A founder of a prominent charity has called on Ealing Council to do more to recognise the Windrush generation’s contribution to the borough. Margaret Noel is the founder and director of Descendants, a charity that focuses on the legacy of Caribbean people who arrived in the UK between 1945 and 1973.
On the 75th anniversary of the HMT Empire Windrush docking in the UK, she is calling for more attention and support to be shown to her compatriots. Arriving in the country when she was just eight, Margaret says that her parents “went through hell,” as they tried to establish a life in the UK.
She says that along with her siblings she faced discrimination when they came over in 1961. Without help from leaders in the Caribbean community at the time, Margaret believes that she may not have got an education.
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She said: “When we came over in 1961 we went to school and the Catholic school wouldn’t accept us because were were Black kids even though were we Catholic. It was the Church of England School, St Stephen’s, that accepted us.”
She believes prominent figures from her childhood should be recognised in Ealing for the contributions they made to their fellow Caribbeans and the wider community at large. One name she mentions is Willis Wilkie, a man who used to drive children to Sunday school, ensuring they could get an education.
As the original members of the Windrush generation continue to age and pass away, Margaret says she is focused on cementing their legacy. Margaret started pushing to get new streets and housing blocks to be named after key figures from Ealing’s Caribbean community.
“When it comes to naming, Caribbean people are always forgotten,” she added. “Well, I decided they are not going to be forgotten this year. I have spoken to Peter Mason (leader of Ealing Council) about that and we have filled out forms for three people who have passed on to try and get houses with their names on them.”
Her voice has clearly made an impact, with the council announcing that two new local buildings will be named after prominent black women, Edna Wilkie and Magdalen Carter. Both Edna and Magdalen committed their lives to their local communities, independently setting up extra school classes for children, in particular those of Caribbean heritage, supporting hundreds of young people in the borough.
Although a good start, Margaret says she would also like to see something more practical established for the Windrush generation and their descendants. She says that meeting spaces for marginalised groups are currently too expensive with the council charging people high rates in order to use rooms as well as for heating and electricity costs, making it difficult for people of Caribbean descent to congregate.
In order to solve the issue and cement the Windrush generation’s presence in the borough, Margaret is pushing the council to create a space dedicated to allowing the remaining members and their descendants to meet. She said: “We need a space where we can come together as Caribbean people. It’s for all the descendants, we need this space. I told Peter Mason at the Windrush meeting we had [at the council] that’s what we need. It would be a place for the Caribbeans and the Caribbean legacy here.”
A council spokesperson said: “We fully recognise the importance of the borough’s first Windrush generation and the debt of gratitude we owe them for accepting the invitation to come to Britain and the immeasurable difference that they, their children, and their grandchildren, have made to so many aspects of our public life, our culture and to every sector of our economy.
“A year ago, we unveiled two plaques in Walpole Park to commemorate the Windrush generation and the abolition of slavery, and at this year’s celebratory Windrush75 event we gave an undertaking to explore where a community space for people of African and Caribbean heritage could be provided.
“That work continues, and we are currently talking with Margaret and other Descendants about the opening of our civic headquarters for community use in the hope they will take up this offer whilst we look at other options.
“In recognition of the 75th anniversary of the Windrush generation, we identified 4 new buildings which will be named after local residents from that generation. These building are not yet complete, but we’re excited to share the names soon.
“And, in a few weeks’ time and as part of our Black History Month programme, we are launching our new Civic Honours Awards scheme which was approved in May this year and will ensure we can better celebrate the diversity of exceptional people in our borough. We’re grateful to the Descendants for their involvement in the planning of both the naming of the new buildings and the new Civic Honours Award scheme.”
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