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COMMUNITY ANCHORS: The impact of Council cuts on our communities: and what we can do

Words by Afzal Hussain – Chief Officer of Witton Lodge Community Association

Like many of you, we have seen the degree and shape of the Council’s funding and service cuts, and they are devastating. At Witton Lodge Community Association, we are deeply concerned about the impact that they will have on our most vulnerable communities. Local charities, groups, foodbanks, and networks are doing their very best, but are being overwhelmed by a tsunami of demand.

As the Council grapples with its financial crisis, we know that budgets are not just numbers – they represent lives, hopes, and the very fabric of our community. Following a decade of austerity, we are particularly concerned about further cuts to Youth Services and Libraries – they are the frontline of providing support, education, a sense of belonging, and safe spaces for our young people.

We know local charities and support networks play a critical role, and these funding cuts mean that unfortunately, some will go under, whilst others will struggle to maintain the already ‘frayed safety net’ that many vulnerable people rely on.

But, as we did during the pandemic, we will be stepping up to the challenge. We have already distributed over £250,000 to local groups to provide essential support services and will redouble efforts to strengthen local networks to attract further resources.

We have urged the Council to work with us and local partners to protect local assets. At Witton Lodge we have a successful track record of doing this – Perry Common Community Hall, Witton Lakes Eco Hub, and Erdington Baths (our latest venture), are some examples of this. But it is not just about buildings, it is about local voices and services – designing and delivering services differently to meet the needs of our communities, and ensuring the Council gets value-for-money.

Our community and city’s recovery relies on us pulling together, taking action, and advocating for change that works with the grain of communities.

For more on Witton Lodge Community Association, visit www.wittonlodge.org.uk

Witton Lodge Community Association is a key partner in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme, supporting independent local and community journalism.

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BACK TO SCHOOL: Wilson Stuart School students thrive in five day adventure at Bendrigg Lodge

Words & pics supplied by Wilson Stuart School

Thirteen students from Wilson Stuart School embarked on a transformative five-day residential experience at Bendrigg Lodge in the picturesque Lake District. The trip aimed to provide fully accessible outdoor and indoor activities, fostering personal growth, and emphasising the school’s CIRCLE values.

The students embraced a range of activities, from caving and rock climbing to canoeing and the exhilarating zip wire. The immersive experience not only tested their physical abilities but also served as a platform to enhance their confidence, a key aspect of the school’s values.

For many students, this marked their first time away from home, presenting a unique challenge met with absolute positivity. The resilience and maturity displayed by the students throughout the trip earned them credit as outstanding representatives of the school.

Looking ahead, Tom Elmes, Associate Head of Secondary, expressed anticipation for a similar adventure with the upper school in the summer term.

Reflecting on the impact, Mr Elmes remarked: “The opportunities that the residential trip gives to our students are outstanding. All of our students surprise themselves with what they can do, and the smiles all week speak volumes.”

Trip leader Leigh Noble emphasised the enduring value of the experience, stating: “The skills that students gain away from home at a centre like Bendrigg are skills that they will take with them for life – a truly unforgettable experience for all.”

BACK TO SCHOOL: Wilson Stuart students spend five days at Bendrigg Lodge (pics by Tom Elmes)

For more on Wilson Stuart School visit www.wilsonstuart.co.uk

Wilson Stuart School is part of the Erdington Local BACK TO SCHOOL programme, working together to celebrate school life from staffroom to classroom.

To find out more about going BACK TO SCHOOL please email: edking@erdingtonlocal.com

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BACK TO SCHOOL: Celebrating World Book Day at Queensbury School

Words & pics by supplied by Queensbury School

There was a definite buzz around school on Thursday 7 March as Queensbury were celebrating World Book Day in style.

Both students and staff participated wholeheartedly in the event by dressing up as characters from books. The pupils initially joined in an assembly which informed the students on why reading is important and how they could have difficulty accessing the whole curriculum if they can’t read and understand text.

Equally they learned how not only is reading a life skill to keep safe in the future but it is an enjoyable pastime to escape the stresses of the day and also enrich and widen their knowledge.

Throughout the day the pupils were engaged in fun, creative reading activities including book quizzes, writing lyrics to songs, being illustrators and designing front covers to name a few.

However, the highlight of the day was when local children’s author Alan Stott delivered a presentation about what was the inspiration for his stories and how to develop writing skills.

