FOUR exciting new events will be held in Reading to celebrate the contribution of the Windrush Generation to the town's economic, social and cultural life.

Reading Borough Council will be working with local community groups to organise the activities to coincide with the first national Windrush Day on June 22, honouring the thousands of people who came to the UK from Caribbean countries between 1948 and 1971 in response to post-war labour shortages in Britain.

A £10,000 grant has been awarded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), which will involve Reading Museum, the Alliance of Community Cohesion in Reading, Barbados and Friends Association, Reading Caribbean Associations Group and Age UK Berkshire.

The council-led consortium secured funding for four events, including an Inaugural Windrush Sports Day - a family day with an inter-generational theme involving demonstrations of a variety of sports and games enjoyed by the original Windrush generation; a Windrush Community Theatre Production, which will be a dramatisation of conversations and first-hand accounts from individuals from Reading's Windrush Generation and their descendants; a Windrush Community Art Exhibition, commemorating the generation's legacy and a Windrush Contemporary Collection - a programme of contemporary museum and archive collecting with the aim of increasing representation of the Caribbean community in Reading Museum's 'Story of Reading' gallery.

Councillor Sarah Hacker, lead councillor for Culture, Heritage and Recreation, said: "I am very excited about this project to celebrate the enormous contribution of the Windrush Generation and their descendants to Reading and to the rest of the UK.

"This funding will allow the council and community groups to work together to develop a series of fun and fascinating events which will tell the proud and compelling story of Reading’s Windrush Generation."

Jeff Jones, chairman of the Caribbean Associations Group (CAG) said: "Reading Caribbean Community welcomes the opportunity to get together and celebrate our Caribbean forefathers’ legacy, their strong work ethics, love of sport, music, art and storytelling, which will be a key element in our planned events in recognising their contribution to Britain.

"I am sure I speak for the diaspora as we launch the inaugural National Windrush Day on 22nd June 2019."