Leicester to commemorate Windrush 75th anniversary to city

A programme of events will be taking place in Leicester to mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush in the UK.

The British troopship, which arrived in Essex on 21 June 1948, carried hundreds of passengers from the Caribbean hoping for a new life in Britain.

Leicester plans to celebrate the contribution made by members of the Windrush generation to the city.

Events will include inspirational stories, music, dance and workshops.

Most of the events have been organised by the Leicester Windrush Consortium, made up of local community groups working together to commemorate the anniversary.

Six panels featuring personal stories from the second and third Windrush generations will be unveiled at Leicester's African Caribbean Centre on National Windrush Day on Thursday 22 June by the former BBC Radio Leicester presenter Herdle White. The panels will then be opened to the public on 27 June.

Leicester City Council said the new panels celebrate some of the inspirational descendants of the Windrush generation, who have gone on to become positive role models for young boys today.

These include Ainsley Neckles - co-founder of BOx fitness studios, Corey Trevor, a radio presenter, actor and owner of a barbershop on wheels, saxophonist Marcus Joseph and community activist Brian Simmonds. who founded Leicester's Black History Consortium.

Other events include a free family-friendly fete, Leicester's libraries displaying Windrush-themed books and talks, a new exhibition focusing on migration and building the NHS and a 'block party' featuring live performances and food from around the world.

Jamaican-born George Cole, who last year became the first person of African-Caribbean heritage to be sworn in as Leicester's Lord Mayor, said: "When my parents arrived in Britain from Jamaica in the 1950s, life was tough... but their resilience saw them through.

"Windrush 75 is an opportunity to look back and see how far we've come, knowing that we still have some way to go.

"But we should celebrate and say thank you to those early pioneers, who overcame great hardship to put down roots, build a new life here and, by so doing, contributed to shaping the new Britain we see emerging today."

Adam Clarke, deputy city mayor for culture, added: "Windrush 75 provides an opportunity to acknowledge the sacrifice and hardship faced by the Windrush generation and to recognise the contribution they, and their descendants, continue to make to business, music, the arts, sport and all aspects of public life here in Leicester, and across Britain."

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