‘Don’t put us down because of a date in 1985’

“We’re a million miles from what it was before,” says Clasford Stirling MBE, “and that’s how it should be.”

Mr Stirling is a youth and community engagement worker describing the Broadwater Farm estate in north-east London, where, in October 1985, rioting broke out and a policeman was murdered.

But decades on, its residents are embracing life on this estate and are optimistic about its future.

There’s a £250m regeneration project under way and it has a thriving sports club, music scene, an active community centre, and an “outstanding” Ofsted rated primary school, The Willow, which is oversubscribed.

Mr Stirling grew up on the estate and has worked on it for 46 years.

He said: “This was the last place that anybody wanted to be housed in.

“In the eighties, the police were not policing properly,” he explained. “It wasn’t a very good situation between the police, the council and the local community, especially the young black community. There was a lot of mistrust and tension.”

That tension erupted into violence after resident Cynthia Jarrett, a black woman, died from heart failure when four policemen burst into her home on the estate searching for stolen property. They found none.

Ms Jarrett’s death happened just weeks after police shot another black woman, Cherry Groce in Brixton, leaving her paralysed. The event led to the 1985 Brixton uprisings, but Ms Jarrett’s family made it clear that they didn’t want that sort of disorder in Tottenham.

However, as news of Ms Jarrett’s death spread and anger grew, some of community began to react violently, attacking the police with bottles and bricks.

As hundreds of police moved in to try to contain the violence on the estate, PC Keith Blakelock was repeatedly stabbed and killed.

Three people were wrongfully convicted and were later acquitted after a long fight for justice.

An investigation into the murder of PC Blakelock remains open.

Since then Broadwater Farm carried the stigma of that unrest.

Although much of the estate buildings are the same, change has come – thanks to the multi-million pound investment from Haringey Council, sustained grassroots work by its residents and charities.

In the community centre, a group of mainly elderly people are talking and laughing and being led in a line dance to the song Candy by Cameo.

After lunch is served, there’s arts and crafts planned for the afternoon.

Local charity, The Moselle Community Project, has organised the event to help combat social isolation.

Nicolette Nicholls is the senior project manager.

“The estate has moved on, it has developed, it has changed,” she said.

“People want to look to the future, they don’t want to constantly see those headlines in the papers that say ‘Broadwater Farm’ and then it conjures up all those negative images.”

In the Enterprise Centre, five men are discussing their latest podcast in the production studio.

They set up their production company Reel Cinematic Focus earlier this year and have already made a short feature film, with more projects on the way.

One of them, Nasim Khalam, moved on to the estate in 2010.

“When I came here, you hear the negative stereotypes and you think ‘what’s it gonna be like?'” he explained.

“But the first day I moved in, my neighbours came to introduce themselves to me and we’re friends to this day. In fact they’re part of my production company.”

Almost 300 new council homes will be delivered on the estate as part of Haringey Council’s multi-million pound plan to build 3,000 properties in the borough by 2031.

Eight hundred existing homes are being retrofitted to make them energy efficient and upgrade safety standards.

“The council, along with the Greater London Authority and the mayor of London, is investing lots of money into regenerating the estate, ” confirmed Haringey Council leader Peray Ahmet.

“We’ve got 40 new council homes about to come online, so, lots going on, lots of investment.”

Clasford Stirling is proud of the resilience of Broadwater Farm and its residents.

“Contrary to belief that if you live on an estate it’s a dump, it’s a dead end, that the estate life is a rubbish life, because that was the thinking back then, we showed them different,” he said.

“We’ve got so much talent here, especially in football.”

Mr Clasford’s own son Jude Stirling is a former professional footballer.

“As far as I know we’ve created the most professional footballers in north London,” he added.

“When I’ve gone I’m going to leave all the young families here, and I don’t want them to go through none of what we went through.”

And despite the fact that Mr Stirling’s determined and continued relationship with the police and local authority meant that he had to move out some years ago after he received threats – an issue that has since been resolved – he still comes here every day.

He has this advice.

“I would encourage people, not just on Broadwater Farm but on all estates, to get involved in what happens where they live,” he said.

“They’ve got to voice their opinion if things are wrong. Let’s try and discuss and change things as we go along.

“I’d like people to know that this estate is a wonderful estate. We don’t want anyone to put us down because of a date in 1985.”