Windrush Day funding demonstrates Haringey’s historic importance for Windrush Generation

Three Haringey community groups have been awarded over £74,000 for projects to celebrate Windrush Day.

This comes after the announcement on Monday that the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is distributing £750,000 to 45 community groups across the UK to organise projects to celebrate Windrush Day.

The significant amount of this funding going to Haringey-based projects demonstrates the borough’s historic importance for the Windrush Generation and their descendants.

Windrush Day is celebrated each year on and around 22 June, and is an opportunity to celebrate the legacy of the Windrush Generation and their impact on life and culture in the UK.

This year, Windrush Day marks the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks, bringing migrants from the Caribbean who played a vital role in rebuilding Britain following the devastation of the Second World War.

The three Haringey-based projects to receive funding are:

Haringey Council (Bruce Castle Museum)

‘Creating A Corner of the Caribbean In Tottenham’: inspired by Haringey’s elder and acclaimed designer the late Althea McNish, this project will celebrate and share stories and experiences about ‘what is home’ for Windrush generation elders. 22 June sees Bruce Castle lit up in Windrush Day colours, marking an evening for a discussion panel with intergenerational guest speakers. 24 June will be a community day for all ages to celebrate at three sites in Bruce Castle Park, including vintage-inspired stalls, storytelling and crafts, a film show, games, music, dance and food. It connects elders with communities to share experiences and get people involved to create a legacy film.

Bernie Grant Arts Centre

Inspired by Laura Serrant’s poem ‘You Called… And We Came,’ which speaks of ‘big hearts, skilful hands, quick minds’ and ‘the hopes and dreams of our ancestors’ (and which was read at the unveiling of the National Windrush Monument), this project is a unique festival of Windrush 75 activity. The festival includes a month-long schools programme, a newly commissioned artist’s mural launched on National Windrush Day, a community takeover, a week of artistic activity and a family weekend. The theme is generational legacy, asking what was retained from home and brought to England to make it home in the UK, and how we continue to share our cultural heritage with younger generations.

Collage Arts

The project is an intergenerational collaboration, bringing together elders and young people of the Caribbean communities in Haringey to create four children’s books of inspiring true-life celebratory stories from the Windrush generation and their descendants. These will educate cross-generationally about the immense contribution that the Caribbean communities have made to UK society and local communities. These books will be shared with all primary schools in the borough as well as being shared digitally free online. Collage Arts will also create films and podcasts of the stories being told that will be shared online for additional ongoing legacy.

Cllr Peray Ahmet, Leader of Haringey Council, said:

“We are incredibly proud of the fact that so many members of the Windrush Generation chose to make their home in Haringey. They and their descendants have left a lasting legacy on every aspect of our borough, including political and civic life, and we’re delighted to have the opportunity to celebrate that each year on Windrush Day.

“It’s brilliant to see Haringey receive so much government funding for celebrating Windrush Day this year. The fact that almost 10 per cent of the total funding allocated nationwide is going to projects in Haringey demonstrates the special bond between our borough and the Windrush Generation, one which we continue to nurture and celebrate.

“Events and activities for all ages will be taking place across the borough to mark Windrush Day this year. We’ll be announcing our programme in early June, so I invite all residents to check our website at www.haringey.gov.uk/Windrush to find out how you can join us to learn and celebrate.”