Windrush Foundation Celebrates 25 Years Of
WINDRUSH FOUNDATION CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF HERITAGE AND COMMUNITY ADVOCACY IN SUMMER OF 2020 WINDRUSH FOUNDATION CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF HERITAGE AND COMMUNITY ADVOCACY IN SUMMER OF 2020 UPDATED 1995 was the year which first saw Sam King and Arthur Torrington (co-founders) working to establish a CHARITY that delivered heritage and community services, helping to create an identity for Caribbean people, especially the youth, in Britain. ‘Windrush’, ‘Empire Windrush’ and ‘Windrush Generation’ have always been key words in our operations. Both men developed the idea, but Sam was the one to have led the first Windrush commemorative event (40th anniversary) in 1988, hosted by Lambeth Council. He had been a passenger on the Empire Windrush, an RAF WWII serviceman and the first Black Mayor of Southwark, London. He was first to have coined the term, ‘Windrush Generation’. There was no support from any Local Authority, except Lambeth, in 1998 when we held the 50th anniversary, and national newspaper, The Times, was the first to carry our publicity early in 1998. Arthur has also been the Director responsible for publicity from 1995 and who first contacted The Times newspaper in 1998. Sam brought together in 1988, 1998 and 2003 dozens of his fellow Windrush passengers. Below are some of WINDRUSH FOUNDATION’S major events, and associated activities over the past 25 years: 22.10.97: House of Commons Reception hosted by (the late) Bernie Grant MP 30.05.98: WINDRUSH - four-part series of one-hour documentaries on BBC2 TV 18.06.98: Windrush Reception at Foreign & Commonwealth Office hosted by Robin Cook MP, and attended by Tony Blair MP, Prime Minister 22.06.98: University of London, Logan Hall: Participants included: Bill Morris, Baroness Valerie Amos, Paul Boateng MP, Peter Bottomley MP, Professor Lola Young, Simon Hughes MP, Trevor Phillips, Oona King MP, and others.
[Show full text]