Kent Equality Cohesion Council in partnership with Cohesion Plus and the North Kent Caribbean Network for the first time ever organised a special online event in celebration of the Windrush generation. Poignantly the event took place on Windrush Day and had over 100 local community members in attendance. Civic guests also attended including Deputy Lord Lieutenant Dr Bhagwara Vasudaven, KCC Leader, Mr Roger Gough, KCC Chairman Cllr Graham Gibbens, Mayor of Gravesham Cllr John Caller and Inspector Craig West from Kent Police.

The event organisers Gurvinder Sandher CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council and the Chair of the North Kent Caribbean Network, Michelle Bramble felt this year’s celebrations were more important than ever in the midst of the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests as well as the devastating impact Covid -19 has had on communities from a BAME background.

Gurvinder Sandher, CEO of KECC commented, “We were incredibly humbled and proud to be able to host the first ever online Windrush celebrations in recognition of the enormously positive contributions made by the Windrush generation and their decedents in the UK. Despite not being able to celebrate in person, we were no less enthused to celebrate with local members of the community and civic guests online. To say we are living in tumultuous times would be something of a painful understatement however, we wanted to champion the Windrush generations and celebrate their achievements especially when history has tended to overlook this. As such, we felt it imperative to take this valuable opportunity to celebrate in the midst of the impact of Covid – 19 which has hit BAME communities disproportionately higher. With the ongoing protests around Black Lives Matter and the widely reported recognition of systemic racism still prevalent in 2020 we will continue to celebrate and champion diversity until true equality is achieved.”