African/Afro-Caribbean community to celebrate Windrush anniversary
Telford’s African and Afro Caribbean community is holding a celebration on Saturday June 22 to mark the anniversary of the arrival in the UK of the MV Empire Windrush.
The Telford Windrush event is taking place at the Telford Elim Community Church in Brookdale, Hadley, between 2-6pm.
It will be attended by Councillor Raj Mehta, Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for Communities and Inclusivity, as well as borough mayor Councillor Stephen Reynolds.
The MV Empire Windrush arrived in the UK on the 22nd June 1948 and brought one of the first large groups of post war West Indian immigrants to the United Kingdom, carrying 1,027 passengers.
It has become symbolic of the arrival of many migrants from the Caribbean into the UK. British Caribbean people who came to the UK in the period after World War II are often referred to as the Windrush Generation.
As part of last year’s celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of the boat’s arrival, the Prime Minister announced that the Government would mark Windrush Day on June 22nd every year.
Councillor Mehta said: “The Windrush generation, along with our nation’s many diverse communities and cultures, have contributed a great deal to the rich cultural, social and economic fabric of our country.
“Here in Telford, we have a strong and vibrant African and Afro Caribbean community and I am delighted to have been invited to Saturday’s Telford Windrush event.
“The docking of the MV Empire Windrush is a key milestone in making the UK the richly diverse society it is today and it is very important that we celebrate the anniversary locally.”
The event is also being both supported and funded by the West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion.
Saturday’s event, which is organised by the Telford African & Afro Caribbean Resource Centre (TAARC), is free to enter and refreshments will be available
