THE MINISTER will today (Mar 8) visit Lambeth council to launch the Windrush 70 campaign that will include a website hosted by The Voice (Windrush70.org) listing events up and down the country, a Windrush70 logo designed by local agency Champion Agency and commemorative pin badges.
The campaign will ensure that 2018 is the year Britain celebrates the contribution of the British Caribbean community.
This launch kick-starts a series of events and celebrations including performances, exhibitions, church services and debates to take place across the year to ensure that the Windrush legacy lives on for future generations. The Voice will also be producing a commemorative edition which will be distributed across the country.
Communities Minister Lord Bourne said: “I am delighted to launch the Windrush 70 campaign today to celebrate the history of Britain’s black communities.
“The campaign is centred around the legacy of the Windrush Generation, and will recognise and celebrate the enormous contribution of the Windrush Generation and their descendants. It will also keep this legacy alive for future generations, ensuring that we all recognise the diversity of Britain’s history.”
The arrival of 492 passengers from the Caribbean on the 22 June 1948 marked a seminal moment in Britain’s history. The men and women who came to Britain contributed significantly to rebuilding the country following the war and their settlement has continued to enrich social, economic, political and religious life.
Lambeth council leader Lib Peck said: “Lambeth has a pivotal role in the Windrush story and is a borough proud of its diversity and openness.
"I’m absolutely delighted that its young people from Brixton who’ve created these designs and hope the whole country will celebrate not just Windrush 70 but the great cultural, social and economic enrichment that the Windrush generation and subsequent migrants have brought to this country.”
Lord Bourne was appointed joint Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Wales Office on 27 October 2017. He holds this role jointly with his Parliamentary Under Secretary of State role at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which he started on 8 January 2018.
Previously he held this role at the Department for Communities and Local Government, from 17 July 2016 to January 2018.
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