Overall, the day was a huge success promoting a love of reading, inspiring illustrators and authors of the future in a fun and creative way.

For more Queensbury School visit www.queensburysch.com

Queensbury School is part of the Erdington Local BACK TO SCHOOL programme, working together to celebrate school life from staffroom to classroom.

To find out more about going BACK TO SCHOOL please email: edking@erdingtonlocal.com

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BACK TO SCHOOL: Forest School at Marsh Hill

Words and pics supplied by Marsh Hill Primary

At Marsh Hill Primary School, we have been delivering Forest School sessions since January 2022 with a Forest School Practitioner from Forest Schools Birmingham to develop our pupil’s social skills, problem solving skills, taking risks and enjoyment for the outdoors.

Research in the UK into Forest School and its impacts on young children found positive impacts on children in terms of confidence, social skills, language and communication, motivation and concentration, physical skills and knowledge and understanding.

Our pupils complete a 12-week programme which covers all of the forest school rules, learning new skills and having fun along the way. After the 12 week programme, the children invite their parents/carers into school for a Forest School celebration assembly to share what they have learnt at Forest School and showcase their amazing achievements.

We are extremely grateful for the work we are doing with Forest School Birmingham and our children have an amazing time.

For more on Marsh Hill Primary School visit www.marshill.bham.sch.uk

Marsh Hill Primary School is part of the Erdington Local BACK TO SCHOOL programme, working together to celebrate school life from staffroom to classroom.

To find out more about going BACK TO SCHOOL please email: edking@erdingtonlocal.com

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BACK TO SCHOOL: Celebrating Mother’s Day at Kings Rise Academy

Words and pics by KRA

On Friday 8 March, children at Kings Rise Academy celebrated Mother’s Day with a special presentation in the main hall – inviting family, parents, and carers to come into school to mark the occasion with a special assembly.

Having written and prepared their own heartfelt messages of love than appreciation, our children welcomed the opportunity to stand on stage, read their personal messages, and tell their loved ones just how important they are.

Kings Rise Academy’s school motto is ‘Together We Succeed’ and the recent Mother’s Day celebration was a great example of how we can all be better people when we are loved and supported.

Year 5 Teacher and Curriculum Lead, Mrs Kelly Ann Dawes, told: “It was really wonderful to see all the hard work and effort the children put into their messages, and how they got to share them at such a special occasion – joined by the people that mean so much to them.

“We understand that family can mean different things to different people, but love is eternal – and that’s what we got to celebrate that day.”

For more on Kings Rise Academy visit www.kingsrise.org

Kings Rise Academy is part of the Erdington Local BACK TO SCHOOL programme, working together to celebrate school life from staffroom to classroom.

To find out more about going BACK TO SCHOOL please email: edking@erdingtonlocal.com

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BACK TO SCHOOL: Kingsthorne Primary School visit the National Justice Museum

Words by Sabrin – Year 5

On Wednesday 28 March Y5 went on a trip to the National Justice Museum for their topic about Crime and Punishment. We asked our intrepid reporter, Sabrin, to tell the story. 

We got on the bus and it took one hour twenty minutes to get there. When we arrived we were led to our first destination – the court room. We acted out a trail based on a real case. The defendant was found guilty by the jury and was sent down the steps!

Next, we had our lunch. After lunch, we went down a flight of stairs to find a Georgian man explaining how people were punished for crimes. We learned that in those days jails weren’t punishments but waiting areas to get punished.

Next, we nervously ventured into the cold, dark, damp cells the prisoners were placed in. Some of us even spotted a hooded figure running creepily in the cells. 

Later, we visited the Victorian women’s cells and even had the chance to try out a Victorian laundry machine! The lady dressed up as a cell keeper said that we weren’t allowed to sit, jump, or run (just like they would have said in the Victorian times)! 

After that, we explored some more and found out ways people were punished. Most of us got to stand in a pillory – but luckily none of us got pelted with rotten tomatoes!

At the end of a long day of learning we collected our coats and bags and headed back from Nottingham. 

For more on Kingsthorne Primary School visit www.kingsthorneprimary.co.uk

Kingsthorne Primary School is part of the Erdington Local BACK TO SCHOOL programme, working together to celebrate school life from staffroom to classroom.

