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12
February
2020
|
12:18
Europe/London

Hackney Council’s Windrush Generations Programme wins runner-up prize in global award

Hackney Council’s Culture Team has been awarded a runner-up prize in the Apolitical Global Public Service Team of the Year awards for “Championing Equality”. After receiving hundreds of nominations from across the globe, the Windrush Generations Programme caught the attention of the panel of judges for being “a vocal supporter of the Windrush generations and families”. 

Hackney has a long-standing history of being welcoming to new arrivals in the UK and is home to hundreds, and potentially thousands, of the Windrush generation. The Windrush Generations programme is used to honour and celebrate the valuable contribution their community brings to the borough and enables the Council to make even stronger links with parts of the community, including Black British elders.

Taking place during summer 2019, residents were invited to participate in a series of intergenerational events. Activities included a tea party at Stoke Newington Town Hall, a cricket match in Hackney Marshes, a dominoes club tournament, a Windrush parade at Hackney Carnival, storytelling sessions led by Windrush elders in primary school, and street parties. The programme also included baking days, at the end of which the Council published a Caribbean cookbook full of personal recipes to sell in local bookshops. After much success, Hackney Council are now working on plans to mark Windrush in 2020. 

Apolitical, a global online platform for public service professionals, said the result was “incredibly close” and therefore was awarded runner-up, narrowly missing out to The City of Buenos Aires Gender Equality Team. 

Cllr Carole Williams, Cabinet Member with responsibility for the Council’s response to Windrush said: 

Cllr Carole Williams, Cabinet Member for Employment, Skills and Human Resources
“To see the work that went into the Windrush Generations festival here in Hackney acknowledged on a global scale is something I am immensely proud of.

Celebrating the creativity, uniqueness and passion of a generation impacted by the hostile environment policies has never felt more crucial as it does now. More than a year ago, the Council passed a comprehensive Windrush motion, which aimed to commemorate the contribution this community has made in Hackney. In those 18 months we have honoured that commitment.

The Council remains committed to celebrating and standing up for Hackney residents, of all backgrounds and showcasing what we can achieve when a community comes together.”

 
Cllr Carole Williams, Cabinet Member for Employment, Skills and Human Resources
  • The book ‘Traditional Caribbean Baking Recipes’ is available in independent bookshops Pages of Hackney and Burnley Fisher, and the Hackney Museum shop.
  • For full details of the events of the 2019 Windrush Generations Festival visit bit.ly/hackney-windrush-fest 
  • For more information on how Hackney Council are supporting the Windrush generation and support for undocumented migrants visit hackney.gov.uk/windrush
  • For more information visit Apolitical