Windrush celebrations backed with £500,000 for communities

15 May 2026 03:16 PM

Activities will place communities at the heart of Windrush Day 2026 as nation continues to celebrate and commemorate the Windrush generation

Festivals, touring artwork and other projects celebrating the outstanding contribution of the Windrush generation and their descendants are today, 15 May, set to receive a share of £500,000.

A total of 33 projects, from Plymouth to Leeds, will receive government funding to bring communities together and mark the lasting contribution of the Windrush generation to British life.

These community-led initiatives will mark the eighth annual Windrush Day on 22 June 2026, following on from the 30 projects that received funding last year.

Minister for Faith and Communities, Nesil Caliskan 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.

Funded projects for 2026 include:  

• Pantonic Steel Orchestra in London: Steel Roots, Future Voices 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.
• Changing Our Lives in Birmingham: Windrush Through Our Senses is a Windrush Day 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.
• Jamaica Society in Leeds: An educational and cultural programme 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: 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.
• 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.
• Tapestry of Black Britons CIC in Bristol: Woven and embroidered tapestries celebrating Windrush heritage will be created and displayed in Bristol before being toured across England, raising awareness of and pride in the Windrush story.
• City Council Libraries in Leicester: Windrush history will come to life across sixteen public libraries and at a city festival attracting 60,000 visitors. Working with 100 schoolchildren and Windrush elders, the project will create lasting educational installations and deliver an immersive experience for communities.
• City Council in Oxford: A programme of events in Oxford 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 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 22 June and are expected to conclude in late July 2026.