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NEWS: Councillor Robert Alden will not stand for Birmingham Erdington seat at upcoming General Election

Words and pics by Ed King / Profile pic of Cllr Robert Alden supplied by Birmingham Conservatives

Erdington Ward Councillor Robert Alden will not be standing for the Birmingham Erdington seat in the upcoming General Election – as he has done successively since 2010.

Birmingham Conservative members who live within the Erdington constituency will be voting for their new parliamentary candidate on Wednesday 13 March – alongside further votes to select Conservative candidates for the Erdington, Pype Hayes, and Kingstanding Wards.

Party members outside of the specific constituency and Ward boundaries will not be eligible to vote but have been invited to attend the selection meeting, where the nominees will be presented and voted on – to be held tonight at the Erdington Conservative Club on Orphanage Road from 7:30pm.

Whilst the date for the next General Election is yet to be set, in accordance with parliamentary process it must be called by 28 January 2025.

However, many have speculated Prime Minister Sunak will announce May as the month – with growing speculation about a ‘snap election’ following the recent defection of Conservative Deputy Chairman Lee Anderson to Reform UK.

Leader of the Birmingham Conservatives, Robert Alden has been an Erdington Ward councillor since 2006 after taking it from Labour – a position he now shares with Conservative running mate, Cllr Gareth Moore.

A prolific figurehead in the area, who lives in central Erdington, Cllr Alden stood against Erdington’s previous MP Jack Dromey in four General Elections. After the sudden death of Mr Dromey in 2022, he stood against Paulette Hamilton in the March ’22 by-election – losing a fiercely fought campaign with 36.3% of the turnout.

As a local councillor, Robert Alden has held the Erdington Ward with a comfortable majority – securing his position in the 2022 local elections with over 50% of the turnout.

A recognised campaigner, Cllr Alden has been a long supporter of community groups such as the Erdington Litter Busters – and was heavily involved in the fight to stop a housing development on Short Heath playing fields, backing the successful campaign led by the Short Heath Fields Trust.

Alongside Cllr Gareth Moore, Cllr Alden is currently campaigning to secure the future of Erdington Library, Perry Common Library, and Kingstanding Library, following fears they will be sold off by Birmingham City Council as part of a £500m assets sale to repay a loan from central government to tackle the city’s financial crisis.

However, at the time of writing it is unclear if Cllr Alden will also be withdrawing from contesting the Erdington Ward in the next City Council elections – as well as the Birmingham Erdington constituency in the General Election.

An email sent to Birmingham Conservative members in February said: “As an Association, we have been fortunate in that Cllr Robert Alden has kindly stood as our parliamentary candidate in five previous elections and has achieved some phenomenal results – turning Erdington from the safest Labour seat in Birmingham in 2005 to now the most marginal Labour-held seat in the City in what has sometimes been trying circumstances for the Party.”

The message continues: “Robert has decided to not stand as our parliamentary candidate on this occasion which means we need to choose a new candidate for the General Election.

“In addition to selecting our parliamentary candidate, afterwards the Association will be selecting our local government candidates for the 2026 elections for Erdington, Pype Hayes and Kingstanding Wards.”

Erdington Local has approached Cllr Alden for comment and has been told more information will be released after the selection meeting on 13 March.

For more from Cllr Robert Alden and Cllr Gareth Moore visit www.facebook.com/ErdingtonNews

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NEWS: Free photo walks around Rookery Park and Erdington High Street – ahead of Green Spaces exhibition at Ikon Gallery

Words & pics by Ed King

Across March, a series of free to access photo walks and workshops will be held in Erdington – with Birmingham born photographer Jaskirt Dhaliwal-Boora inviting local residents to explore how green spaces and urban settings can impact their mental health.

Starting on Monday 4 March, the first photo walk will take place between 10:30am and 12noon – with subsequent workshops held at the same time on Monday 11 March and Monday 24 March.

The events will run for about 45mins each, with regular stops, and no previous experience of photography required to take part. Organisers have asked those attending to ‘wear suitable warm clothing and footwear for urban walking.’

Locations outlined for the photo walks include Rookery Park and Erdington High Street.

