NEWS: Hundreds attend Black History Month Expo event at Erdington Academy

Pics by Gary Phelps Communications

Black History Month Expo at Erdington Academy / Gary Phelps Communications

On 3 October, students, staff, and hundreds of members of the local community packed into Erdington Academy to enjoy an ambitious Expo event celebrating Black History Month – with music, food, art, and poetry.

More than 300 people flooded into the Kingsbury Road academy for an evening of cultural celebration, performances, events, and to enjoy fresh cuisine spanning a diverse range of African and Caribbean cultures.

The special Expo event created so much enthusiasm from parents, carers, and locals, staff at Erdington Academy, which is part of the Fairfax Multi Academy Trust, had to turn away dozens of people as they had already reached capacity.

Black History Month is a global programme of events and activities to celebrate the African Diaspora and Black culture, as well as to educate and inform people about Black history. It runs throughout October every year and is observed in many countries across the world, from Brazil to Britain.

Black History Month Expo at Erdington Academy / Gary Phelps Communications

Teacher of Food at Erdington Academy, Kerrian Folkes, who helped organise the school’s Black History Month Expo, supported by a committee of staff members, said: “We had a huge turnout – it was amazing to see how enthusiastic people were.

“The community wanted to see what we were doing, and it was great showing them how we embrace culture and foster a sense of belonging here at Erdington Academy.”

Staff on the academy’s Black History Month Event Committee spent September arranging the night of festivities, alongside activities which involved every faculty in the school.

Among the events were poetry writing in the English department, art inspired by Black culture in the Design and Performance faculty, cultural modelling led by Modern Foreign Languages staff, themed productions in Drama, maths competitions, and cultural food preparation in the Food faculty.

Black History Month Expo at Erdington Academy / Gary Phelps Communications

The students then displayed many of their creations and skills learned during lessons and extracurricular activities on the night of the Expo.

Stellar musical performances were delivered by the Year 7 choir, the Erdington Guitar Ensemble, the Year 8 R&B band, and Patrick Ugochukwa and Isabel Cooper – whose piano pieces moved the audience.

Students recited poetry they had written, including Isabella Budiana; and KS3 and KS4 drama students hit the stage with thought-provoking acting performances.

Then, during the interval, attendees were treated to delicious African and Caribbean foods prepared by the students themselves. The mouth-watering menu included jerk chicken, curry goat, vegetable curry, salt fish fritters, jollof rice, and dumplings.

Black History Month Expo at Erdington Academy / Gary Phelps Communications

Ms Folkes added: “Every single member of staff was involved in some way, from the Head to the support staff, hence the success we had.”

The celebration ended with brilliant final appearances by bands from across the West Midlands, which had staff, parents, and students on their feet.

Kioko took to the stage first, followed by fellow reggae band Big Ship Alliance. B’Spoke played many familiar soul and R&B classics, and Soul Town finished the night by playing until every last attendee had left.

Ms Folkes said: “The bands were brilliant. Everyone was out of their seat rocking to African, St Lucian and Jamaican music – the atmosphere was incredible.”

Black History Month Expo at Erdington Academy / Gary Phelps Communications

The Expo and the wider calendar of activities were aligned with the nationwide theme for Black History Month 2024: Black inventors.

Ms Folkes explained that showcasing potential and encouraging ambition was central to the team’s vision.

She said: “Because we’re such a multicultural school, we wanted to show all the things our students could have aspiration towards. Sometimes you would hear students doubt what they could accomplish because of their background – we wanted to show them they could achieve anything.

“The students were surprised to hear that so many everyday things we take for granted were invented by Black people – traffic lights, electric doors, dryers and electric rollercoasters seemed to particularly shock them!”

Black History Month Expo at Erdington Academy / Gary Phelps Communications

The Event Committee, consisting of staff members Ms Folkes, Gabbi Benain, Alan Daniel, Emma Deeney, Amy Love, Ian Haughton, Marcua Wheatley, Mat Broughton, Danny Francis, Natalie Charley, Carissa Bulman and Kymeish Dixon-Bookal, were thrilled with the success of the Expo.

Ms Folkes said: “As a diverse school, we wanted to show the importance of appreciating other cultures, so we made the Expo a celebratory event.

