THE REDI Centre is to mark more than 120 years in Redditch – and everyone is invited to go along and join the celebration.
The two day event, backed by a bumper £9,850 grant from the Big Lottery Fund Celebrate programme, is on Saturday and Sunday, May 20-21.
As the centre was once a school, Day One will step back in time to 1896 and feature a typical Victorian school day, while Day Two will zoom up to 2017 with plans for Mayor Joe Baker to talk to the International Space Station’s astronauts via Skype.
Organiser Ray Groves, from Redditch Youth and Community Enterprise is keen for the entire community to get involved and is calling for young would-be actors aged eight to 12 to take part in the Victorian Day and film makers aged 15 to 18 to be on hand with cameras to record the entire two-day extravaganza.
“We’re really excited about it,” said Ray. “We’re looking for 30 to 40 youngsters to take part in the Victorian Day which will also feature the Mayor – in full Victorian costume and arriving by a horse drawn carriage – to officially open the event.”
And in a demonstration of how things have changed Mayor Baker will send a message of goodwill to the US Congress – which is expected to take four to five weeks to arrive.
The following day the plan is for the Mayor to arrive in a hydrogen-powered car before making instant contact with space.
In between there will be a huge celebration of all things Redditch with barbecues of Polish and Asian food, Kerala dancers, bouncy castle and face painting – and that’s not all.
“We’re hoping Coun Baker will be able to Skype two of Redditch’s twin towns, St Elizabeth in Jamaica, and Gujar Khan in Pakistan, but that might depend on time differences,” said Ray.
“The Redi Centre is old, the window frames are rotten and it’s seen better days, but it’s still there and it’s still fulfilling its original purpose as a centre for education, and these days it’s used six days a week for a range of activities for both adults, children and community groups. Now that really is something to celebrate,” said Ray.
To join in the fun, either as a film maker or a Victorian pupil, call 01527 64461 or email: [email protected] .
