'Lonely Courage' film & guest author at Preston Library on Saturday

Brent Council washes its hands of Delipod Hub

Statement issued via Twitter today

URGENT: Delipod Hub Monday Deadline -please sign the petition to stop this physical, social & cultural vandalism

A message from the managers of the  Delipod Hub

 Link to Performance Compilation HERE

Hi All, Since we opened the Delipod Hub has attracted artists, artisans, writers and musicians along with customers from toddlers to grannies and the full diversity of cultures for whom Brent is home. Little did we know however that the Delipod Hub was held with such affection until the petition to save it was launched by a local resident’s association only a few days ago.

It has now over 800 signatures and rising, and the voices of support have been spontaneous, many and loud. For your information, we have now signed the lease surrender document as we had built up arrears and were under threat of legal proceedings - this after repeatedly trying to engage with Brent on this issue for well over a year.

I wrote to the local councillors on Friday. I have written again just now stating that we will not start to any significant dismantling of the Hub until Tuesday leaving the option open on Monday for a reconsideration. Perhaps this is too strong, but from the messages of support we’ve received, it’s almost like the Hub’s closure would be an act of physical, social and cultural vandalism.

Seee the one-minute compilation of some of the live music nights held at the Hub – it’s fab. Please do sign and spread the petition: LINK   Monday!!!

Thank you, Peter (Billy) & Serena

Local history on show in Kingsbury Road

Guest post by local historian Philip Grant

If you don’t live in Kingsbury, or visit Kingsbury Road, you may not know that for the past 18 months the Council has been carrying out “town centre improvements” there (funded mainly by the GLA). These include new paving, new trees, new cycle lanes on both sides of the road and extra cycle parking stands for the station and shopping centre.

As part of the consultation exercise for the improvements, I suggested that local history panels (which I offered to design, free of charge) could be provided as part of the new seating areas. I received no response to this suggestion, until I mentioned it, several months later, to one of my ward councillors. Then, as if by magic, it was welcomed as a good idea.

Earlier this month, after a lot of input and “chasing” on my part since the summer of 2018, four illustrated panels, telling “The Kingsbury Road Story” were fitted to bench seats along the north side of the road. This document tells you where you can find them, and gives a taste of what you will discover on each panel.

Click bottom right to enlarge to full size

Does Kingsbury Road have much of a story? After all, it is just a suburban local shopping centre, isn’t it? 

Well, most of the buildings you see there today appeared in the 1930’s, and there are interesting stories behind some of them, but the history of this thoroughfare goes back a lot further to Kingsbury’s Saxon origins. Its name means “a place belonging to the King”, and was first recorded in the reign of King Eadwig. (Never heard of him? He was only King from AD955 to 959!)

You can see Kingsbury Road on an extract from a map drawn in 1597, shortly after a wealthy local farmer, John Lyon (founder of Harrow School), gave money to provide £2 a year for the upkeep of the road – labour (at tuppence a day) was cheaper then. Putting gravel on the surface during the summer was meant to stop the road from becoming too muddy during the wetter winter months, and the same method was still being used by the local Council in 1910, when this photograph (by a farm near today’s Kingsbury Station) was taken.

The local history panels bring the story of Kingsbury Road right up to the rich cultural mix of shops you will find in Kingsbury Road today. The heritage trail they provide will hopefully guide visitors along the road, from the Kingsbury Station bus stop to the library (closed for refurbishment from 11 November to 15 December inclusive), which will be one of the venues for the LBOC 2020 “Museum of All Brent Life”.

I hope that readers will enjoy “The Kingsbury Road Story”. If so, perhaps they can suggest other locations in Brent where similar history panels might be appreciated, and get their local councillors on board, to make the idea a reality.

Philip Grant.

Brent Stop the War will join Kashmir protest outside Downing Street on Sunday

Brent Stop the War has issued the following clarification regarding Sunday's Kashmir demonstration:

A well-attended 14th October meeting on PEACE & JUSTICE FOR KASHMIR in the Community Hall at the Cricklewood Mosque, was co-sponsored by Brent Mosque and Brent Stop the War. It was supported by Brent Central Labour Party and Brent & Harrow Palestine Solidarity Campaign. 

We agreed to have the Brent Stop the War banner on the demonstration in support of Kashmir on this Sunday (October 27th) assembling outside Downing St from 12.00 noon. There has been some public controversy over this demonstration, its purpose and its destination.

Our meeting heard how the Modi government in India had withdrawn the (limited) autonomy of Kashmir and violently repressed the opposition, ignoring longstanding UN resolutions. It was also made clear that this is neither a Pakistan vs India dispute nor a Hindu/Muslim one, but the right of Kashmiris to self-determination and for a just and peaceful solution to the dispute.

Kashmiris have long protested on October 27th, the date the Indian military entered Kashmir in 1947. In the UK, this is marked with a protest each year outside the Indian High Commission.

