Mashkura Begum

I was really taken back by the community spirit

Growing up not far from Lozells, Mashkura Begum has been active within the Lozells community since her teenage years.

Raised in Perry Barr, she didn’t have much interaction with Lozells up until her teenage and university years when she took up some voluntary work within the area, “Growing up, I didn’t really have much interaction with Lozells but I was growing up during my teenage years in particular when I was at university, I started doing a bit of voluntary work at the Lozells Methodist church and that’s where I was introduced to the area” to which she was “really taken back by the community spirit” in Lozells.

When asked about the most difficult times in Lozells, she refers to the riots of 1985 in Handsworth where she could remember “seeing the flames, the cars being burned” from her home on Birchfield Road in Perry Barr. She also mentions the 2005 and 2011 riots, of which the former showed the “resilience of the community” despite the damage caused by the riots. Mashkura also points out how the three riots were against those who were outside of the Lozells area, “In ‘85, it was against the authority, 2005 it was mischief-makers… 2011 was outsiders. So actually, it wasn’t the community that was rioting or creating these issues it was outsiders.”

The aftermath of these events showcased the resilience of the Lozells community, despite how tough it was. Mashkura says that “Places like Lozells and Handsworth, the beauty of it is there is a really strong sense of belonging. There’s a strong network of multi agencies working together” referring to businesses, elected officials, local police and voluntary sector. She also goes on to further say that local leaders were careful in the way in which they found solutions for problems as a means of reducing the extent of issues.

Once again highlighting the resilience of the community in Lozells, Mashkura discusses how there was a sense of “not leaving anyone behind” during the entire Covid-19 pandemic. She says, “Everybody worked together, identified those in need. Everybody looked out for each other… the food banks were needed but it wasn’t as acute as other areas… also there was a lot of accountability [from] agencies”.

When asked about how Lozells has changed over the years, Mashkura says, “You know, for me to see over the last 20 years has been phenomenal, you know, the way Lozells has changed.” She goes on to further say that the area has changed in many ways regarding socially, environmentally, economically and institutionally. She describes how life has become vibrant in Lozells by pointing out “there isn’t a single locked up shop” on Lozells’ high street. She has noticed how the neighbourhood has taken pride in its environment and how artwork has flourished throughout the area. She ends off by saying, “[It] demonstrates how far Lozells has come from those dark days in 1985”.