Adassa Reid

I came to England in 1961 when I was 27 years old. I came to live with my cousin and his wife at 13 Waverhilll Road, Handsworth Birmingham.

My first experience of England was the smog and smoke – smoke was coming out from most of the buildings. I said to my self what a lot of factories, I eventually found out that most of the buildings were not factories – they were houses with smoke coming out of the chimneys on top of the roof.

I signed on at the labour exchange Soho Road Handsworth and found a Job at Lewis department store canteen, where I served tables at lunchtime.  I found this Job quite difficult because a lot of the customers were not Kind, but I stayed until I found another job at the geriatric Hospital Summerfield adjoining Didley Road Hospital I worked as an auxiliary nurse for 27 years until I retired at age 60. After I retired I met up with one of my local councillors, Mrs Sybil Spence who asked me if I would like to do some voluntary community work at Chape street community hall in Handsworth Soho district.

I wanted to give something back to the community which looked after me sine I came, so I did not hesitate to her up on the offer.

I was driving so I could fulfil lots of arears of the volunteer work needed such as: undertaking home visits, shopping, cooking and much more. I was not expecting any payment of reward for all the work I put in but to my surprise in 2005 I was awarded the Contribution to the Development of the Jamaican Community and the UK. Also on the 31st of December 2020I was awarded by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II a British Empire Medal (B.E.M)