“Sometimes Black History Month can focus on the negative a little too much, teaching about slavery and racism for example. While those aspects of Black history are obviously important to remember, we didn’t want them to be our sole focus. We wanted to engage with the community and embrace our beautiful range of cultures.

“The calibre of talent on display from our staff and students really reflect our academy’s pride.”

Principal Simon Mallett added: “A huge amount of work went into our Black History [Month] Expo, which really paid off on a memorable night when we welcomed the community into the school to share the richness of our diversity.

“I would like to thank everyone who work so hard to put it together and the wider school community for embracing an event which I think inspired our students.”

PICTURE GALLERY: Black History Month Expo at Erdington Academy / Pics by Gary Phelps Communications

For more on Erdington Academy visit www.erdingtonacademy.bham.sch.uk

Black History Month runs from 1-31 October. To learn more about Black History Month in Birmingham, and to find events and activities in the area, visit www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/listings/region/west-midlands/birmingham

ELECTION NEWS: “…the work starts now,” Paulette Hamilton wins Birmingham Erdington by-election for Labour

By Erdington Local election news team

After weeks of a fiercely fought campaign trail, with twelve MP hopefuls from mainstream parties and independents in the running, Labour’s candiate Paulette Hamilton has been voted in as Erdington’s next Member of Parliament.

Winning with 9,413 votes, a majority of 3266, the Holyhead councillor will now be on her way to Westminster as Erdington’s next voice in the House.

Despite a significantly low turnout, where only 27 % of registered voters made their way to a polling station earlier in the day, Birmingham Erdington remains a Labour seat – one the pary have held since 1945.

“Thank you to every single person who used their vote to vote for me,” Hamilton told the crowd at Erdington Academy, where ballot papers had been counted since before 11pm on Thursday night.

She continued: “I am truly honoured and humbled to be elected as the Member of Parliament, I will not take your vote for granted.

“I have met many of you and I have heard what you have to say and I commit to you now, I will work for you – for Erdington, for Castle Vale, and for Kingstanding. I have made promises to you that I intend to keep and I cannot wait to get started.

“I will be your voice in Westminster and challenge this government to get a better deal for Erdington.

“It’s what we deserve, it’s what you deserve, and the work starts now to get it done.

Having been focused on the quickly called by-election, with the Labour Party whip’s office announcing the early March date only hours after Jack Dromey’s funeral – Erdington’s previous MP who died on 7 January – Paulette Hamilton is hoping to take some time to mourn for her father, who also died tragically as her campaign trail began.

But the long serving councillor and freshly appointed MP is already making plans to serve her new constituency, as she assumes her new role as political champion for Erdington, Castle Vale, and Kingstanding.

She added: “We have got some many things that residents have asked us to do, and my plan is, as soon as possible, to get stated with that.

“Some of the things that are at the top of my list are relating to the local (Erdington) high street, crime and anti social behaviour, Short Heath Playing Fields – which people feel passionately about – and HMOs and exempt accommodation, working with other MPs to ensure we tighten the legislation in those areas.

“I’ve had a lot of people supporting, helping, and ensuring that I can be the best MP that I can be. And I believe after 18 years of being a very good councillor, I believe this is my time to step up and show – not just the constituency, but the country – what Paulette Hamilton can do.”

Coming in second place, Robert Alden secured 6147 for the Conservatives, once again narrowing the gap between the two main parties fighting over the Birmingham Erdington seat.

Having battled it out against Jack Dromey over the past four General Elections, many thought Alden might win the longstanding Labour seat in this by-election – as concerns about the Labour run Local Authority continue to grow across the constituency.

“We’ll be taking the momentum from this election into the local elections in May,” said Alden, after the results were announced, “and it was really interesting speaking to residents during this election because they had Labour canvassers on the door saying: ‘I know you’re angry with the Labour Council, but just hold your nose and vote Labour.’

“It’s clear that Birmingham Labour has a real problem… the way they’ve treated people in the city, the way they’ve left our streets unclean, the way they’ve left the roads unfixed. And we’ll be taking that fight to them in the May elections, to challenge Birmingham Labour and hold them to account.”

He added: “What you’re seeing is a seat that’s been a Labour seat for the last 85 years and the fact that the majority is so small here today is really a damning indictment of where the Labour Party is nationally.

“A result like you’re seeing tonight is showing that the Conservative Party is very much where it was in 2019 and doing a good job in representing the country. And locally we’ll continue doing all we can to help stand up for the local area.

