Hackney Council’s Windrush Generations Programme comes second in global competition

A Hackney Council programme celebrating the contribution of the Windrush generation has been named runner-up in a global competition.

The town hall's culture team came second in the Apolitical Global Public Service team of the year award for "championing equality" with their Windrush Generations Programme.

It was nominated by hundreds of people from across the world and came second to the City of Buenos Aires Gender Equality Team.

Hackney is home to hundreds, if not thousands, of the Windrush Generation and the project last summer saw a series of events. There was a tea party at Stoke Newington Town Hall, a cricket match on the marshes, a dominoes club tournament, a Windrush parade at Hackney Carnival and storytelling sessions led by Windrush elders in schools.

A Caribbean cookbook full of personal recipes was also created following a series of bakery events.

Apolitical, an online platform for public service professionals, said the result was "incredibly close".

Hackney's Windrush lead Cllr Carole Williams said: "To see the work that went into the festival here in Hackney acknowledged on a global scale is something I am immensely proud of. Celebrating the creativity, uniqueness and passion of a generation impacted by the hostile environment policies has never felt more crucial."