As well as the photography workshops, participants will have the option to display their work at Ikon Gallery in June as part of a special exhibition called Green Spaces – alongside portraits of those who attended the events in green spaces that are important to them, taken by Dhaliwal-Boora.

Jaskirt Dhaliwal-Boora is an award winning Birmingham photographer and multi disciplinarian artist, who uses her work to ‘empower and give voice’ to marginalised communities and explore how to visually capture and represent ethnicity, gender, and place.

Awarded the British Journal of Photography’s Portrait of Britain prize for three years running, from 2022-24, her previous work has been exhibited at the UN Headquarters in New York, Wembley Stadium, The People’s History Museum in Manchester, and at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022.

To see previous portraits taken by Dhaliwal-Boora, click here to visit her online portfolio or on the link below.

A collaboration between Ikon Gallery and Living Well Consortium – a group of 30 charities, volunteer groups, and not-for-profit mental health organisations – the Green Spaces project and exhibition are intended to ‘raise awareness of, and engagement with, topics centred on mental health and wellbeing’, according to organisers.

According to UK based mental health charity Mind, a quarter of the British population will experience mental health problems – with the Office of National Statistics finding the one in six people across the UK will experience depression at any one time.

Men’s suicide rates, often linked to mental health concerns or depression, are three time higher than women’s in the UK – as found in a report published by The Samaritans.

Green Spaces is scheduled to be on display at Ikon Gallery from 12–23 June, later this year.

For more information and to book a place on the Erdington photo walks, please email Green Spaces producer Amelia Hawk at a.hawk@ikon-gallery.org

To find out more about the Green Spaces photo walks and workshops in Erdington visit: www.ikon-gallery.org/news/view/photo-walks-and-workshops

For more on the Green Spaces exhibition at Ikon Gallery visit www.ikon-gallery.org/exhibition/green-spaces

For more on Jaskirt Dhaliwal-Boora visit www.jaskirtdhaliwalboora.com

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NEWS: St Thomas’ Association raise £400 to support brain injury rehabilitation centre

Words by Ed King / Pics supplied by St Thomas’ Association and Google Maps)

Earlier this year, members of the St Thomas’ Association handed over a cheque of £400 to West Heath House – a Birmingham based rehabilitation centre that provides care and support for people recovering from brain injury.

The money was raised after kind hearted people at the Erdington social club, situated on Station Road, held fundraising raffles over six weeks and generated a total of £1000 for charity.

Donations were also made to Birmingham Hospice Partnership – who operate John Taylor Hospice on Grange Road, the Alzheimer’s Society – and Guide Dogs for the Blind. 

West Heath House, based in West Heath, is run by the national charity Brainkind and is and is one of the only places in the city that can offer ‘innovative rehabilitation and ongoing support to enable people to thrive after a brain injury.’

The South Birmingham facility was chosen by people from St Thomas’ Association after one of their longstanding members – Colin Anderson, who has played dominoes at the club for over 30 years – became a resident at West Heath House.

Staff from the centre took time from their own personal life to escort Colin to a special dominoes league presentation night at St Thomas’ Association in October last year, traveling across Birmingham and back again, and won the hearts of the people who use the club and know Colin.

After receiving the generous donation from St Thomas’ Association, West Heath House Service Manager, Paul Higgins, responded in writing by saying: ‘I would like to thank all members of the St Thomas Association for their amazingly kind donation. The money will be used for the people we support in a way of their choosing.’

St Thomas’ Association has been part of the Erdington community for nearly 130 years, having first opened its doors in 1895. The club recently had an upgrade worth £200k and offers a vibrant social and events calendar – alongside top of the range facilities for private parties, functions, and corporate bookings.

For more on St Thomas’ Association visit www.saint-toms.co.uk or call (0121) 373 4144

For more on West Heath House visit www.brainkind.org/services/west-heath-house

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NEWS: Erdington locals get free tickets to Bhangra Nation – tonight at Birmingham Rep

Words by Ed King / Production pics by Craig Sugden

Erdington locals can get their hands on free and discounted tickets to see Bhangra Nation – A New Musical at the Birmingham Rep theatre tonight (Wednesday 28 February).

