Windrush 75: Portraits to celebrate the stories of Leeds' Windrush Generation

In Leeds, with 75 portraits of the city's residents to be revealed, this is a move to ensure their legacy is never forgotten.

Pancy Patterson, former chair of the Jamaica Society Leeds and a retired midwife, said it was important this was not lost in history.

In light of the recent Windrush scandal, over the treatment of many Commonwealth citizens, she said today's Windrush Day is a "valid and worthwhile celebration". It means a lot, she added, to her generation, as it highlights their many contributions to Britain.

"We didn’t think we were making history, we responded to a request to help a Britain battered by the war, and a personal desire to improve our lives,” she said. "I didn’t focus on the hardships, or the racism, but in spite of that we built a community, started families and campaigned for a fairer Britain and that’s all we can hope for – especially for the next generations."​​​​​​​

HMT Empire Windrush docked on June 22, 1948. The ship brought 492 passengers to the UK from a number of Caribbean islands to help fill post-war labour shortages.

To the descendants and families of those aboard, installations give a voice to generations of Caribbean heritage people. For too long, they say, these important family histories have remained outside of Britain's broader history.

Among those to attend today’s launch will be Howard Gardner, son of 97-year-old Alford Gardner as the last surviving Windrush passenger in Leeds. The father and son are joint authors of Finding Home: A Windrush Story, charting Alford’s story.

And Sisters Xina Broderick Gooding and Gay Gooding Kershaw, whose late father Hugh Gooding was the first black owner of a funeral parlour in the city. He, along with their grandparents Frank and Beryl Gooding who came over from Barbados, are among those featured.

This, they said, was an honour: “Not only because of the incredible love and pride we hold for our forebears and their achievements, but because their faces and their stories are now included as a visible representation of the Windrush generation's wider contribution to British culture, economy, history and society."

The project, from the Jamaica Society Leeds and the St Kitts and Nevis Association Leeds, is to see portraits on display across the city as a celebration of people's lives and their contribution.

The Jamaica Society Leeds has been working to document stories of the Windrush Generation and their descendants for the past four years. Here: Windrush 75, may help to build an archive of materials which could one day find a permanent home in the city.

Chapel Allerton's Coun Eileen Taylor, part of the Windrush Generation and the city's first black Lord Mayor in 2020, said Windrush Day is an important day for many people. But while today sees celebrations, there is little permanence once festivities end, she outlined. No major collections, or permanent exhibitions or museums, to honour the contribution of the Windrush generation and their descendants.

"There’s a lot to do in ensuring that our younger generation understands how important the Windrush generation is and the contribution they have given to rebuild this country,” she said.