Bridgwater & Taunton College (BTC) welcomed Susann Savidge, Chair of the Somerset African Caribbean Network, and member Judith Desbonne, to discuss the 75th anniversary of the Windrush arrival with staff and students.

The anniversary marks the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush to Tilbury, Essex, which carried passengers from the Caribbean to the UK. This ship, containing 1,027 passengers, became a symbol of a wider mass-migration movement that has led to incredible contributions to the UK.

A talk and presentation by Susann took place in Bridgwater’s Learning Resource Centre (LRC) where staff and students learned about the origins of the Windrush generation through historical photographs and why marking and celebrating the 75th anniversary is important to so many.

Judith Desbonne then kindly shared the story of her own relatives, providing insight into their unique experiences, personalities, and memories of migrating to the UK.

The Network also loaned the College a large painting by community artist Pete Stevenson (Pete the Poet) and assistant Morgan Pandolfino, representing Windrush 75 and the contributions it has made to culture and identity in the UK.

Mark Nettle, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead at BTC, said,

The talk revealed how much there is for us to learn about the importance of Windrush, about Black History, and also about Somerset’s Black History. We hope this will be the start of a fruitful collaboration with the Somerset African Caribbean Network, and more events will be planned soon.

Theresa Strange, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator, added,

I was delighted to see students attending, and we are so pleased to be able to display the wonderful painting on College campuses in the coming weeks.

For more information about the College and its facilities, please visit our website at www.btc.ac.uk or get in touch with the Information & Advice Team on 01278 455464 or by emailing info@btc.ac.uk.

About the Somerset African Caribbean Network
The Somerset African Caribbean Network is a community & campaigning organisation for people of African Caribbean origin, their descendants, and their spouses/partners. They aim to connect people from all generations of the African Caribbean community living in Somerset, to share their experiences, offer support, campaign on community issues, and eliminate all forms of prejudice, racism, and discrimination.

To find out more about this organisation, please visit their website.