Mayor of Redditch reflects on Black History Month

The Mayor of Redditch, Cllr Ann Isherwood, has released a statement of recognition and reflection in honour of Black History Month 2022 (BHM) as she celebrates the town’s twinning with one in Jamaica.

Passionate about Redditch’s twinning connections, the Mayor has reflected on the contributions of local people in relation to our connections with Jamaica, after wanting to learn more about prominent local figures during Black History Month.

The Mayor said: “As the Mayor of Redditch, I am passionate about celebrating the diversity of our town. I could not let Black History Month pass me by without investigating further some of our local history.

“As current Mayor, of course I cannot help but immediately think of Mrs Madge Tillesley MBE, who was Mayor of Redditch in 1991. Although, I have never met her personally, she is a stalwart of the town of Redditch and is always recognised as such. Born in Jamaica, she came to live in Redditch in the 1950’s when her husband returned to the UK after serving in the army.

“During her life in Redditch, she worked tirelessly for the community. She Co-founded the Redditch Community Relations Council and went on to meet Diana Princess of Wales to receive her MBE for services to the community. Mrs Tillesley was also honoured and given recognition from the Jamaican High Commission for her contributions in the community.

“When planning what I wanted to do in my Mayoral year, I knew I wanted to recognise the twinning of our town and it seems appropriate to mention that here, as part of BHM. Redditch is twinned and teamed with 5 towns, one of which is St Elizabeth in Jamaica who we partnered with 32yrs ago in 1990.

“The woman responsible for linking St Elizabeth Parish and Redditch, sadly passed away in 2020. Veronica Allen was born February 1961, in Bromsgrove, and was very proud of her Jamaican heritage. She grew up to be a big character in our neighbouring town and was influential in promoting its Caribbean community.

“With the help of town’s former mayor, Madge Tillesley MBE, and the Borough Council, Veronica often organised fun and educational workshops for youngsters in Redditch. She’s the reason why there’s a Jamaican flag on the ‘welcome to Redditch’ sign as you enter the town. She brought a lot of different communities together and inspired the younger generation.

“Veronica eventually moved back to Jamaica to set up a heritage centre in St Elizabeth and invited councillors to visit in a bid to revitalise the town’s twinning link.

“Last but certainly not least I would like to acknowledge a gentleman well known to the town - Mr Clinton West, who was born April 1952 in Portland, Jamaica. This young man immigrated to Birmingham, with his father, mother and two brothers in 1958.

“He undertook an Apprenticeship in Engineering and was relocated to Redditch with Herbert’s Engineering Company in 1974. In 1984 Mr West started his own Engineering Tooling Business WEXCO LTD employing over 30 local people.

“Mr West is also a trustee of the Alva West Foundation, a charity set up in his father’s name who was part of the Windrush generation. A father to three sons and a daughter, the whole family are now a big part of the Redditch community.

“I am honoured to have learned more about our heritage and connections with Jamaica through my role as Mayor. As a very diverse and culturally rich town, I feel that it is important to reflect on this significant partnership.

“Black History Month is a great reminder for us all to acknowledge the importance of contributions from African, Caribbean, Asian and other ethnic minority communities, whether that’s through researching local history like I have, listening to music or reading books by ethnic minority artists, or trying out recipes from different cultures.

“This week is also hate crime awareness week, and the most important thing we can do now and year-round is to always speak out against racism and hate crime, not just during BHM but whenever you see it.”

Black History Month runs from 1st – 31st October every year and has been celebrated in the UK since 1987. It is a month dedicated to remembering the contributions of those people from African and Caribbean heritage, as well as Asian, to our country's history. Black History Month acts as a constant reminder that our country has a rich and diverse cultural heritage. The theme of this year’s BHM is Time for Change: Action not words.

More information about Black History Month is available here: www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/ including local events, articles, features, and videos around the topic.