Schoolchildren in Birmingham have sent a powerful message to the heart of Government, pressing the Prime Minister and city council leaders to end the bin strike blighting the city and 'clean up our streets'.
The state of local communities was a repeated refrain from pupils at two city schools who shared their views with England's children's commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza during a two-day visit. She pledged to take their views to Downing Street.
'The young people I spoke to were really worried about rubbish and the bin strike in Birmingham,' Dame Rachel told BirminghamLive. 'They spoke of walking to school through glass, about it feeling disgusting to see rubbish piles, and wanting to see the strike resolved. Some had parents who work as refuse collectors, most were experiencing the impact.'
Dame Rachel de Souza, children's commissioner, met children of Colmore Junior School in Kings Heath and members of arts organisation Sampad. 'We sometimes think kids don't see it or hear what is going on, but they see and experience it all. They want the strike resolved and they want their streets clean,' she said.
The pupils who met the commissioner spoke fondly of local green spaces and parks where they could play and run around safely. Many told her they were allowed to walk to school and to local parks without adults, and that they relished their freedoms. They want less social media, more play out in parks, and more free things to do.
'They are proud of the city's green spaces and want more of them. They love formal playgrounds, especially the age-appropriate ones when there's a separate area for little ones. So a big thumbs up for Birmingham for its green open spaces and places to play,' Dame Rachel added.
'But, and there was a big but, they are worried about those environmental issues. They are very sensitive to and aware of the spaces around them. They also want to play their part to make things better.'
The current youngsters will become the first cohort of 16- and 17-year-olds to have the chance to vote under new rules that will come into force by the time of the next General Election. 'What I found from talking to Birmingham's children today was just this amazing civic spirit, this amazing sense of being a Brummie and how positive that was and wanting to contribute and make it better. With the imminent change to voting age, the whole issue of citizenship and politics, how we teach it in schools, and how to bring young people into decision-making at local level will be important. Listening to their voices will only be a good thing,' she said.
The powerful insights came from pupils at Colmore Junior School in Kings Heath and Nishkam Primary and High Schools in Handsworth during the children's commissioner's visit to the city as part of a national tour promoting her 'Big Future' survey, billed as the biggest ever conversation with children. Every child is asked to complete the survey.
The city council has been at loggerheads with bin workers since January 2025 over job cuts and pay downgrades, with an all-out strike now into its 16th month.
