PRESS RELEASE : Local communities to get £750,000 for Windrush celebrations [January 2023]

• Community groups to bid for funding to celebrate 75th anniversary of Windrush
• Funding open to applications from Northern Ireland for the first time
• Part of wider £3.75 million committed to honouring the Windrush legacy to date

Applications for the Windrush Day Grant Scheme have been opened by the Department for Levelling Up, today (18 January 2023).

Community groups, charities and councils will now be able to bid for their share of the £750,000 pot of funding to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the Windrush community in their local areas.

Each area can bid for up to £50,000 to fund celebratory parades, educational resources, arts and sporting projects, providing they are focused on the contribution of the Windrush generation and their descendants.

Currently in its fifth year, the scheme will for the first time be open to applications from Northern Ireland in recognition of Windrush communities who resided there.

Communities Minister Lee Rowley said:

“The 75th anniversary of the arrival of MV Empire Windrush at the Port of Tilbury, marks a seminal moment in our nation’s shared history.

“This government is fully committed to honouring the Windrush generation and their immense contribution to this country. This funding will really help local communities come together, honour the past and celebrate our country.”

To date, the government has dedicated £3.75 million in funding toward honouring the Windrush legacy. This includes £2.75 million across five years of the Windrush Day Grant Scheme, and £1 million allocated to the National Windrush Monument.

Last year 35 projects across England were given a share of £500,000 funding to help commemorate Windrush Day. They included:

• The establishment of the Bristol Windrush Reggae Choir, a six-month project that included vocal workshops and specially commissioned music.
• A one-day festival at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, celebrating many aspects of UK Caribbean life, from music and dance to food and storytelling; and
• A Windrush exhibition across museums, cultural centres, schools and colleges in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire together with live performance and online workshops.