Starting at 7:30pm, the first 50 tickets of this evening’s performance will be totally free to the lucky Erdington residents who book online or over the phone between 12noon and 6pm on (0121) 236 4455 – using the discount code ERDINGTON.

All remining tickets for Bhangra Nation on Wednesday 28 February will be discounted to £5 to anyone with an Erdington address. The performance will also be British Sign Language (BSL) interpretated.

Bhangra Nation runs at Birmingham Rep until 16 March, with more discounts for Erdington residents on the evening performances between 4-6 March and both the matinee and evening performances on 7 March. For more information direct from the Birmingham Rep click here.

Adapted from the book Bhangra Nation by Rehana Lew Mirza and Mike Lew, with music and lyrics by award winning musical theatre composer Sam Willmott, Bhangra Nation – A New Musical exploded on to the Rep stage earlier in February – telling the high octane story of a competitive bhangra team, Uni Bhangra, on their way to the national championship.

But as the dream starts to become a reality, the narrative explores the tug of war between traditional and modern values and ideals – told through the eyes and experience of teammates Preeti (Zaynah Ahmed) and Mary (Jena Pandya).

Directed by West End and Broadway’s Stafford Arima (Ragtime, A Class Act), and produced by the Tony Award- Mara Isaacs (Hadestown) and Tom Kirdahy (Hadestown, The Inheritance), Bhangra Nation – A New Musical is chorographer by Rujuta Vaidya – whose international credits across Hollywood and Bollywood include working with artists from Britney Spears to Priyanka Chopra.

Spokespeople from the production team told: “Bhangra Nation – A New Musical is a joyful, exuberant celebration of Bhangra and a deeply felt exploration of identity and community among young people finding their own way forward in the world.

“We can’t imagine a better home to help launch Bhangra Nation in the UK than in Birmingham.” 

Birmingham REP Artistic Director, Sean Foley, added: “I am beyond thrilled to be welcoming the amazing cast, the award-winning producing team, the extraordinary international creative team, and this spectacular show, to the Birmingham Rep.

“In a City that has a claim to be the modern centre of Bhangra, I’m looking forward to seeing the show connecting with both our South Asian communities, and with all audiences looking for a great night out.”

Bhangra Nation – A New Musical / A look behind the scenes

Bhangra Nation – A New Musical run at the Birmingham REP theatre until 16 March. For more information direct from the theatre, with links online ticket sales, visit www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on/bhangra-nation-a-new-musical

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NEWS: “Throw good money after bad” – concerns raised over the real cost to fix Birmingham’s Oracle IT system

Words by Ed King

(The following article is part of an ongoing investigation with Birmingham Dispatch, looking into Birmingham financial crisis and governance issues. For more on The Dispatch, and to subscribe to their daily content, visit www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk )

Birmingham City Council remains shocking unclear as to just how much money – and time – it will take to fix their beleaguered IT system, as the reality of the Oracle scandal starts to come to light.

In a fraught audit committee meeting on Wednesday 21 February, the projected costs outlined to aid with the “reimplementation” of the financail management programme came under fierce scrutiny, with Cllr Meirion Jenkins (Con, Sutton Mere Green) asking “a straight forward question” about how many more paid consultancy days were needed until the problems was solved.

Cllr Meirion underpinned his concerns by reminding the committee “these people are coming in at £1000 per day… possibly more”, mirroring more widespread concerns over the City’s arguably exuberant expenditure on outside consultants.

He further compared the local authority debacle to the private sector, where, he argued, commercial companies would decide “we don’t want to throw good money after bad.”

In response, the City’s Interim Finance Director and Section 151 Officer, Fiona Greenway, admitted the Oracle recovery team “are getting to grips” with the situation and pulled back on providing “a set of numbers and deadlines… only to come back and say, actually they’ve changed.”

Greenway, the Council officer who issued the Section 114 Notice in September 2023 – effectively declaring Birmingham as bankrupt, has recently been appointed as the Council’s Senior Oracle Responsible Officer working underneath Oracle Programme Lead, Philip Macpherson.