Despite a clear lead between the front running two parties and others on the ballot, Dave Nellist secured third place for the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) with 360 votes.

Fourth place went to Jack Brookes with 293 votes for Reform UK, narrowly beating the 236 votes won by Siobhan Harper-Nunes for the Green Party.

Lee Dargue secured 173 votes for the Liberal Democrats, whilst Michael Ludwytche was the highest ranking independent candidate with 109 votes.

Results for the remaining candidates, all securing under 100 votes each, were: Mel Mbondiah (79, Christian Peoples Alliance), Thomas O’Rourke (76, Independent), The Good Knight Sir NosDa (49, Monster Raving Loony Party), Clifton Holmes (14, Independent), and Dave Bishop (8, Church of the Militant Elvis).

But whilst celebration, commiseration, and cardboard boxes will be prominent in by-election campaign offices across Erdington tonight, announcements for candidates standing in the 5 May Local Elections are expected next week.

A General Election will soon follow, to be held in either 2023 or 2024, where the Birmingham Erdington seat will be contested again.

Paulette Hamilton (Labour) voted in as Erdington’s next Member of Paliament

LOCAL PROFILE: Nikki Tapper

Words by Jobe Baker-Sullivan / Pics by Nikki Tapper

Erdington Local is proud to support Black History Month. The newspaper will be releasing a local profile piece each week focusing on black members of the community, amplifying these voices and celebrating the richness of multi-cultural Erdington.

Erdington resident Nikki Tapper professes to wear “three hats. Teacher by profession, radio broadcaster and event host.” She is a familiar voice to many local people via radio airwaves, working for BBC WM since 2003.

Her regular BBC WM programme ‘Sunday Night with Nikki’ focuses on ‘stories that matter to the Midland’s African and Caribbean communities.’ Erdington Local explores her varied life as a local personality.

Born in Smethwick, Nikki now lives and works in Erdington. She tells Erdington Local about her experience as a teacher.

I started off lecturing in Business Studies in Wolverhampton for four years. I left there and came to Kingsbury – now Erdington Academy – and taught there five years.” She fondly remembers a student who would call her teasingly call her ‘Miss TT’ after the Audi TT car she owned at the time.

Nikki made the tough leap from mainstream education to teaching at City of Birmingham School, a citywide Pupil Referral Unit [PRU] with sites across Birmingham. In her own words, these are often for “emotionally based school refusers – they struggled with anxiety and had mis-diagnosed learning needs, or were diagnosed with being autistic or ‘on the spectrum’”.

Whilst Nikkiloved teaching” at the PRU, she bemoans the way that young people from difficult backgrounds or with emotional needs continue to get inadequate support – even in PRUs. She feels like the educational system is saying: “if you don’t fit the mainstream setting, then we’ll put you in another setting that will just fit the mainstream setting again.”

Nikki’s work at City of Birmingham School understandably caused her a lot of stress, bringing with it more challenges that a mainstream educational setting.

Nikki remembers one time “one of my students got stabbed and I ran after one of the perpetrators,” and rather boldly “went straight back to work after that.” She also recalls how “last year we had an attempted kidnapping, to do with ‘County Lines’” – the system of recruiting young people to courier drugs and contraband in and out of the city.  

From working in one of the toughest teaching environments, Nikki is now self-employed. She wants to “take how I would like to work with young people, work with them in a small group setting, help them build their confidence and self-esteem.”  

Nikki is also a familiar voice across Birmingham radio, having presented shows on BBC Radio West Midlands for over 20 years. Recently Nikki also presented a six part series called ‘COVID Conversations’ on Newstyle Radio, speaking to ‘people living and working in Black Communities across the West Midlands to understand how COVID has affected their lives.’

Also known for her long running Radio WM show ‘The Gospel Lounge with Nikki Tapper’, she commenced her radio career in Christian radio: “I’m a proud wife, mother, and committed Christian” proclaims Nikki.

She recounts an early job with radio being to “run around Church notices boards in Birmingham noting down service times” – gathering content and information for congregations, announcing on air: “St John’s in Great Barr, Sunday service starts at eleven O’clock, with Bible study on a Wednesday at seven.”

Now a prestigious broadcaster working for the BBC, Nikki thoroughly enjoys working in radio, saying it’s “a great medium to use your imagination,” and a “great way of not having to stress about what you look like. That’s why I tell people I look like Halle Berry!”

