Windrush 75 Network win Community Project of the Year at the European Diversity Awards
On 10 November 2023, the Windrush 75 network was awarded the Community Project of the Year award at the European Diversity Awards.
The European Diversity Awards celebrate leading diversity and inclusion champions while recognising achievements across all strands of diversity. Other winners included Baroness Floella Benjamin who took home the Lifetime Achievement Award for her work on diversity and advocacy for children’s rights and education.
The Windrush 75 network was recognised for its work on bringing together individuals and organisations across the UK who wanted to mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush.
The project helped to amplify the voices of those working at grassroots and national level, raising awareness of activity taking place across the UK throughout the 2023 anniversary year. It also helped to broaden public recognition of the contribution of the original Windrush pioneers.
Windrush campaigner Patrick Vernon and registered charity British Future launched the Windrush 75 network in January 2022. It brought together organisations and individuals across the country who were committed to marking the 75th anniversary of the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush. Windrush Day (22 June) has become a key symbolic moment in the story of the Black British contribution to Britain and broader post-war migration from across the Commonwealth and beyond.
This award was accepted by Windrush 75 network convenor Patrick Vernon and British Future Director Sunder Katwala on behalf of all network members, in recognition of the brilliant work put in by so many to mark Windrush 75 this year. Colleen Williams, who led Phoenix Group’s support of the Windrush 75 network, also joined them.
Accepting the award, Patrick Vernon, convenor of the Windrush 75 network, said:
“The Windrush 75 network brought together hundreds of organisations and individuals to celebrate and commemorate the Windrush. This award is for all of those who played their part in making this 75th anniversary a major national moment.”
Sunder Katwala, Director of British Future, said:
“We want to keep up these efforts to deepen our public conversation about the past, present and future of race in Britain. The Windrush 75 network will be relaunching at the end of this year as a Windrush 100 movement. We invite everybody to join us in to sustain the work for a fair and equal Britain that would have made the Windrush pioneers proud.”
Phoenix Group’s DEI Project Lead for Race & Ethnicity Imran Khan added:
“A huge congratulations to the Windrush 75 Network and British Future on this award win. As the UK’s largest long term savings and retirement company, we recognise the responsibility we have and the role we can play in supporting this endeavour and we are looking forward to continuing to play our part – for the long-term – to deliver a fair and equal Britain.”
The Windrush 75 network was supported by Pepshop on a pro bono basis to run a supporting comms campaign.
Pepshop co-founder Howard Bowden said: ‘It is an honour to work with the Windrush 75 network and we’re thrilled the campaign has received Europe-wide recognition.’
Find out more about the European Diversity Awards Awards here.
