Celebrating National Windrush Day in 2024
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Published 20 Jun 2024 in Raising Awareness
Today’s story is from our Inclusion Allies Network all about the Windrush generation. Find out the meaning and why it's so important to the half a million people part of the Windrush generation.
What is National Windrush Awareness Day About?
Windrush Day is celebrated on June 22nd every year to remember and celebrate the Windrush generation and the arrival of the Windrush ship in 1948. It’s a day to acknowledge the Windrush Generation’s contributions to Britain and to recognise the challenges they faced throughout this time, and beyond.
What is the ‘Windrush’ Generation?
The Windrush generation is the name given to around half a million people who moved to the UK between 1948 and 1971 from Caribbean countries. They came to fill labour shortages and rebuild the country after World War II and were told they could stay permanently. The name ‘Windrush’ came from the ship that they arrived on called Empire Windrush which arrived at Tilbury Docks in Essex.
What was the 'Windrush Scandal'?
The Windrush Scandal revealed in 2018, involved many Windrush individuals being wrongly detained or deported by the UK government. In 2012 there was a change to immigration law and people were told they needed official documents to prove they could access the NHS and other benefits in the UK. They were unfairly treated as illegal residents despite living in the UK for decades and being granted permission to live here initially because they lacked formal documents such as a UK passport and the government hadn’t kept a full record of them. Many claims for compensation are still ongoing and the Government announced a day to celebrate the contribution of the Windrush generation and their descendants – Windrush Day.
What is the Windrush Compensation Scheme?
The Windrush Compensation Scheme was launched by the Government in 2019 to give money to those affected by the scandal. It aims to help with losses related to work, health, and education - acknowledging the wrongdoings of the Windrush Generation.
Why It’s Important to Raise Awareness?
Raising awareness about the Windrush Generation and their struggles is vital. It honours their contributions, addresses past injustices, and teaches all of us the importance of diversity and equality. It’s about learning from the past, to do good together for the future.
What does Windrush mean to me? - Jo Soor, Property Compliance Team
Windrush and its generation have a personal history for me, one being that my late father-in-law was one of the first to embark on Empire Windrush. My father-in-law would often talk about his experiences which always used to fascinate me, he would tell me that he and many other Jamaicans were led to believe that England was a land of riches, and they would dream of living there, so when England recruited people to move to here and help rebuild the country after World War II, they jumped at the chance.
Unfortunately, when they got to England it was a different story, many faced racism, discrimination, violence and hardship. What I love about the Jamaican community is their resilience - they would turn up their collar and walk the walk of confidence past these injustices. They stuck together as a community and thrived, achieving greatness in rebuilding England’s infrastructure and economy.
Without this many of us today may not live the comfortable lives we have and for that, I am personally grateful. They paved the way for their children who went on to become doctors, lawyers, nurses, entrepreneurs, business owners, inventors, singers, actors, the list is endless. My father-in-law’s stories and my own coming from Africa to England in 1972, put a deep etch into my character and collectively we should continue to remain sympathetic to immigrants that may be facing the same injustices now.
On National Windrush Day 2024, let's remember the Windrush Generation's influence and resilience.
Here at Your Co-op, we celebrate the Windrush legacy and commit to promoting diversity, equality, and justice.
Let’s work together to respect and honour everyone’s contributions to our community.
To be involved in the creation of these articles, and/or to join the Inclusion Allies Network, please email DiversityAndInclusion@midcounties.coop