Windrush Day projects get gov’t funding support

London:

As communities in the UK get ready to celebrate Windrush Day on June 22, at least 33 projects across the country have been awarded funding from the Windrush Day Grant Scheme to host events marking the occasion.

A broad range of commemorative projects including festivals in Leicester and Coventry, a sensory experience in Birmingham for young people with learning disabilities and a touring artwork in Bristol, are just some of the activities at the heart of Windrush Day 2026 celebrations.

These and other planned events from Plymouth to Leeds are set to receive a share of the £500,000 government funding to bring communities together and mark the lasting contribution of the Windrush generation to British life.

A release from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the department which provides the Grant, said these community-led initiatives will mark the eighth annual Windrush Day on June 22, following on from the 30 projects that received funding last year.

Nesil Caliskan, the minister for Faith and Communities, said: “The Windrush generation helped build the Britain we have today, and we are a stronger nation when we take the time to recognise and commemorate that contribution.

 "The projects receiving this funding are doing incredible work to honour their legacy and remind us that our shared history is something to celebrate, and something worth investing in.”

Among the projects being funded this year is the Pantonic Steel Orchestra in London which celebrates Windrush heritage through steel pan music, storytelling and exhibitions. Their project will culminate in a cultural performance showcase to inspire pride and safeguarding of Windrush musical and community legacy.

The Changing Our Lives in Birmingham project titled ‘Windrush Through Our Senses’ is an event for people of all ages that will see young people with learning disabilities in Birmingham and the Black Country explore Windrush history in accessible ways with their elders, working together in workshops to create a sensory Windrush story.

Over in Leeds, The Jamaica Society will be hosting an educational and cultural programme which will be delivered across the city, combining school workshops, a Reflection Wall, a Young Entrepreneurs Expo on Windrush Day and a public cultural celebration to mark the day.

‘Whispered Tales in Liverpool’ is a 20-minute performance celebrating the Windrush generation’s heritage through shining a light on the SS Ormonde - the ship that brought 241 people to Liverpool from the Caribbean - reaching thousands of people across educational and public spaces.

At the Full Gospel Revival Centre in Nottingham, the Windrush Voices project will capture and document first-hand stories from Windrush generation elders through a professionally produced documentary, complementing a wider programme of city events including a music celebration and original short films released online.

In Bristol, Tapestry of Black Bristions CIC, will exhibit woven and embroidered tapestries created to celebrate its Windrush heritage before it goes on tour across England, raising awareness of and pride in the Windrush story.

Windrush history will come to life across 16 public libraries in Leicester and at a city festival attracting 60,000 visitors on June 22. Working with 100 schoolchildren and Windrush elders, the project will create lasting educational installations and deliver an immersive experience for communities.

A programme of events hosted by Oxford City Council will share the local Windrush story across days of community-focused activities. This will include panel discussion, exhibition tours, a memorial lecture and an integrated film project to help celebrate the Windrush story.

 Since the Windrush Day funding initiative began in 2018, more than 300 projects have received a share of £4.25 million in celebration of the contributions of the Windrush generation and their descendants.

 All projects will deliver an event or activity on national Windrush Day on June 22 and are expected to conclude in late July.