Government Launch New Fund to Celebrate the Windrush Generation

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) have launched the Windrush Day Grant programme.

Launched today (22 November), new funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) will support local commemorative and educational events across England that recognise the arrival of MV Empire Windrush at Port Tilbury on 21 July 1948 with 492 Caribbean migrants and the contribution of the migrants who later became known as the Windrush Generation.

Communities Minister Lord Bourne said:

“I am delighted to launch the Windrush Day Grant Scheme, which will help ensure that people across the country have the opportunity to take part in celebrations and commemorations every year.

“It’s absolutely right that we honour the Windrush Generation and their descendants who have contributed so much to our national life, and this fund will help keep their legacy alive for generations to come.”

MHCLG are looking for innovative approaches, founded on active community engagement. They will fund projects and events that support the high-level objectives of the Windrush Day Grant, which are to celebrate, commemorate, educate, and must be community led and sustainable, and local, national and inter-generational in scope.

Some possible example projects include:

Educational events, seminars & lectures
Work with schools including assemblies, educational trips and creative project work
Scholarships and exchange programmes
Religious services
Collation & opening of archives and collections
Arts installations and exhibitions
Music and performance arts projects
Dominoes tournaments and other relevant community events
Quilts, murals and other community arts projects
Storytelling projects and collation and sharing of recipes, songs, music, antiques
Community street parties
Carnivals
Tea parties.

Local authorities, registered charities and community-based and/or community-led organisations based in England are eligible to apply.

A budget of up to £500,000 is available from 2018 to 2020.

£350,000 will be exclusively provided via local authorities, whilst £150,000 will be available for charities and community groups.

The minimum amount available is £2,500 and the maximum is £25,000.

The deadline for applications is 21 January 2019.

Full details…