With the Hindu festival of Diwali falling on Sunday 27th, some have expressed the view that it would be inappropriate to hold the demonstration. Other claims that the demonstration will cause communal conflict because it coincides with Diwali 2019, could be seen as promoting a view of the Indian High Commission as a Hindu institution, when in fact the Diwali religious festival is not exclusive to India and the country defines itself as secular.

Although It is perfectly normal in a democratic society to protest outside the embassy of a government which breaks international law, out of respect for the celebration of Diwali we will not be going on to the High Commission. 

We will join the protest outside 10 Downing St, which has raised no criticism of the actions of the Modi Government.

Brent to devise a strategy for universal free school meals for primary pupils

Free school meals for all primary pupils in Islington - so why not in Brent?

Leader of Brent Council, Muhammed Butt, told a recent meeting of Brent Central Constituency Labour Party that council officers have been instructed to prepare a comprehensive strategy to provide free school meals for the 13,000 Brent primary pupils who do not currently receive them.

The strategy will draw on the experience of four London boroughs who already provide  free school meals to all primary children and will investigate a number of possible funding streams.

Graham Durham, a Brent CLP supporter of the proposal, has requested that the strategy and implementation dates be set out before the November CLP meetings.

Universal Free School Meals directly address issues of hunger and poor nutrition in children of low income families but also serve to remove any lingering social stigma associated with 'free dinners.' They ensure a steady income stream for school caterers and remove the school's administrative burden of collecting 'dinner money' and chasing up debts. The provision of a hot nutritious daily meal also aids a pupil's concentration in class contributing to closing the gap between the educational attainment of poor and better off pupils.

An  Islington Council paper setting out the issues can be found HERE

Brent Council announces convening of a Climate Assembly

Press release from Brent Council

A new Climate Assembly will be convened to channel residents’ voices, views and ideas as Brent responds to the climate emergency. 50 residents will be recruited by independent experts to reflect a cross-section of the population in Brent. Young people have spearheaded the climate emergency movement, so 16 and 17 year olds will also be included in the Climate Assembly.

Brent’s Climate Assembly will take part in a series of workshops through November and December. During these sessions, they will discuss exciting and innovative ideas for tackling the climate crisis at a local level. At the end of the process, they will make recommendations to the council which will be considered by Cabinet in the new year.

The process will be run by Traverse, an independent research and engagement consultancy. They will use random selection methods to recruit the Assembly members and make sure that the group reflects the diverse make-up of the borough.

Brent Youth Parliament will also be holding their own event on 26 October to discuss action that can be taken at a local level to tackle the climate emergency. Their recommendations will be fed into the process.

While residents won’t be able to volunteer to take part in the Assembly, their voices will also be heard. A new website will act as a hub for members of the community or local organisations wanting to share their own ideas for reducing Brent’s carbon emissions. These contributions will then be presented to the Assembly to reflect on and consider.

Cllr Krupa Sheth, Lead Member for Environment at Brent Council, said:

Global heating is predicted to have devastating consequences for all of us. That’s why it’s crucial that we create spaces for the voices of residents to be heard as we try to find solutions to this crisis. Now is the time to be bold. So I’m delighted to announce this Citizens Assembly and I’m especially pleased that young people will have the opportunity to share their ideas and suggestions.

Terry Parker, Chief Executive at Traverse, said: 

We at Traverse believe that the best policy is made together with the people it affects, so we’re delighted to be working with Brent Council in this pioneering action to hear from citizens how they want to address the climate emergency.

In July, the Council joined more than 200 other local authorities in declaring a Climate Emergency and pledged to do all in its gift to strive for carbon neutrality by 2030.

The local authority has spearheaded numerous green initiatives in recent years. These include introducing a diesel levy on parking permits to incentivise greener transport, creating a seven-mile bee corridor to boost biodiversity, and helping businesses to think about their impact through the Plastic Free Wembley initiative. Brent’s Civic Centre has been recognised as one of the greenest public buildings in the UK.

Have your say on the Brent Climate Assembly website.

How should we be discussing the new Relationship and Sex Education requirements in Brent?

I was rather surprised to see that a presentation on Relationship and Sex Education  (RSE) at Tuesday's meeting of Brent senior officers and school governors is to be given by Sophie Taylor, who is Deputy Director for Due Diligence and Counter Extremism at the Department for Education. The new requirements and guidance on RESE come into effect in September 2020.

I assume that the agenda is connected with events in Birmingham where some parents have protested outside a primary school about its teaching on these issues LINK.  However to make an explicit connection between 'Extremism' and concerns about RSE in the Brent context seems to run counter to commonsense when retaining the confidence of the community and parents in our schools and working with them should be our priority.

The issue came up in the July Council meeting and these are the relevant Minutes:

Question from Cllr Daniel Kennelly to Cllr Amer Agha, Lead Member for Schools, Employment and Skills: 

Can the Lead Member for Schools, Employment and Skills set out the measures that the Department for Education published in its statutory guidance on the teaching of Relationships Education? 