To find out more about going BACK TO SCHOOL please email: edking@erdingtonlocal.com

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NEWS: “A bad taste in the mouth” as Birmingham City Council employees facing cuts to local services presented with “crazy” voluntary redundancy packages

Words by Jacob Morgan

Birmingham City Council has presented workers with a “crazy” new voluntary redundancy package, whilst it grapples with massive cuts – as part of a recently approved budget that will see the largest local authority in Britain withdraw £300m from public services.

Birmingham City Council (BCC) employees were offered voluntary redundancies last August, under its Mutually Agreed Resignation Scheme (MARS).

However, after many calculated their MARS settlements and agonised over the decision whether to leave or stay from their jobs, the Council withdrew the offer in a last minute U-turn – as Erdington Local reported last November.

But Erdington Local can now reveal, BCC employed workers were recently sent an email about forthcoming redundancies with a “lower settlement” – which the Council acknowledged could run into 600 jobs being lost.

A Council spokesman confirmed: “We anticipate that (subject to consultation) up to 600 posts may be declared redundant across the council.”

Workers in children’s services, the youth service, SEND provision, the careers service, and other departments earmarked for budget cuts, have begun to receive voluntary redundancy offers that are seen as “lower” than last year’s MARS scheme.

A Birmingham City Council spokesperson further confirmed the new round of voluntary redundancies.

They told: “A targeted voluntary redundancy scheme has been opened to employees working within services that are seeing proposals for workforce reductions or changes, as a result of the budget savings that the council is having to make. 

“The voluntary redundancy scheme and proposed payment arrangements are enhanced from the statutory minimum for voluntary redundancy payments.”

A Council employee, who has more than 15 years service, told Erdington Local they have received another voluntary redundancy offer which has left “a bad taste in the mouth”.

He added: “I just do not trust the Council anymore. Last year I spent weeks really thinking hard whether I want to be part of what is going to be left after all these cuts.

“I love my job, I work with some amazing but vulnerable youngsters, and can see the difference I make. But where I work could close… so what is the point of staying?

“Also, I spent ages looking at the settlement I was offered under MARS and what that could mean for my immediate future.

He added: “However, just as I was about to submit my voluntary redundancy submission they scrapped MARS. I really, really, really resent the amount of time I wasted thinking it about. They are playing with people’s lives – I that’s what so annoying.

“And now, just a few months later, I have got another voluntary redundancy offer, with a lower settlement.

“I am getting out of this organisation, which is run by people who do not care about the work their employees do.”

Unite regional officer for Birmingham Council, Lee Wiggetts-Clinton, said: “This is a tremendously uncertain time for all staff at Birmingham (City) Council, one thing they can guarantee is that Unite will always have the backs of its members.

“It is crazy at the moment. I did not like MARS. And I don’t like these lower settlements offered. Obviously, defending on people’s circumstances, a voluntary offer could work.

“But I am telling members, tell them to shove their voluntary offers where the sun don’t shine – wait for the bounty of compulsory.”

The voluntary redundancy controversy comes after the HR expert brought into deal with the personnel problems at Birmingham City Council was himself not kept in post, arguably with questions still left to answer about the more widespread financial issues facing the city.

Interim Director of Human Resources and Organisation Development, Darren Hockaday, was reportedly costing taxpayers between £1,200 and £1,500 a day – which is the equivalent of at least £350,000 a year and a much higher annual salary than that of the Birmingham City Council Chief Executive, who earned around £260,000 per year.

Mr Hockaday leftt Birmingham City Council November 2023 after his contact was not renewed – despite the financial crisis gripping the city, and his role as a key city officer responsible for HR of over around 12,000 Council employees.

Reports from other local media have also cited a Council initiated investigations from solicitors Browne Jackson into allegations that individuals at Birmingham City Council “might have failed to abide by ‘the Nolan principles’ that govern public life, including acting with integrity and honesty.”

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NEWS: Derbyshire businessman Steve Knee selected as next Conservative parliamentary candidate for Birmingham Erdington

Words by Ed King / Group pic supplied by Birmingham Conservatives – other pics taken from Steve Knee’s YouTube content

Derbyshire businessman Steve Knee has been selected as the next Conservative parliamentary candidate for the Birmingham Erdington seat – as voted for by locally registered party members.

Following the announcement that longstanding Erdington Ward Councillor Robert Alden will not contest the seat in the upcoming General Election, as he has done over the last four, a selection meeting was organised for 13 March to choose the Conservative’s new Erdington MP hopeful.

