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Parents protest outside second Birmingham primary school

DOZENS of parents have protested outside a primary school in Birmingham calling for lessons on same sex relationships to be stopped.

Demonstrators gathered outside Anderton Park School yesterday (26) chanting "let kids be kids" and holding posters that read "my child my choice."


They also distributed leaflets that declared "We DO NOT believe in homosexuality. Parents do NOT want their children's belief changed."

More than 80 per cent of students at the school are Muslims and a protest organiser was quoted as saying that "being Muslim and being homosexual unfortunately doesn't coincide together."

This is the second school in Birmingham to be hit with protests against the controversial "No Outsiders" curriculum. The LGBT rights classes were paused at the Parkfield Community School following protests from parents who claimed they were age inappropriate.

Headteacher Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson has called on education secretary Damian Hinds to intervene.

She told Sky News: “You almost need to sit in a school like ours and listen to what's being said, the unpleasantness that it causes and the homophobic nature of some of the things that are said to understand how what is written in Whitehall affects people on the ground everywhere else.

“We've had so many emails from all over the country - headteachers in Croydon, Manchester - saying this is happening to me in my school and this should not be the case. So yes, I am calling on the secretary of state to come out very clearly on this.”

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Priyanka Patel Inclusive Diwali

Diwali-themed event in Coventry marks the next partnership between The Empowered Desi and local business Sugar and Spice

Tristan Potter

Priyanka Patel’s Empowered Desi brings inclusive Diwali celebration to Coventry

Highlights

  • Diwali celebration tomorrow kicks off business with ticketed workshops and networking.
  • Model taps into growing demand for inclusive, heritage-focused experiences.
  • Platform targets not just south Asians seeking cultural connection, but everyone.

Creating cultural belonging

Priyanka Patel, curator of The Empowered Desi, a new events platform for south Asians seeking cultural connection, is here with a Diwali celebration on Saturday (18) at Fargo Village in Coventry. The venture was born from personal experience – Patel felt "isolated and neglected" growing up without many south Asian friends. Spotting a gap in the market, she's now building a business around creating inclusive spaces for south Asians regardless of religious or regional background.

Diwali-themed , Paint N Sip event in Coventry marks the venture's next partnership with local business Sugar and Spice, Patel is offering a ticketed experience featuring diya decorating workshops, Indian grazing boards with chai, and jewellery stations where guests can take home jhumkas and bangles. The Diwali format combines cultural celebration with networking opportunities, with south Asian attire preferred.

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