Latest news with #Windrush
BBC News
38 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Windrush stories inspire 'exciting' quilts exhibition in Ipswich
Colourful handmade quilts created by artists whose families have connections to the Windrush movement are being exhibited in Quilt is being displayed at The Hold, in Ipswich, by community group Suffolk Windrush until the end of thought-provoking artworks were produced by local people during a series of workshops held at the Castle Hill Community Centre in Ipswich."It was real eye-opener – people were sharing their stories and helping each other," Ivy Cook, from the Ipswich Windrush Select Committee, said. "It was quite exciting seeing people discover their history, and put their history into their quilts – it was unexpected." Each quilt tells a different personal story, be it about a loved one's journey from the Caribbean to the UK, or something they have learned about their family."One person discovered her dad used to play in a band and she put that into the quilt," Ms Cook said."For her, that was exciting because she understood why her and her family loved music." The Windrush generation largely relates to people who came to the UK from Caribbean countries between 1948 and 2018, a scandal was revealed when it emerged that the government had not properly recorded the details of people granted permission to stay in the UK, with some wrongly labelled as illegal inspired one of the quilts that features in the exhibition."She built her quilt around that and what happened to the Windrush generation and that hostile environment," added Ms Cook."She got different bits of material and each one was a different colour, and she was able to put words into the quilt to reflect that."We learnt from each other about our history and our parents, so it was quite exciting." Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Man sought after Windrush exhibit vandalised again
The Metropolitan Police has released an image of a man it wants to trace after a Windrush exhibit was vandalised for the second time in Brixton, south London. Officers received a report that a display board from the Windrush Untold Stories exhibition had been vandalised at Windrush Square at about 11:30 BST on Wednesday. The suspect, who was described as aged 30 to 40, was captured on CCTV entering the square at about 09:50 BST. He was carrying a walking aid or crutch and was last seen walking northbound on Brixton Road past Morley's department store. The force said it did not believe the incident was linked to another incident of vandalism that happened on 3 July. The exhibition features 20 portraits and first-hand accounts of those who arrived in the UK from the Caribbean between the late 1940s and 1970s. Officers said they were keeping an open mind as to the motivations for the second incident. Following the 3 July vandalism, a 24-year-old man was arrested and bailed while enquiries continue. Investigating officers said they did not believe the incident was racially motivated. Det Ch Sup Emma Bond, who leads policing in the local area, said: "Both offences have understandably caused distress among the local community. "We are liaising directly with the exhibition organisers to keep them updated on both our investigations. "There will be an increased police presence in the area over the coming days and the public is encouraged to approach these officers directly with any concerns. "We would also ask for help in identifying the man caught on CCTV – if you have any information please come forward." Reports can be made to the police on 101 quoting CAD 5870/16JUL25. Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to More on this story Windrush portraits not racially targeted – police Related internet links Metropolitan Police
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Man sought after Brixton Windrush exhibit vandalised again
The Metropolitan Police has released an image of a man it wants to trace after a Windrush exhibit was vandalised for the second time in Brixton, south received a report that a display board from the Windrush Untold Stories exhibition had been vandalised at Windrush Square at about 11:30 BST on suspect, who was described as aged 30 to 40, was captured on CCTV entering the square at about 09:50 BST. He was carrying a walking aid or crutch and was last seen walking northbound on Brixton Road past Morley's department force said it did not believe the incident was linked to another incident of vandalism that happened on 3 July. The exhibition features 20 portraits and first-hand accounts of those who arrived in the UK from the Caribbean between the late 1940s and 1970s. Officers said they were keeping an open mind as to the motivations for the second incident. Following the 3 July vandalism, a 24-year-old man was arrested and bailed while enquiries continue. Investigating officers said they did not believe the incident was racially Ch Sup Emma Bond, who leads policing in the local area, said: "Both offences have understandably caused distress among the local community. "We are liaising directly with the exhibition organisers to keep them updated on both our investigations."There will be an increased police presence in the area over the coming days and the public is encouraged to approach these officers directly with any concerns."We would also ask for help in identifying the man caught on CCTV – if you have any information please come forward."Reports can be made to the police on 101 quoting CAD 5870/16JUL25.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
'My role is to act as a trusted voice for Windrush victims'
Windrush commissioner Reverend Clive Foster has said he wants to act as a "trusted voice" for victims of the government announced on 18 June that Reverend Clive Foster, a senior pastor at the Pilgrim Church in Nottingham, had taken up the newly-created role on a three-year Foster told the BBC one of the first things he wants to "re-energise", is confidence, so that people who were wrongly labelled as illegal immigrants due to missing Home Office records can come forward and "get their status sorted out". A Home Office spokesperson said the role would provide independent oversight of the government's work to address the Windrush scandal. Mr Foster said "This whole scandal started because people could not prove their rights because of documents. So one of the things that I will be doing is actually raising the profile of people's status - that they come forward." The Windrush scandal was first revealed in April 2018 when it emerged that the Home Office failed to keep records of people with indefinite leave to remain and had not issued the paperwork they needed to confirm their legal of Caribbean migrants who came to the UK from the late 1940s legally had the right to remain in the they were wrongly classed as illegal citizens because of a hostile immigration policy which meant they were denied access to homes, jobs and NHS care. Some were detained and Foster said: "I am terribly angry that people who came here to rebuild the country, gave the best of their lives, find themselves in a situation where they feel like they're going to be either deported, detained and denied access to services."This must never happen again."And so the Windrush Commissioner's role is to work with the Home Office as an independent person to work towards that aim." 'Dignity and respect' Mr Foster, who is also the founder of the Nottingham Windrush Support Forum, told the BBC the Windrush compensation scheme has got to go "even further". So far the government has paid out more than £110m towards over 3,000 claims, according to latest Home Office data, but 15,000 people were thought to be eligible when it was set up in April 2019."We want people to recognise that there's no shame in a claim, and that if they feel that they need to make that, they can get the support to do that as well," said Mr Foster."I also think this is about not just compensation, but it's about dignity and respect for people as well."The Home Office previously announced it had set up a £1.5m fund earlier this year to help affected individuals access compensation. Mr Foster told the BBC at the end of his three-year term he wants people who have been "wrongly treated" to feel accepted for who they are as British citizens."There's all sorts of other metrics, more people getting their status, more pay-outs in compensation," he said."But ultimately, this is about dignity, fairness, and being accepted as a British citizen in their home country."