On Thursday 14 March, the Birmingham Conservatives issued a statement confirming Mr Knee as their next parliamentary candidate for the Birmingham Erdington seat.

Steve Knee is an established businessman and entrepreneur, who set up Cloudbass Multimedia Limited in February 2009 – a television programme production company which broadcasts high profile events from the London Olympic Games opening ceremony to Glastonbury Festival.

According to documents on file at Companies House, Cloudbass Multimedia Limited is the “largest independently owned” outside broadcast facilities provider – operating from three sites across the UK.

Successfully navigating through the Covid pandemic and international lockdowns, which saw the ruin of many organisations that work with the entertainment sector, Cloudbass Multimedia retains its 40,000 sqft headquarters in Derbyshire – where Mr Knee also lives with his wife and three children.

Mr Knee has also previously stood for the Duffield and Quarndon Ward in the 2023 Amber Valley Borough Council elections, alongside running mate Martin Betteridge – coming in second with around 27% of the turnout, beating Labour but losing to the incumbent Green Party.

Following his selection as parliamentary candidate for the Birmingham Erdington seat, Mr Knee told: “I’m absolutely delighted… as a constituency with a rich heritage, I’m looking forward to representing the people and to help improve their real world outcomes, from the cost of living to dealing with the fallout from the City Council cuts.”

He added: “I’m a passionate advocate of renewable energy, not only for the environmental benefits but as the cheapest form of energy production it can make a real different to the cost of living.”

Following Mr Knee’s selection, Birmingham Conservatives Association Chairman and Erdington Ward Councillor Gareth Moore stated: “Steve (Knee) demonstrated that he is fully aware of the terrible impact Labour’s financial mismanagement will have on residents and how he wants to work with residents and local Conservative Councillors to fight for our area and to help protect vital services like our local libraries.”

The selection meeting on 13 March, held at the Erdington Conservative Club on Orchard Road, also saw local party members confirm to keep in place the following candidates for the 2026 Council elections: Cllr Robert Alden (Erdington Ward), Cllr Gareth Moore (Erdington Ward) and Cllr Rick Payne (Kingstanding Ward).

Steve Knee: Who am I? – taken from Mr Knee’s own YouTube channel

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NEWS: Erdington’s Mo ‘Terminator’ Zubair wins MMA professional debut

Pics supplied by Mo Zubair

An Erdington MMA fighter has begun the long road to international UFC glory with the backing of world champion Leon Edwards.

Mo Zubair spent five years in the amateur MMA ranks and entered the professional arena by winning his bout in Wolverhampton on 2 March in spectacular fashion.

The 23-year-old has trained with fellow Erdingtonian Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards, who proved to every fighter in the UK it was possible to win world titles without being trained in America.

Mo told Erdington Local: “Leon is a big inspiration to me, he has been really supportive. He has let me join him in training camps and join him on the circuit.

“He proves what can be achieved. We are alike, we both came from the streets and just turned up to the gym and changed our lives.”

Mo first began contact sports with a visit to Tyburn Boxing Club as a child. He loved the smells, sounds, and sense of belonging that boxing could bring.

However, like many boxers, fighters, and fans alike, Mo had his head turned by MMA – Mixed Martial Arts. And in Erdington, the catalyst was the popular Ultimate Training Centre (UTC) gym at the old Blockbuster building on the High Street. UTC was the first in the region to have a full size octagon and quickly became a magnet for combat sports athletes from across Birmingham.

Eventually, after being forced to vacate the old premises and several false dawns, UTC left Erdington with its talented trainers scattering to the winds – until a group of trainers began Team Renegade, at a purpose built gym in Northfield.

The rising stars of the Erdington fight scene were Leon Edwards and his brother fighter Fabian, and they followed their trainers to Team Renegade in Northfield. American UFC experts and fighters mocked the facilities and quality of coaching in the UK, let alone Birmingham.

However, Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards stuck with his training team and recorded one of the greatest knockout finishes in sporting history – clinching the welterweight championship by knocking out champion Kamaru Usman in the final seconds of the bout, whilst losing on every judge’s card.

The gym shot to global fame when Joe Rogan showed the new champion a clip of a live video of the gym celebrating back home. Mo said: “I was in the room that night, it was incredible, life changing. I know want to be fighting in the UFC just like Leon. Because of his success there are some UFC fighters training at Team Renegade and West Midlands has become a real hotbed of MMA.”

