Capturing the stories of the Windrush generation in the Anglia region
Watch a video report from ITV News Anglia's Tanya Mercer
Today marks the third Windrush Day, the 72nd anniversary of the SS Empire Windrush arriving in Essex carrying the first post-war migrants from the Caribbean.
There were just over 1,000 passengers on board that first sailing and over a 23-year period, an estimated half a million people made the 8,000 mile journey. They were encouraged to the UK to help rebuild Britain after it was battered by the war.
While few intended to stay for long, many did settle in the UK. They established communities, raised families and contributed hugely to Britain socially, culturally and economically. The Windrush generation and their descendants have had a huge impact on society in the Anglia region alone.
Decades later, many found themselves unable to prove they had the right to work, or in some cases even live, in the country they had called home for 50 years.
Our reporters Matt Hudson and Tanya Mercer have been to speak to people across the region about their stories.
Watch a video report from ITV News Anglia's Matthew Hudson
Albert and Ena Grant arrived in Ipswich from Barbados in the early 1960s. They were answering the call of the British government to come and work in the UK to rebuild the post-war economy.
Albert worked at the old engineering factories of Ransomes, Sims & Jeffries and Cranes, as well as doing his national service. Ena worked as a factory cleaner, but it was tough and they could only get low-skilled jobs.
As attitudes slowly changed, Albert was able to worked his way up and went on to serve as a local Councillor and was the first black Mayor of Ipswich. He earned an OBE for his services to the community.
Nadine, Pauline and Hyacinth are daughters of the Windrush, of parents who left the West Indies to help rebuild Post-war Britain and hopefully find a better life. However, while their labour was urgently needed, they didn't always feel welcome.
Today, Bedford's Windrush Legacy Group helps the town's Afro-Caribbean community.
Pauline Stepney's father set up the Bedford West Indian Cricket Team to help break down racial barriers.
She is intensely proud of the contribution his generation made to this country.
Many of the new arrivals made Luton their home, the most multi-cultural area in our region. However, they faced prejudice. Today, the town is compiling the stories of those first arrivals before they become lost in time.
While Windrush Day was created as a celebration, it's important to remember that it was established in the wake of the 2018 Windrush scandal when many of those invited to Britain suddenly found themselves on the wrong side of immigration laws that, unbeknown to them, had changed around them.
Two years on from the inaugural Windrush Day, their fight for justice continues.
The ongoing scandal over the legal status of Windrush immigrants has left many in our region feeling vulnerable and undervalued.
Many people in Anglia suddenly found their very right to be here under threat.
Samantha Barnes-Garner from Milton Keynes' father was among those caught up in the scandal. Denied re-entry to this country after a trip back to Jamaica it took him eight years to gain admittance. He'd lived here for 51 years.
Members of groups like the Ipswich Windrush Committee are now urging for there to be more education surrounding the history of the Windrush generation. Charles Moore's parents came across in the late 1950s, and a couple of years later, when Charles was just 8, he and his siblings joined them.
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