Macpherson, who sat on a table alone with slumped shoulders throughout the 21 February Audit Committee meeting, further confirmed his team still has “a lot of work to do” and whilst “estimates” have been put into the Council’s budget to pay for the Oracle fiasco they may have to “refine those”.

Having already reportedly cost Birmingham City Council and its taxpayers £86m, in recent budget proposals for 2024/25 and 2025/26 a further £45m was allocated across the two years to help support the Oracle recovery.

But those projected costs now appear to be more wishful thinking than a concrete cashflow forecast, as an “options analysis” is still being done to decide the best way forward with Oracle.

Greenway further stated the need for an interim financial management system to avoid “a number of risks from manual workaround” as one of the “fundamental issues”, but did not clarify the cost for putting a new system in place “through due procurement process.”

Perhaps the only point that can be agreed upon is the importance of having a functioning system in place, as no financial recovery plan is fully possible without auditable accounts. The Commissioners appointed by Central Government to clean up Birmingham’s financial mess, led by Max Caller CBE, have cited the “Oracle recovery” as one of the “fundamental elements” of their plan to save the city.

But in the same statement, made ahead of the Audit Committee last week (21 February), Commissioners also call out Birmingham City Council for not having “demonstrated the ability and capability” to follow the advice to do so.

After bringing in external auditors Grant Thornton, recommendations over Oracle made to Birmingham City Council on 31 January 2024 again highlighted “a lack of Oracle knowledge” leaving the local authority “without the capability and expertise” to properly balance their books.

But the viability of the entire system is now seemingly under question, which since it’s initial ‘go live’ date nearly two years ago has never operated successfully – leaving the UK’s largest local government to manually “adjust inaccuracies” in its ledger.

Questioning whether the City had now in fact reached “the point of no return” with Oracle, Councillor Paul Tilsley CBE (Lib Dem, Sheldon) went on to challenge previous decisions not to pull the plug on the defunct system as it could have been “cheaper for (the Council) to start again”.

Cllr Robert Alden (Con, Erdington) also questioned the strength of any previous analysis, which was reportedly conducted after the first failings in the Oracle system were addressed, asking that “when the new options appraisal is shared, we can make sure the old one is shared too.”

However, Mark Stocks, Grant Thornton’s Head of Public Sector/Not for Profit Audit and author of their recommendations made to Birmingham City Council on 31 January, explained the Council were still “a way away from making that decision” – leaving the future of the Oracle system, and the costs involved in fixing or replacing it, hanging in the balance.

Erdington Local has asked Birmingham City Council for a breakdown to the costs for the Oracle recovery to date, and to clearly identify how much of the projected budget would be allocated to outside consultants or technical support.

It is expected the ongoing financial and logistical concerns over the Oracle system will be addressed at the Cabinet meeting held today, on Tuesday 27 February.

If you would like to get in touch about any of the issues raised in this article, or around Birmingham City Council’s ongoing financial crisis, please email: edking@erdingtonlocal.com

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BACK TO SCHOOL: Wilson Stuart School hosts sensory music experience for students

Words & pic supplied by Wilson Stuart School

In an effort to enhance the musical experiences of students across all age groups, Wilson Stuart School recently welcomed Mike Dryburgh from SENSE, a leading organisation in promoting inclusive activities for individuals with complex needs. The event aimed to broaden students’ access to music through innovative technologies.

Mike Dryburgh’s captivating music performance showcased the integration of music technology, featuring loop pedals and vibrating sound packs. Students not only enjoyed the immersive musical journey but also actively engaged in creating their own compositions using the cutting-edge technology.

Associate Head Tom Elmes, emphasised the profound impact of music on learners, providing sensory input and fostering a sense of joy and wellbeing.

Mr Elmes highlighted the significance of offering students new and enriching experiences, stating: “To have a new experiences from SENSE is a great opportunity for our students and one in which we will look to repeat in the future.”

Executive Head Simon Harris also joined the action by conducting a student-led performance, offering a unique interpretation of Nirvana’s classic ‘Molly’s Lips.’ The event successfully brought together the school community, promoting inclusivity and showcasing the transformative power of music for students with complex physical and medical needs.

Wilson Stuart School continues its commitment to providing a holistic and diverse education, ensuring that students have access to a wide range of experiences that contribute to their overall development and wellbeing.

