Windrush 75: Celebrating 75 Years of the Windrush Generation

22 Jun 2023 12:36 PM

National Windrush Day (22 June) this year marks 75 years since the MV Empire Windrush arrived in the UK.

• Educational, arts and sporting projects and activities are being held across the UK to celebrate the Windrush generation and their contribution to society.
• New Speakers for Schools programme featuring Levi Roots and Paterson Joseph supported by Government funding

National Windrush Day 2023, today (22 June) marks 75 years since the MV Empire Windrush arrived in the UK, marking a seminal moment in our shared history.

Celebrations will take place at projects and events throughout the country to promote community cohesion and understanding of the Windrush story.

The Windrush generation – those original pioneers who came from across the Caribbean – helped to rebuild the nation following the Second World War, and they and their descendants continue to contribute to all aspects of British life.

A cross-Government celebration of their contribution is marking Windrush 75, including:

• 45 community projects across the UK are being funded by the £750,000 Windrush Day Grant Scheme including cricket matches held at the Sheffield Caribbean Sports Club and a procession celebrating the Windrush generation from Clapham Common to Brixton’s Windrush Square.
• The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and leading social mobility charity Speakers for Schools have teamed up to organise a series of in-person and virtual talks with a host of inspirational and well-known figures connected to the Windrush generation. This includes Levi Roots – musician and celebrity chef; Professor Nira Chamberlain OBE – leading mathematician; and Paterson Joseph – actor and author.
• DLUHC has also launched a new educational resource for schools on the National Windrush Monument Website
• The Department for Health and Social Care will be marking the NHS’s 75th birthday by celebrating the diversity of the NHS workforce, which currently represents over 200 nationalities. 100 NHS Staff will take a river cruise from Waterloo to Tilbury Docks.
• Ministry of Defence flag-raising ceremony for Windrush veterans on Armed Forces Day on 24 June in Birmingham.

Minister for Communities at DLUHC, Lee Rowley, said:

“Today is a celebration of the Windrush generation and the wider Caribbean community’s contribution to British society.

“The events taking place today and all this week are a chance to reflect upon and recognise those who have done so much to strengthen the life of our nation.”

Activities and events taking place for Windrush 75 include:

• A major programme of events will take place at Tilbury Docks in Essex.
• The Victoria and Albert Museum is hosting a season of displays, talks, workshops and events.
• National Archives has a web portal of Windrush migration stories, online events, exhibitions and learning resources.
• ‘Windrush: Portraits of a Generation’ - project commissioned by HRH King Charles III. The 75-minute programme of art is being released on National Windrush Day.
• The National Lottery Community Fund, sponsored by DCMS, is offering Windrush 75 grants of up to £10,000 throughout the year for community-led events and activities.
• The Royal Mail has released a set of special commemorative stamps, and The Royal Mint to release a new coin commemorating the Windrush generation.
• An evening of music at Wolverhampton’s Grand Theatre as part of their Windrush season
• The Southport Caribbean Carnival on June 24.

Celebrating the 75th anniversary of both Windrush and the NHSWindrush Day was first announced by the Government in June 2018 to take place on 22 June each year to encourage communities across England to celebrate the contribution of the Windrush generation and their descendants.

To date, the Government has dedicated £3.75 million in funding toward honouring the Windrush legacy, including £2.75 million across five years of the Windrush Day Grant Scheme, and £1 million allocated to the National Windrush Monument.

Notes to editors:

• Windrush 75 Day digital toolkit of logos and images available here.