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Taste of the Caribbean comes to Boldmere Adult Education Centre

BEST Leader Ruth Duncombe is the Learner Support Manager for Birmingham Adult Education Service (BAES) in the North. Part of the adult education team is based at Boldmere Adult Education Centre but the whole team covers a wide area of North Birmingham, which includes Aston, Newtown, Perry Barr, Small Heath and Sutton. Jocelyn Riley, BEST Joint Leader and Teaching and Learning Manager for Arts and Crafts, manages the cookery tutors at the centre. She suggested that they did something different for Black History Month (BHM) in 2010. In the past, most of their BHM events had been in the inner city and the previous year they supported an Older Peoples Home in Perry Barr.

Working on their Total Place Action, they asked all their North Birmingham centres, Teaching and Learning Managers, to search for activities and events that were happening for BHM and publicise them through their centres. From leisure centres to libraries, private organisations to theatres, BHM activities were captured to be advertised in the north centres.

Jocelyn asked Laurel Donaldson, one of her cookery tutors at the Boldmere Centre in Sutton Coldfield, to do a Caribbean cooking and tasting session, to show staff how to cook traditional Caribbean style food and to end the month of activities. Having Laurel show the cooking styles of the Caribbean, was an idea Jocelyn had, of widening the exposure of BHM events within BAES in the north of Birmingham. The event was advertised to tutors, BEST Leaders, managers and local learners.

In October last year, the wonderful smells of curry goat, escovitch fish and many other gorgeous foods scented Boldmere Adult Education Centre. From 4pm onwards many hungry team members, managers and students come along to celebrate the occasion as part of BHM. Not only did Laurel make wonderful food, she also shared the secret of her recipes, sharing her knowledge and the backgrounds to some of the Caribbean dishes with visitors, at the feast.

As well as raising the profile of Caribbean cooking and bringing it alive to a new audience, it also helped to increase more students to sign up for the cookery course. There are plans in the making to do more partnership working with different BAES centres across the city, with a similar event planned for this year. Bringing a cross-culture event to Sutton, by the sharing of skills and the creating of a mixed social environment, is part of expanding the idea that BHM is not only for Black people but for all cultures.

Jocelyn said, “Black history is for everyone, and every community. Having the BHM event in Sutton Coldfield helped to delivery that message and gave the opportunity for all citizens to share in its beautiful history”.

Ruth Duncombe, BEST Leader added, “The culmination of the event was tasting some of the many different foods, from curry mutton with rice and peas to ackee and saltfish, quenched by a Caribbean ginger beer or punch. It’s been a great success”.

For information about cookery classes or other adult education courses in North Birmingham contact Ruth Duncombe on 0121 464 6481 or Jocelyn Riley on 0121 464 5739.