Wolverhampton hosts Windrush Day events
Windrush Day is to be celebrated in Wolverhampton later this month.The annual event celebrates the contributions that Caribbean migrants and their descendants have made to the UK.Wolverhampton City Council will host a flag-raising ceremony outside the Civic Centre at 10:30 GMT on 22 June.A bust of Mel Chevannes, the city's first African-Caribbean councillor, will then be unveiled at Wolverhampton Art Gallery.
Chevannes was elected to the Graiseley Ward in 1981 and served as a councillor for 11 years, later becoming the first African-Caribbean chairperson of The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust."I am humbled to be honoured by a bronze bust in the city of Wolverhampton, which has been my home for the last 50 years," she said."It is truly amazing that this is the first such public recognition in England of a black woman who is very much alive."HMT Empire Windrush docked in Tilbury, Essex, on 22 June 1948, bringing hundreds of passengers from the Caribbean to the UK, who were invited to rebuild post-war Britain.Wolverhampton mayor Councillor Craig Collingswood said the council was delighted to highlight and celebrate the impact of the Windrush generation."Everyone is welcome to join us for the flag-raising and the unveiling, and I hope that as many residents as possible are able to come along and help us celebrate Windrush Day 2025," he added.
Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
7 minutes ago
- BBC News
Copy of rare bird book collection worth £127k to stay in the UK
A collection of illustrated bird books worth £127,000 will now remain in the UK after the government intervened to stop the "national treasure" being sold original set of Henry Eeles Dresser's A History of the Birds of Europe was to be sold to a private collector in the US, until a "government export bar" allowed time for a group led by Manchester Museum to buy export ban was granted in 2024 after the Arts Council designated the books as national treasures for their "outstanding significance".Many of the drawings are of birds now believed to be extinct. Henry Eeles Dresser was born in Yorkshire, in 1838, and from a young age had an interest in birds, bird skins, and their trips to mainland Europe culminated in the nine-volume A History of the Birds of Europe, published between 1871 and is considered his most important work, and contains pictures of birds such as the Slender-billed curlew, which was the first-known bird to have disappeared from mainland Europe, North Africa and West Asia. Manchester Museum worked with The John Rylands Library to raise the money needed for the Fund, and Friends of the Nations' Libraries also contributed anthology will be reunited with Dresser's own bird specimens at the museum from Saturday 28 June until Sunday 25 January museum said the books highlights "the vital role historical records play in tracking biodiversity loss over time" and understanding the long-term impact of environmental change."Threats to the natural world and biodiversity have never been greater," said Esme Ward, director of Manchester Museum. Ms Ward added: "While this anthology has historical value, it also speaks to the urgent issues of the present."These books are breathtakingly beautiful and, by bringing them together with natural history collections, we believe they will not only provide scientific benefit but also capture the hearts of future ornithologists and conservationists."The volumes will be made accessible to researchers, students and the wider public at The John Rylands Library after they have been on display at the museum. "Henry Eeles Dresser was one of the most significant and influential ornithologists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries," said Christopher Pressler, Manchester University librarian and the director of The John Rylands Library."He was a producer of beautiful books which combined new scientific information with masterpieces of bird illustration, and a leading figure in scientific society." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
8 minutes ago
- BBC News
'We lost everything in storage unit blaze'
The co-founder of a charity which supports homeless people has told how the group has lost everything in a fire which broke out at a storage blaze broke out at Storage World in Middleton, Rochdale, at about 17:00 BST on building is now set to be demolished on safety grounds, Greater Manchester Fire 7 Rescue Service Lilley, co-founder of the Cold Hands Warm Hearts charity, said they stored all their equipment there including sleeping bags and warm clothing. "Everything we own was in that storage unit," Mr Lilley told BBC Radio Manchester."It's been a difficult day - the only thing we've got left is our social media." He said equipment that was stored there also included meal replacement drinks, a gazebo and card Lilley, who co-founded the charity with Daniel Goodier about five years ago, said they were not insured for the loss but a supporter had set up a fundraiser which had already reached £1, said they had been "astonished" by the offers of help they had received and they planned to be back out providing hot meals to homeless people on Lilley said: "We will be able to rebuild a lot faster than when we first started because we have got the customers, so to speak, to help us and the community there."We've had quite a lot of people messaging us to say they'll cook food for us or they'll lend us things." On Friday, assistant chief fire officer Barry Moore said: "The decision has now been taken alongside the building owners and partner agencies to gradually demolish the building so firefighters can safely access and extinguish the fire and bring this incident to a safe conclusion."Crews have been working incredibly hard for long hours in tough conditions to contain this complex fire and reduce any risk to the public."He said the fire service wanted to express its sympathies to anyone who had lost valuables to the were no reports of any injuries.A fundraising event which was due to have taken place at nearby Lodge Mill on Saturday had to be cancelled due to the road event, known as Millstock, was to raise money for the upkeep of the building, which was damaged in a fire in 2021. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
