It was a huge privilege to be able to hand out trophies at the Coulsdon and Purley Festival at Caterham School this weekend.
As a former pupil of Caterham School and speech & drama student/participant of the festival, I was chuffed to be asked to do this by Shanila Taylor, my former teacher and the festival’s speech and drama secretary.
The festival is in its 79th year and continues to go from strength-to-strength with a record number of participants and a broad range of ages represented. Young people from schools across Croydon are represented as well as next door Sutton and Surrey.
The performances were of an incredibly high standard, and I was struck by the diverse variety of performances from a string quartet to poetry to saxophones, vocalists, and everything in between – it was great to see so much talent in the room.
As Deputy Cabinet Member for Children & Young People, I am passionate about ensuring as many Croydon children as possible have access to art, music and drama, equipping them with skills they can take forward throughout their lives. Organisations like the Coulsdon and Purley Festival provide these opportunities, striving to advance provision and participation.
My thanks go to the Festival’s Chairman, David Hanesworth and his team, and my congratulations to all the winners and participants who have worked so hard to ensure a fantastic festival.
I look forward to continuing to support in the years ahead – and am sure next year’s 80th festival will be as brilliant as ever.
