viney (Living Streets), Alistair Robinson (Transport for West Midlands), me (Kirsten) wearing a “Mums for Lungs” t-shirt, Adam Tranter (Living Streets Trustee), and Tom Perkins (Better Streets for Birmingham). Behind them is a presentation screen and summit signage, and the venue features ornate gold detailing and wooden flooring.

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Mar 1

Last week we did a day trip to Bristol to pick up our preordered Temple Cycles bikes! 🚲 We haven’t owned a car for nearly 4 years, so e-bikes feel like a practical choice. Won’t be for everyday use - my trusty old Trek has handled that just fine. Can’t wait to start touring 🌿

Two people stand with bicycles on a stone-paved area, with Clifton Suspension Bridge and blue sky in the background.

A (Banksy) mural on a wall depicts a man hanging by one hand from a windowsill while two figures look out the window above, with splashes of blue and pink paint covering parts of the artwork.

Close up shot of a section of a bike with a sign reading "one less car" promoting sustainable transportation and reduced car usage.

A map showing the UK and the Republic of Ireland mounted on a wall, illustrating topography and major locations. To the right, “National Cycle Network” is labelled, with a plaque below providing further details.

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Mar 1

We gave up waiting for the council to clear the cycle path and did it ourselves this morning - if a job’s worth doing… 🚲🍂 Thanks to Moseley Litterbusters for the bags and the inspiration!

A person clearing a thick build-up of wet leaves and mud from a marked cycle lane using a shovel. Blue rubbish bags and a broom sit on the pavement beside them. The cycle lane runs alongside a residential street.

A woman standing on the now-cleared cycle lane, giving a thumbs up. The road markings for bicycles are visible again, and the pavement and residential houses line the street behind her.

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Feb 28

Air pollution is a health crisis: ~900 premature deaths in Birmingham each year, and thousands of children hospitalised. The World Health Organization says no level of air pollution is safe, and 1 in 11 UK children have asthma. Join @mumsforlungs.bsky.social to campaign for change #CleanAirCrowd

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Feb 28

Great to meet Sian Hooson at Moseley Market today - doing a fantastic job for @greenpeaceuk.bsky.social and raising awareness about the Rosebank oil field. Say NO to new oil and gas here 🌍✊ actionnetwork.org/petitions/ha...

A woman wearing sunglasses and a “Stop Rosebank” T-shirt stands at a market stall, holding a clipboard and leaflets. Behind her are Greenpeace campaign posters reading “Energy bills sky high? Same” and “Let’s stop gas rip-off,” with a “#Stop Rosebank” sign visible. Other shoppers and stalls can be seen in the background.

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Feb 15

💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Feb 12

Please share with anyone in Brum who might be interested - free places on 2 hour basic bike maintenance courses open to all - everyone who attends will get a free cycling related gift bag too! Places are limited, email or call Sally to book: sally.watson-jones@cyclinguk.org @cyclinguk.bsky.social

CyclingUK

Learn the basics to look after your bike
Join a FREE 2 hour session to learn the maintenance basics for your bike. Whether you're new to cycling or need to brush up on your skills, these events are perfect for you.
Friday 13 February, 10am-12pm at The Old Print Works, Balsall Heath
Friday 20 February, 10am-12pm at The Old Print Works, Balsall Heath
Monday 23 February, 10am-12pm at Ackers Adventure, Small Heath
Saturday 28 February, 10am-12pm at Ackers Adventure, Small Heath
Limited spaces - booking essential
Email or call for more info and to book your place:
sally.watson-jones@CyclingUK.org
07789 500 540

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Feb 3

I’ve a good bikecam - but I’ve not got into the habit of using it. Maybe I’ll try this year. I report lots while on foot though - including this one today 😩

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Feb 2

Yep! Here’s an example of the pushback: I can name at least 7 car parks in Kings Heath without trying -The Range, ASDA, Lidl, Sainsbury’s, two on Institute Rd (incl. St Dunstan’s) and the High St car park 🤷‍♀️

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Jan 27

I’m about to report these:

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Jan 24

Joined an archaeology tour of Moseley Bog with Dr. Mike Hodder today. Burnt mounds, sweat lodges, sluice, dam, and marl pit - fascinating glimpses of how the landscape was shaped over millennia. No wonder it’s said to have inspired Tolkien. Thanks to the Friends of Moseley Bog for organising!

Wooden information board at the entrance to Moseley Bog, surrounded by leafless trees. A large sign reads “Welcome to Moseley Bog” above a map of Moseley Bog & Joy’s Wood Nature Reserve, with paths, woodland areas, and wildlife information, plus notices about volunteering and archaeology events.

A guided walk in Moseley Bog: an older man with white hair (Dr Mike Hodder) gestures toward a narrow stream (with evidence of a ‘burnt mound’) beside a muddy woodland path. Leafless trees and ivy-covered trunks surround the watercourse, with simple wooden stakes and branches reinforcing the bank, while a small group listens in the background.

A shallow stream winding through Moseley Bog, with pebbled banks, fallen branches, and ivy-covered trees. Two people stand on the wooded bank in the distance listening to a guide. On the left bank, partly hidden by soil and vegetation, are the remains of bricks marking where a sluice would have been.

A small group walks along a boardwalk through Moseley Bog, wearing winter clothing. Dense trees and undergrowth surround the path, with fallen leaves covering the ground. A guide gestures toward a low-lying area of the bog, explaining where a pool would once have been.

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Jan 22

This #CleanAirNight I’ve been out popping posters on community noticeboards, railings outside healthcare centres, parks and local streets, and shops selling wood - simply to raise awareness. 6/8

A sign on a railing reads, "If you can smell wood burning, you're breathing in harmful air pollution." It's nighttime near a medical centre.

A large tree with a pink sign tied around it on a dimly lit forest path. The sign warns about wood smoke and air pollution.

A stack of wrapped firewood on a pallet, displayed indoors. A bright pink sign warns about air pollution from wood burning.

A blue sign with symbols for cycling and walking is mounted on a post. Below, a pink poster reads, "If you can smell wood burning, you're breathing in harmful air pollution." The setting is a dimly lit residential street at night, with trees and streetlights in the background.

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Jan 19

Good to see Birmingham City Council backing #CleanAirNight - clear, evidence-based messaging on wood burning and air quality that puts public health first.

Birmingham City Council

Burning wood is by far the most polluting way of heating your home, affecting the health of you and your family.
92% of homes with wood burners have other main heat sources like gas central heating. That's why, ahead of #CleanAirNight on 22nd January, we're encouraging residents to choose a healthier way to stay warm.
Find out more: https://orlo.uk/ull6w
...
RESPONSIBLE FOR 11% OF TOTAL PM2.5
EMISSIONS
IN 2023
X
A GREENER BIRMINGHAM
#ClearTheAir

Birmingham City Council

A cosy night in front of a roaring fire is almost hardwired into our minds as an idyllic way to spend a winter evening.
The impact on health, however, can be chilling.
Ahead of #CleanAirNight this Thursday, join us in pledging to heat your home a healthier way.
Find out more: https://orlo.uk/xgb0v
Image of wood burning with text:
LIGHTING FIRES IN OUR HOMES IS ONE OF THE
LARGEST SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION IN THE UK

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃@kirstendevos· Jan 18

You won’t be surprised to hear that there’s no mention of this in the Facebook post either! Reported thanks to @mrmjprice.bsky.social