'Blackpool is proud of you' - Chris Webb MP praises teenager for achieving six Grade 9s despite bullying woes
“The world is at your feet Shahmeer.”
A Blackpool teenager who spoke publicly about his experiences of bullying has been praised by MP Chris Webb after achieving six Grade 9s and four Grade 8s at GCSE.
Shahmeer was among young people who took part in an anti-bullying roundtable hosted by Blackpool South MP Chris Webb last year in partnership with the Poverty Truth Network. The event gave teenagers who had experienced bullying, violence, discrimination and exclusion in Blackpool the opportunity to share their experiences with people able to influence change.
Mr Webb said Shahmeer had spoken with “clarity and courage” at the event about his experiences after his family moved to Blackpool in 2017. According to Mr Webb, Shahmeer was mocked at school because of his name, culture, background and ambitions — aspects of his life he had no control over.
This week, Shahmeer’s mother contacted Mr Webb with news of his GCSE results. He achieved four Grade 8s and six Grade 9s, including Grade 9s in both Maths and Further Maths. He has also taken entrance tests for seven specialist maths schools and has been accepted into three.
Mr Webb said Shahmeer’s achievements demonstrated what young people could accomplish despite facing significant challenges. “The world is at your feet Shahmeer, and I’m so impressed with how you overcame real challenges to get to this point,” Mr Webb said.
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The MP said Shahmeer’s story was a reminder of what young people in Blackpool could achieve when they refused to allow the behaviour of others to define them. “His resilience, hard work and determination speak for themselves,” Mr Webb added.
The anti-bullying roundtable was held as part of efforts to give young people with direct experience of bullying and exclusion a voice in discussions about how to tackle those issues. Mr Webb said Shahmeer’s journey had provided a particularly positive outcome following the experiences he described at the event.
He concluded by congratulating the teenager on his results, saying: “Huge congratulations, Shahmeer – Blackpool is proud of you”