Windrush in Waltham Forest

802 West Indian migrants stepped off the HMT Empire Windrush at the Port of Tilbury on 22 June 1948, the first of what became known as the Windrush Generation in Britain and the birth of the UK’s modern multiracial society.   

Fuelled in part by British government campaigns to address domestic labour shortages, nearly 500 thousand people moved from the Caribbean to Britain in the following two decades. Nonetheless, issues stemming from societal racism including systemic disadvantages in employment, housing, and education – leading up to the 2018 Windrush scandal – remain a key factor in the legacy of Windrush.  

Today, Waltham Forest’s 25,000-strong Afro-Caribbean community is a vibrant and valuable part of our cultural fabric. The legacy of the Windrush Generation which will surely loom large in Waltham Forest for many years to come.

Building on the success of Windrush's 75th anniversary celebrations last year, the Council looks to expand its community-led Windrush programme in 2024.

As well as partnering with a host of local community groups, museums, libraries and local schools to deliver a range of events and activities across the borough throughout the month of June, this year the Windrush Day Flag Raising ceremony in Fellowship Square will coincide with the third ever Waltham Forest Windrush Festival. The festival will showcase the very best in Afro Caribbean music, food, art and history.

The full Windrush 2024 programme will go live in May.