In her time as a broadcaster, Nikki has interviewed a high calibre of celebrities, including singer Mary Wilson from The Supremes, poet Benjamin Zephaniah, musician Tito Jackson from the Jackson Five, comedian Sir Lenny Henry, Dawn Butler MP, and one of her favourites DJ Trevor Nelson.

A champion of her city and community, when asked about Black History Month Nikki tells Erdington Local: “I struggle with Black History Month, if I’m honest. Black history is just HISTORY. It’s history across the year.”

She recalls, as a teacher, that “my education and teaching head would say ‘Oh here we go again, we better do black history; let’s put up Martin Luther King, Malcolm X. We didn’t really change the conversation, the rhetoric, we didn’t really look at the curriculum.”

But the agenda of Black History Month is still a relevant one, with the global struggle for, and through emancipation, an ongoing and important conversation. Nikki notes some huge milestones to celebrate in 2020, such as “The National Trust saying ‘actually, 93 of our stately homes have been built by slaves.”

Talking about her personal experience as a black woman, she felt growing up she was “not really valued,” and that the opinion was that “the race that I come from didn’t add anything, other than ‘let you run for my country. Play your music – I love your music – play a bit of Bob Marley.’”

Adding to the narrative, Nikki has a positive call for the future way black history is thought of: “I want people to recognise that actually yes – in the 18th century, 19th century, there were black people that could have been utilised differently, and they were only presented as subservient.”

Erdington Local asked Nikki her thoughts on Erdington itself. “I love Erdington,” she says with a smile. Speaking of its past, she continues: “it was like this little unknown jewel in the north of the city that had this eclectic mix of characters, those who had money, those who didn’t, those who were very creative, those who just wanted to get on with it.”

She expresses concerns, however, for Erdington today: “what I’ve seen change in our part of the city has been neglect for those who really need help.”  She praises the huge efforts by volunteer groups and churches “such as Oikos Church, St Barnabas, the Arts Forum, Standing Ovation,” to make Erdington a better place to live.

With plans for more investment into the High Street, Erdington “could be like Brixton,” suggests Nikki. “Let’s just hope we don’t price ourselves out.”

For more on BBC WM’s ‘Sunday Night with Nikki’, visit www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07pcktr

To find out more about Nikki Tapper, visit www.nt-events.co.uk 

For more on Birmingham Back History Month , visit www.birminghamblackhistorymonth.co.uk

NEWS: Erdington Academy given green light for £6.8m expansion to cater for 300 more pupils

Words by Adam Smith

Erdington Academy has been given the go-ahead to increase the number of its pupils from 900 to 1,200 after Birmingham City Council agreed to inject nearly £6.8 million into the school.

The Kingsbury Road secondary school will be refurbished and a brand new two story teaching block will be built on site – with work beginning next month and completed by Christmas 2021.

The new teaching block will include science labs and prep rooms, a drama teaching space, staff work rooms, office space and new staff and pupil toilets.

Birmingham City Council’s cabinet approved the £6,825,463 capital investment after a report from Dr Tim O’Neill, Director for Education and Skills, which said the authority had “a statutory duty to ensure that there are sufficient pupil places.”

The near £7m bill will be paid for from the Department for Education (DfE) Basic Need Grant and School Condition Grant.

However, consequential revenue costs arising from additional places including additional staffing, utility costs and any on-going day to day repair and maintenance will be the responsibility of Erdington Academy.

Balfour Beatty has been chosen as the construction partner for the scheme and ground is set to be broken at the school on November 23.

Councillor Jayne Francis, cabinet member for education, skills and culture, backed the new investment into Erdington Academy.

She said: “We have a duty to ensure that sufficient school places are available in our city.

Erdington Academy currently has 900 pupils, and the proposal is to expand two forms of entry to 1,200 places for pupils aged 11 to 16 years old.

There’s been a slight delay with planning, so it will be heard toward the end of September and once secured we will be able to carry on with completion of the work.”

Erdington Academy (formerly Kingsbury School and Sports College) converted to an Academy within the Fairfax Multi Academy Trust (FMAT) in 2016.

To find out more about Erdington Academy visit www.erdingtonacademy.bham.sch.uk

For more on Fairfax Multi Academy Trust (FMAT), visit www.fmat.co.uk