8 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Homeless women need their own spaces'
When Josie became separated from her children after escaping an abusive relationship, she went to a "very dark place over it".The stress of finding a new home, paired with the psychological weight of the abuse, was a "recipe for disaster", she experience exemplifies the very different challenges women who find themselves homeless face and the often lacking support available to meet their needs, a charity Trust, which used to only accommodate men who were homeless at its site in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, would soon open a new women-only homeless living quarters to meet the significant numbers of women seeking them out for support. Josie, whose real name the BBC are protecting for her own safety, became homeless in July last year with her two children after fleeing an abusive partner."I was really going into a world of unknown," she recalled."You're put you on a waiting list, but the waiting list can be infinite. And I needed that help there and then."I'd gone from wanting to end my life, to moving in with family, to then experience a different kind of angst and stress to find a property, somewhere I could have my boys with me. It was a recipe for disaster."A family member was able to take her in temporarily, but her children had to stay with family elsewhere."On top of going through the abuse and then being separated from your children, it is heartbreaking." Locally, the number of women facing homelessness due to fleeing domestic abuse like Josie is also double that of neighbouring councils like Amber Valley and Broxtowe."We have always historically looked after men", says Kevin Curtis, project manager at the Canaan Trust. "When we first started, if you were female and homeless, you wouldn't be left to be on the streets. "The services would step up and support and meet your needs. In recent years, up to you to sort yourself out."Mr Curtis says that most of the homelessness provision he is aware of is "skewed towards male homeless". "These ladies were being asked [by local authorities] to go into houses with unknown men, who had their own issues. "They could have been the victims of domestic abuse, physical, sexual violence, and suddenly be expected to be content living in these unsupervised properties. "And if the ladies turn that down and say no, I feel unsafe, they would then be told... you're on your own." The building, which the charity fundraised £800,000 over three years to construct, will have capacity to house nine women, and would include a separate small educational facility, aiming to help them progress towards finding work. The facility will also provide a secure space for women to meet with any children who they may have become separated from as a consequence of becoming homeless. This is a key element - given recent figures show that most women in the Erewash area fleeing homelessness in the past year were single mothers with latest data says that of those who sought help from Erewash Borough Council with an imminent risk of homelessness, about 40% were is against a backdrop of an overall rise in homelessness in the area of 75%, squeezing the resources of local councils who are already struggling to meet demand. Kate Bassford, who will be the service manager for the women's accommodation, says it will also provide a space for women to rebuild their lives."There is massive need," she says. "And there's a lot of hidden homeless for females, because they don't share their stories."She says the main concern for women without a home is safety, adding: "Where do they go? There are some supportive accommodation in the area but they're mixed with males."A lot of the refuges are closed. People get put on waiting lists because there are no properties. Where do they go next? Bricks and mortar places are being shut because they're not getting their funding."She also says the government need to do more to train frontline staff on the needs of women who are Bassford said there were gaps in understanding the circumstances in which these women fled abuse, including situations like cuckooing. "Government ought to be aware of what's happening on the ground, and I don't think they are," she added.A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said it was "vital survivors of domestic abuse are housed in suitable accommodation and safeguarding should be a top priority".It added local authorities had been provided £160m in 2025/26 "to ensure they can deliver appropriate support in domestic abuse safe accommodation to victims of domestic abuse". Ms Bassford was able to support Josie into getting private accommodation and help towards the deposit from Erewash Borough Council. Overall, she was homeless for just over two months, and said the women-only accommodation was "amazing". Of the women-only accommodation, she said: "If this had been offered to me back then and it meant that I could see my boys, 100% I would have accepted it. "Because everything I was being offered was out the area. "I was offered two choices, a refuge or a [mixed gender] hostel. Neither of which when you've got two teenage boys is really acceptable."Councillor Josy Hare, lead member for health and wellbeing at Erewash Borough Council, said the authority had extended its provision of temporary housing for men and women who were homeless."The council also leases homes from social housing providers to provide temporary accommodation for families who find themselves homeless and in need of the council's support," she added."People who are homeless or threatened with homelessness can contact the Council's Housing Options Team for free advice and help through its Housing Assistance Referral Portal."If you have been affected by the issues raised in this story you can visit the BBC Action Line for support.
