Carnival to celebrate the Windrush generation in Staffordshire

Preparations are under way for an event which celebrates the contributions of the Windrush generation.

Carnival Windrush will take place at the National Memorial Arboretum, in Alrewas, Staffordshire, on 6 August.

It commemorates the anniversary of the HMT Empire Windrush, which arrived in the UK from the Caribbean 75 years ago.

The free event will also include music, dance and poetry performances alongside steelpan workshops, arts and crafts and a carnival procession.

Created in collaboration with female group Black Voices, the day will see performances from the group and other local artists, including The Notebenders and Birmingham's The Reggae Choir.

BBC Radio WM presenter Nikki Tapper, who is hosting the event, said it would be a "fantastic celebration" of the legacy of Caribbean migrants who had arrived after World War Two.

"It is an honour and a blessing to be hosting this event at the National Memorial Arboretum," she added.

Known as the Windrush generation, half a million people from the Caribbean settled in the UK between 1948 and 1971, after being invited to help rebuild the UK after the war.

Hundreds of passengers stepped off the HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks in Essex on 22 June, 1948, having arrived to fill labour shortages.

Carol Pemberton, founder of Black Voices, said the Windrush generation had "paved the way" for black Britons today.

"I am one of 10 children to parents of the Windrush Generation," she added.

"It is because of their journey that I have been able to travel every continent and perform before royalty and presidents as part of Black Voices."

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