Parents, staff, Brent Trades Council and members of the community, as well as Labour candidate for Brent West, Barry Gardiner, were on the picket line for Byron Court Primary School again today - but this time with a difference.
They were joined by a big red traditional London bus to take a trip to Westminster to show the DfE and the incoming government that they mean business in their fight against a forced takeover by Harris Federation.
Spirits high and determination clear on the tops deck (Credit Jenny Cooper)
In the rain in Parliament Square (Credit: Pete Firmin)
Outside the Department for Education (Credit: Jenny Cooper)
Parent campaigner Matt Paul said:
Wow - what an incredible
show of unity and fighting spirit today with our very special ‘Byron bus'
taking staff, kids and parents, supporters (including the NEU Assistant General
Secretary) down to Westminster! Barry Gardiner joined the morning picket and
encouraged us to keep fighting before waving us off.
The bus was rocking away
with chanting, singalongs (including far too much Taylor Swift), and plenty of
support from other cars and passers-by. A quick stop in Westminster Square
opposite Parliament first, then on to the Department for Education where we made sure
they heard us. A brilliant, powerful and emotional day that I won't ever forget.
Yesterday's International Reggae Day celebration in Harlesden took on an international dimension as well as delving deep into the local history of Black Music on this corner of Brent, 'Harlesbridge', combining Harlesden and Stonebridge.
Linking the struggle against South African apartheid with Jamaica, Ghana and the diaspora in England, Kwaku claimed that reggae helped give South Africans the energy to fight for equality (You can hear the great Reggae Mandela album HERE) while Ghana has linked with Jamaica and the UK through their joint concern for the environment through planting of a symbolic Reggae Tree in Accra.:
The Reggae Tree is a symbolic nod to International Reggae Day's Tree Planting Challenge, which is endorsed by Eco-Conscious Citizens. The environmental group's partner organisation, BBM/BMC, planted The Reggae Tree in London in 2018. It's sited in Harlesden, the north-west London area that is the capital of reggae in Britain.
IRD2024 celebrates the 30th anniversary of the election of Nelson Mandela in 1994, highlights the importance of reggae to the fight against apartheid in South Africa and the unbreakable bond between Jamaica and South Africa, which is mirrored by the unbreakable bond between International Reggae Day and its original inspiration - South Africa’s Mama Winnie Mandela.
During the event, Eco-Conscious Citizens will also launch a plastic bottle recycle bank to raise awareness of Plastic Free July, which is a global movement that encourages individuals to reduce their single-use plastic consumption for the month of July. The group is asking stores to give their customers the choice of buying non-plastic reusable bags, instead of the free, throw-away single-use plastic bags.
Sonny Roberts with his daughter Cleon
Speaking against the background of a huge and noisy Craven Park traffic jam, the Cleon Roberts, daughter of Jamaican record producer Sonny Roberts LINK Reggae Ambassador, Diane Shrouder-Johnson, spoke of the importance of Harlesden as the capital of reggae and Black Music, developed during the 50s, 60s and 70s to the present with record shops, selling of records from the backs of cars, and studios tucked away amidst a spirit of creativity and entrepreneurship.
Yesterday also saw a special exhibition at Harlesden Library of the Brent Reggae Albums Covers Exhibition which is on until October with curator talks on Monday 12th August, Monday 2nd September and Monday 14th October.
Kwaku gave a well-informed and humourous commentary on the album covers and the music, artists and producers involved.
Towards the end of the talk Kwaku asked the audience whether this was all in the past or continued. Amid the cries from the audience he unveiled a hidden display featuring the the Big Zeeks album cover and the artist himself stepped up from the audience to talk about how much he loved Harlesden and Brent and wanted to give back to the community.
Big Zeeks pointed out how the album cover features many aspects of Harlesden. Can you spot them all?
Cllr Rita Begum (Kilburn ward) asked a question LINK of Brent Council leader, Muhammed Butt, for the July 8th Brent Full Council Meeting on the plight of the homeless in the borough.
In his response Butt outlines the increasing cost of placements of the homeless in temporary private rented accommodation as well as the rise in the number of people and families presenting as homeless at the Civic Centre.
He cites the limited action that the council has been able to take and goes on to introduce a new campaign that the council will undertake called 'Find a Place You Can Afford':
In addition, the council is set to launch a new
communications campaign which aims to raise awareness of the deepening homelessness
emergency in Brent and the practical realities and life changing consequences
this has for homeless households.
The Find a place you can afford campaign will
seek to break the perceived link between homelessness and social housing. For
the overwhelming majority of people, becoming homeless does not mean they
have a better chance of securing a council home.
For most homeless households the
most likely sustainable solution to their homelessness will be to find a
place they can afford in the private rented sector in a more affordable part of
the UK. The council’s communications will seek to encourage the growing number of
homeless households to realise more quickly that, for the vast
majority, their future housing options are all in the private rented sector in
an area they can afford.
Amid all the rising tower blocks of high spec flats in Wembley, Alperton and elsewhere in the borough, the council is admitting that it cannot help those waiting for accommodation on the housing list. Their advice could be seen as ruthlessly honest in refusing to give homeless families any hope of staying near extended family, social netweeks and local schools in Brent.
It is rather similar to Norman Tebbit's advice to the workless to 'get on your bike' to find work elsewhere.
Others may see it as another step on the gentrification road.
There has been only one General Election Hustings in Brent East so far in the campaign. St Raphael's Voice invited all candidates to attend but Labour, Conservatives and Reform did not accept. Martin Francis substituted for Nida Al-Fulaij the Green Party candidate.
St Raphael's Voice recorded the event on video so that answers could be shared with the wider community.
There are 9 videos in all on different topics.
Candidates/Participants in attendance:
James Mutimer - Workers Party GB
Aadil Shaikh - Independent
Jonny Singh - Liberal Democrats
Martin Francis - representing Nida Al Fulaj the Green Party candidate
Candidates not in attendance but invited to attend:
Dawn Butler - Labour Party
Jamila Robertson - Conservative
Amin Moafi - Independent
Zbigniew Kowalcyzk - Reform UK
Jenner Folwell - Independent
Nida Al- Fulaij - Green Party
You can see the full playlist by topic on the link below.