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: Staying safe online at Queensbury School

Words & pics by supplied by Queensbury School

Queensbury School in Erdington marked Safer Internet Day on 6 February. This global day of internet safety awareness is now in its 20th year.

The school had Safer Internet Day assemblies, complete with interactive quizzes where the form groups faced off against each other in a test of their internet safety knowledge – happily there were a huge number of correct answers.

Throughout the week, students have talked about cyberbullying in particular and how to be a conscientious user of the internet community.

One Year 9 student pointed out that, “the internet is meant to be helpful, to make things better and easier.” It is this attitude that Queensbury aims to instil in its students.

The school was also supported by Birmingham East’s School Liaison Police Officer, who led sessions with individual classes highlighting the risks of internet use presented in the context the local area and schools.

This followed on from a parent workshop on internet safety that took place at the school a week prior.

The main outcome desired is that all children know how to behave online, and that if they have any concerns at all not to hesitate to simply ask a responsible adult.

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: Marsh Hill children swap Christmas cards with Polish school pen pals

Words and pics by Marsh Hill Primary School

At Marsh Hill, we are constantly striving to enrich our pupil’s lives by giving them a range of opportunities and experiences.

One exciting new initiative we have started this academic year is for Year 4 to make international links with a Polish school, Mlodziezowy Osrodek Socjoterapii in Pomorska Wies.

Year 4 were extremely busy before Christmas making festive cards to post to the children at Mlodziezowy Osrodek Socjoterapii. Our pupils were thrilled when they returned to school in January to see that they had received a special delivery from Poland!

Shown above are the Christmas cards they have received from the children in Poland. Our Marsh Hill children were very impressed with how their Polish pen pals had written the cards in English and are going to now learn how to write back in Polish with the help of Miss Matylda.

Over the year, Year 4 will continue to communicate and have links with the school children in Poland.

A huge thank you to Miss Matylda for giving our pupils this wonderful opportunity.

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: Chinese New Year at Kings Rise Academy

Words and pics by KRA editorial team

Here at Kings Rise Academy, we love to experience lots of different cultures and traditions! On 10 February, people all around the world welcomed in the Chinese New Year in many different ways.

At Kings Rise Academy, we celebrated the day by eating Chinese food, creating lots of different crafts, learning about Chinese New Year, and dressing in red, yellow, and gold.

The day was organised by our amazing Miss Woo who said: “Chinese New Year is about family getting together and celebrating good health and a year of joy.”

Miss Woo spoke to all of the children in assembly and sent everyone home with a fortune cookie to celebrate the holiday. This year also marks the year of the dragon which symbolises power, wisdom, strength, and knowledge.

The children all agreed that their favourite part of the day was creating their own dragon stencils, learning all about Chinese New Year traditions, and seeing the dinner hall so wonderfully decorated thanks to our amazing staff. 

As the celebrations landed on the day of half term, all the children and staff at Kings Rise Academy wish everyone a Happy Lunar New Year from us and we hope you have a relaxing half term.

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

The Kings Rise Editorial Team are: Sienna Mills Y5, Zaneta Onojah Y5, Liyana Walters Y5, Riley Mortiboys Y5, Hiba Ahmed Y4, Ehichoya Jason Obor, Y5.

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: Problem Solving Challenge Day at Kingsthorne Primary School

Words and pics by Kingsthorne Primary School

The end of term always means the same thing at Kingsthorne, House Challenge Day. Pupils come off the normal timetable and split into their four houses, Earth, Fire, Ice, and Water.

Previous challenges have included an art competition inspired by influential female artists, a talent show, and a construction day where the children built items for the rejuvenation of Finchley Park.

This time, it was the Problem Solving Challenge Day. The children had to solve mind-bending puzzles including a scavenger hunt linked to the Kingsthorne values, devious domino maths, and thought twisting tangrams.

The scores will be added to the running total and at the end of the year the winning house will be revealed and awarded the trophy.

Organiser, Mr Ricketts, commented: “The House Challenge Days are a good way to encourage friendly competition and for the pupils to work with people they don’t usually get the chance to.

“It helps build resilience and friendships.”

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