Stevenage Borough Council has come under fire after Logan Keir, the 13-year-old boy who was set to turn on the town’s Christmas lights on Saturday (22 November), was “forgotten” in the rain and “pushed to the back” of the stage according to his mum, Gemma.
The town centre lights were switched on instead by the winner of a council-run ‘Dear Santa’ competition, despite it having been confirmed in September that Logan would be pressing the button to turn them on.
Logan, who is from Stevenage, has a condition known as 22q deletion syndrome, which can cause learning difficulties and heart problems, and is also on the autistic spectrum. His mum, Gemma, is the author of the popular The Abilities In Me book series which aims to help explain a range of conditions and disabilities to children.
The Labour-run council’s cabinet member for equalities and young people, Cllr Coleen De Freitas – who is a mum to children with special educational needs herself – offered an apology on Sunday and said she had “triggered a full investigation”.
Logan was supposed to switch on the lights after a packed afternoon of entertainment in the town centre, including performances from singer Channy and hip-hop group So Solid Crew.
Afterwards, Logan’s mum, Gemma, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Logan was so upset.
“He didn’t sleep that night. He got up the next day and asked ‘when are we going back to press the button?’.
“It’s a big thing for Logan. We’d been preparing him since it was confirmed in September. We had to go through what was happening. He was asking lots of questions, and we were making sure he was prepared.
“When we got there [at the time they were told], So Solid Crew were still on stage.
“[A member of the council’s town centre team] said ‘just go to the back of the queue’.
“By the time we got onto the stage, we just about fit on at the back.
“They started doing the countdown, they were counting the numbers, and Logan was looking up at me saying, ‘where’s the button, mummy, where’s the button, where’s Santa?’.
“And there’s all these people wearing gold chains standing in front of him, and not one person has thought to acknowledge this child behind them. He was forgotten about.
“The mayor apologised but said she didn’t even know Logan was there. Did she not see the posters around town? Did she not see his face on the poster?
“It’s a learning path for the mayor. You need to know what event you’re at and who is going to be there.
“Everyone was going so crazy over So Solid Crew. The town managers…were saying ‘let’s get a selfie with them!’ but no one acknowledged Logan at all.
“Even Santa, he just didn’t have any acknowledgement for Logan at all.”
Among the performers at the event were a choir from The Abilities In Me Foundation, a charity set up by Gemma.
But, Gemma says, a member of the council’s town centre team was “shouting at them to hurry up on stage” – even though some choir members were in wheelchairs.
“There should have been someone from the council…there to advocate for anyone with needs that day. It’s not just Logan; there are lots of children who have needs.”
And, while Logan has now had offers from a number of other councils in Hertfordshire and further afield to switch on their lights, Gemma says: “He was meant to do his own hometown.
“It’s a really nice gesture, but so much planning and prep go into supporting Logan around these things.
“The buck falls with the town centre management. They were the ones running the event, they were the ones organising it.”
What would it take for the council to make things right?
“Someone to come forward, take accountability and apologise to Logan.
“Nobody has taken accountability at the council.
“They need to step into Logan’s world and see how amazing he actually is.”
The council’s cabinet member for equalities and young people, Cllr De Freitas, said: “I am sorry to learn about Gemma and Logan’s experience at our Christmas light switch on.
“It was not our intention to offend or ignore them, and for that, I wholeheartedly apologise on behalf of the council.
“I will contact Gemma to listen to her views on yesterday’s event and to say sorry for not taking the time to ensure Gemma and her son were visible and able to carry out their role.
“I want to ensure the council takes the necessary steps to avoid experiences like this in the future.
“An investigation is currently underway to review what happened at this year’s event.”
A council spokesperson confirmed that the child who eventually switched on the lights was not known to the mayor or a relative of hers, contrary to rumours on social media.
A Facebook post from the council’s town centre team on Saturday night said they were “really sorry” for what had happened to Logan and Gemma.
They continued: “The day had various challenges given the weather, with scheduling running behind time.
“All guests on stage were advised to arrive 10 minutes in advance backstage, and we’re sorry you were queued up at the back.
“We’re reviewing the amount of people on stage, which was more than intended.”
On Monday (November 24), the mayor, Cllr Nazmin Chowdhury, posted on social media a copy of an event plan she had been given by council staff, which did not include Logan’s name among those who were to be on stage at the switch-on.
The mayor said: “When a civic mayor is invited to attend an event as a guest, they do not have the power to decide who will be on stage, nor is it their job to dictate who will be in the line-up.
“Every mayor receives an engagement form from the event organiser to confirm what is expected of them when they are invited to attend an event.
“I was only advised of a Dear Santa competition winner joining us on stage.
“Had I known that Logan and his mum would also be on stage, then I would have ensured that they were at the front to do the light switch on, alongside the Dear Santa winner.
“It would have been my honour.”
According to Gemma, the mayor, Cllr Chowdhury, “didn’t even acknowledge or say hello to Logan backstage as her husband was so excited about So Solid [Crew], who were plastered all over for a publicity stunt”.
The mayor later said she was “very sorry to hear about what happened last night” and that she was “not aware at all” at the time.
Cllr Chowdhury had posted on social media about the light switch-on, stating: “I had the joy of doing it with our Dear Santa competition winner. Her excitement was so contagious!
“And to top it all off, my husband had his own moment of fun when he met members of So Solid Crew. He last saw them in concert years ago, so seeing his face light up was priceless.”
Responding to Gemma, the mayor said that her husband “has no involvement in this matter” and is “a member of the public just like everyone else”.
While her husband is not an elected councillor, he is the mayor’s consort, a title he gained after the council elected Cllr Chowdhury to be mayor in May this year.
The position of mayor’s consort allows him to wear the chains associated with the role, and the mayor’s funding pot of £750 to pay for “appropriate clothing” can also be used to purchase attire needed by the mayor’s consort to “undertake their mayoral duties”.
In a statement, the borough council’s two Reform UK representatives, Cllr Mason Humberstone and Cllr Rob Henry, called on the mayor and the cabinet member for equalities to resign “for the shockingly disrespectful way Logan and his family were treated”.
Cllr De Freitas said that she is “aware” of their statement but declined to comment further.
It is understood that neither Cllr De Freitas nor the mayor, Cllr Chowdhury, was involved in the planning of the Christmas lights switch-on event.
Stevenage’s Labour MP, Kevin Bonavia, was at the switch-on and said he had since spoken to Gemma and to the council to “ensure lessons are learned”.
He said: “What happened at the Stevenage lights switch-on was deeply disappointing for Logan and his family.
“Logan was invited as a special guest in his own right, and he deserved to be at the heart of that moment.
“Many constituents have contacted me about this, and I share their concern.
“I will hold the council to account to make sure that this does not happen again to any other SEN child.
“Inclusion is not optional, and despite having no role in the procedure of the event, I feel a personal duty to stand up for Logan and ensure his family feels the strength of support out there for them.
“This must never happen again.”
Mr Bonavia added that he had invited Logan and his family to parliament.
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