After winning the biggest amateur competitions possible, including Cage Warriors and Gladiator UK, Mo turned professional on the advice of Team Renegade.

He said: “You can’t just turn professional, you have to be ready and I think I am.

“I am coming up to six years as an amateur so it’s time. I started in small shows and ended up winning the biggest amateur events in the country.”

As an amateur, Mo fought as a flyweight but has begun his tilt at professional glory as a bantamweight.

Fighting on the Golden Ticket Promotions bill at KK’s Steel Hangar in Wolverhampton, Mo won his first professional victory in early March – facing off against Nestor Santana, who already had six professional MMA fights before finished in the first round.

Former John Wilmott School pupil Mo said: “I won with a first round corner stoppage which is a great way to start my professional career. My manager and trainer are just weighing offers and options.”

He added: “I train twice a day, I go home, and do the same the next day. I don’t go to any nightclubs, or any of that. I want to fight in the UFC. That is where the action is and I will not settle for anything less, it is the Premier League of MMA.

“And it would be great to have two fighters from Erdington as champions. It can be done.”

To follow Mo ‘Terminator’ Zubair on Instagram visit www.instagram.com/mozubairmma

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NEWS: Birmingham City Council Chief Executive Deborah Cadman to quit quarter million pound role after Oracle and equal pay effectively bankrupt city

Words by Ed King

Birmingham City Council Chief Executive, Deborah Cadman, has officially announced her plans to step down from the role – walking away from the top flight job from 22 March, which reportedly pays around £260,000 a year.

Ms Cadman was appointed as Birmingham Chief Executive in June 2021, having been the tenth person in the role since the turn of the millennium.

Ms Cadman was previously in position as the first permanent Chief Executive of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) – which came into being in June 2016 – and was appointed an OBE in 2006 for services to local government, following a long career in local governance including holding the position of Chief Executive of Suffolk County Council from 2011 to 2017.

In a statement issued today, Ms Cadman told: “It was always my intention to leave the council once the budget (2024/25) was agreed, and we had a clear route to recovery and improvement. Having secured that approval and having led on the development of the council’s new Improvement and Recovery Plan, I feel that now is the right time to hand over the baton to a new Chief Executive.

“I am of course incredibly disappointed with the council’s current financial position and the challenges that have arisen due to historic Equal Pay issues and the failed implementation of Oracle.

“It has been the honour of my life to be the Chief Executive of the city in which I was born and raised. I wish my colleagues every success in transforming the council into one that this great city deserves.”

The budget Ms Cadman refers to in her statement will see £300m cut from public services, to help get Birmingham City Council financially back on track after a section 114 notice was issued by the city’s Chief Financial Officer, Fiona Greenway, on 5 September 2023.

The potential payout the Council might face in equal pay liabilities, linked to the “bin strikes” from 2017 to 2109, was cited as the reason for the section 114 – with a figure of up to £800m being put into the public domain and endorsed by the exiting Chief Executive, Deborah Cadman.

But many in the corridors of power at Birmingham City Council indicate the real costs to the city may have more to do with the failed implementation of the Oracle ERP system, which was procured to replace the previous SAP system under the advice of city officers serving at the time.

If this proves to be the case, city officials, such as Ms Cadman, will have many questions to answer about the role of the IT and HR support programme in Birmingham’s current financial crisis – which will see residents face on increase of over 20% in Council Tax across the next two years and £500m in public assets being sold to offset a loan from central government.

In response to Deborah Cadman’s resignation earlier today, Birmingham City Council leader and Labour councillor for Glebe Farm and Tile Cross Ward, John Cotton, said: “Deborah has led the council as Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service over the course of the last three years. Her commitment and contribution have been acknowledged by staff, partners and government.

“These have been incredibly difficult times and no one can doubt Deborah’s commitment to the council, the city and the region.”

Leader of the Birmingham Conservatives and councillor for the Erdington Ward, Robert Alden, added: “At a time of unprecedented crisis brought about by the Labour Cabinet, Birmingham now has no Chief Executive, an interim Chief Finance Officer and an interim Monitoring Officer.

“Report after report has talked about the impact of the high turnover rate of senior officers and the resulting loss of corporate memory, but Birmingham Labour have turned this City Council from a place once seen as the pinnacle of a local government career to a national pariah.

“Our great City needs great leadership, but time and again the political leadership has been found badly wanting and residents are paying the cost.”