The Department for Education has announced that from 2020, relationships education will be compulsory for all primary school children and relationships and sex education will be compulsory for all secondary school children. The Department for Education published on the 25th February 2019 draft regulations and statutory guidance on Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education, setting out what the requirements will be from 2020. This statutory guidance sets out what schools should do and sets out the legal duties with which schools must comply when teaching Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education. 

This comes 20 years after the government last made changes to health, relationships and sex education and is in the context of a world that looks significantly different to children from 20 years ago, with significant changes for how children develop their relationships, including understanding the risks for children online and the development of social media as a key feature in the majority of children's lives. 

The guidance states that from September 2020 all schools must have in place a written policy for Relationships Education and Relationships and Sex Education. Schools must consult parents in developing and reviewing their policy. Schools should ensure that the policy meets the needs of pupils and parents and reflects the community they serve. The policy should set out the subject content, how it is taught, who is responsible for teaching it and how the subject is monitored and evaluated. 

For primary education, the Policy should define Relationships Education and include information to clarify why parents do not have a right to withdraw their child. For secondary education, the policy should define Relationships and Sex Education and include information about a parent’s right to request that their child be excused from sex education within RSE only. 

The guidance sets out what by the end of primary school pupils should know about under the headings “families and people who care for me”, “caring friendships”, “respectful relationships,” “online relationships” and “being safe.” The guidance also sets out what in addition pupils should know by the end of secondary school under the headings “families”, “respectful relationships”, “online and media”, “being safe” and “intimate and sexual relationships including sexual health”. 

There are a number of myths being circulated regarding the 2020 changes. The first is that schools will from 2020 be required to teach concepts and values that are contradictory to some religious beliefs. This is not the case. Schools are required to comply with relevant requirements of the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty, which means, in making decisions, having due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the Equality Act, and to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and people who do not share it. The guidance states that “the religious background of all pupils must be taken into account when planning teaching.” 

A second myth is that these changes will conflict or compromise parents’ ability to educate their children according to their own religious or philosophical beliefs. How this curriculum will be taught will be a matter for individual schools, who will consult with parents before the introduction of the new relationships education and will listen to their views. 

Governing Boards, which will include parent Governors as members, will then work with their teaching staff to deliver the most age appropriate elements of the new curriculum to the pupils. Schools will have the ability to amend their approach if they believe it is necessary to support pupils and families at the school. 

Brent is home to one of the most diverse communities in the UK and this is one of our strengths. We strive to be an inclusive society and to ensure that everyone in the borough feels welcome and included. This means embracing the modern world we live in, and understanding and celebrating our various differences and addressing the context in which our children are growing up.

Councillor Kennelly thanked Councillor Agha (Lead Member for Schools, Employment and Skills) for his response in relation to the Department for Education (DfE) guidance on the teaching of Relationship Education. Before moving on to his supplementary question he took the opportunity, following on from the Mayor’s Announcements, to also pay tribute to Pride and the LGBTQ+ community and to express his support for the Armed Forces community in recognition of Armed Forces Day.

In terms of a supplementary question, whilst recognising that the Lead Member had acknowledged the challenges faced in addressing the myths surrounding the DfE guidance, Councillor Kennelly asked what further assurance could be provided in terms of the support being made available for schools in order to address any concerns or difficulties experienced.

In response, Councillor Agha advised that the Council was using a number of different strategies and methods such as the Brent School Partnership, the Schools Forum and the Annual School Governors Conference to disseminate advice and guidance and provide support to schools and their governors to assist them in complying with the statutory guidance. He felt it was important to remember, however, that the way in which the curriculum was taught would be a matter for individual schools and their Governing Bodies. Whilst expected to consult with parents prior to its introduction, schools and their Governing Bodies would have the ability to amend their final approach, if felt necessary, in order to support pupils and families at the school. He therefore reminded members of the importance of Governing Bodies and encouraged any members not already involved to consider becoming school governors in order to be able to individually offer their help and support.

Councillor S.Choudhary sought further details on the teaching of relationship education in schools, particularly given concerns around parents seeking to withdraw their children from relationship and sex education as a result of cultural and religious beliefs. He asked the Lead Member for his views on what more could be done to inform and educate parents on the new guidance in order to dispel the myths identified relating to its introduction and impact.

In response, Councillor Agha (Lead Member for Education, Employment andSkills) advised that it was important to recognise that the Council could not issue any direction in this matter and that it would be up to individual schools and their Governing Bodies to decide how they would teach the curriculum and implement the guidance from the Department of Education. He pointed out that the introduction of the new guidance would need to be undertaken in consultation with parents, taking account of the religious background of all pupils as part of the planning process, with the Council offering support and guidance, as required, in order to ensure schools were complying with the necessary requirements.

The approach outlined in the replies with its emphasis on working with parents seems sensible.  Successful RSE will depend on an open and transparent relationship between school staff, governors and parents. Anything that suggests a hidden agenda or stereotyping of communities is likely to cause distrust.

Relationship, Sex and Health Education - What schools need to know