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Stockwell Six final member has name cleared over infamous robbery
Ronald De Souza finally has his conviction quashed after being fitted up more than 50 Years ago aged just 17 by the now notorious corrupt and racist police officer Derek Ridgewell A man wrongfully convicted of the attempted robbery of a corrupt and racist detective more than 50 years ago has finally been cleared. Ronald De Souza was 17 when he was arrested with five friends by the now notorious police officer Derek Ridgewell in 1972. Mr De Souza had his conviction quashed by the Court of Appeal on Thursday after his case was referred to them by the Criminal Cases Review Commission. He was detained for six months following a case investigated by British Transport Police. Mr De Souza, who along with his co-defendants, became known as Stockwell Six, were accused of trying to rob Ridgewell while on a tube train travelling from Brixon, South London. They were jailed despite telling jurors that officers had lied and subjected them to violence and threats. In his ruling on Thursday, Lord Justice Holroyde said that Mr De Souza, who did not attend court, "bore the burden of his wrongful conviction throughout his adult life". "We regret this court cannot put right all that he has suffered over more than half a century; however we can and do allow his appeal and quash his convictions," he said. The Mirror revealed last week that police are investigating former colleagues of Ridgewell who may have helped him to frame innocent members of the public. It comes after the convictions of Mr De Souza's co-defendants Paul Green, Courtney Harriot, Cleveland Davidson and Texo Johnson were quashed in 2021. The sixth member of the so-called Stockwell Six, Everet Mullins, was acquitted because it was shown that his reading ability was not good enough for him to have understood his signed statement, which was written for him by Ridgewell. Another of Ridgewell's victims, former British Rail worker Errol Campbell, had his conviction overturned posthumously at the same court. Mr Campbell, who died in 2004, had his convictions for theft and conspiracy to steal from a goods depot in South London quashed at the High Court on Thursday. In a statement read out by his solicitor, Matt Foot, Mr Campbell's son, Errol Campbell Jr, said: "The British Transport Police knew that Detective Sergeant Derek Ridgewell was corrupt, and they let him carry on regardless with what he was doing. My dad always said he was innocent, and today, that's finally been confirmed, almost 50 years later. "He came to England in the Windrush generation and worked for years for British Rail. The conviction caused absolute misery to my dad and our family. Due to the shame and disgrace of this conviction, he found it difficult to get employment, so much so that he fled the country. On his return, he became an alcoholic and couldn't hold down a lollipop man's job. "I'm angry that Ridgewell is not alive for this day and that he never went to prison for all the people he fitted up. He never answered for his crimes. I am Errol Campbell's first son. I look like him. Before this, he was a great family man and looked after us as children, and he was dapper. He was a good man." Campbell's father was found guilty in April 1977 and sentenced to a total of 18 months' imprisonment at the Old Bailey in relation to thefts from the Bricklayers Arms Goods Depot, where he was a British Rail employee. The case against him was led by British Transport Police officer Ridgewell. Giving his judgment on Thursday, Lord Justice Holroyde, sitting with Mr Justice Butcher and Mr Justice Wall, said that it was with "regret" that the court could not undo Mr Campbell's suffering. He added: "We can however, and do, allow the appeal brought on his behalf, and quash his conviction. We hope that will at least bring some comfort to Mr Campbell's family who survive." DS Ridgewell led the case against Mr Campbell and several others, but along with colleagues DC Douglas Ellis and DC Alan Keeling, later pleaded guilty to stealing from the same goods depot. Mr Campbell unsuccessfully appealed his conviction in 1978. His son submitted an application Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) in September 2024, with the help of the charity APPEAL. Following a review, the CCRC found there was a real possibility that, like the convictions of 11 other people that have been referred to the court, Mr Campbell's conviction would be quashed, and it referred the conviction in February 2025. In August 2023 the CCRC referred the convictions of Mr Campbell's co-defendants, Saliah Mehmet and Basil Peterkin, after it tracked down their family members. The convictions were both quashed in January 2024. In 1980, Ridgewell, Ellis and Keeling pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal from the Bricklayers' Arms Depot. Ridgewell died in prison aged 37 before he had completed his sentence. In a previous judgment, the court found that their criminal activities between January 1977 and April 1978 resulted in the loss from the depot of goods to the value of about £364,000 "an enormous sum of money at that time".
