TILBURY on the Thames Trust has been awarded funding to host a series of events and activities to mark the fourth national Windrush Day.

People will be transported down the River Thames to the Port of Tilbury on June 22, following the unveiling of the new Windrush monument at Waterloo Station.

The Thames Clipper boats will dock where the MV Empire Windrush arrived in June 1948, when a generation of people arrived to start a new life in the UK.

On arrival a steel pan band will welcome passengers as they step ashore, with Windrush-inspired poetry readings, displays, storytelling, and Evewright’s Walkway of Memories to view, before getting back on the boat and relaxing for the trip back up the river to London.

Stuart Wallace, chairman of Tilbury on the Thames, said: “We are extremely proud of the role that The Port of Tilbury played all those years ago when the Empire Windrush first arrived to our shores.

“Our historic London Cruise Terminal has played an important part of the community since it was built in 1930 and we are pleased to be able to host a celebratory event with Thames Clippers to mark this year’s Windrush Day. Tilbury was the place where many people started a new life here in the UK.”

Guests on board the Thames Clipper will be treated to a lunch with onboard entertainment provided by Pegasus Opera, as guests are transported to The Port of Tilbury.

Building on the success of previous years, 35 projects across England will receive a share of £500,000 from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Communities minister Kemi Badenoch said: “The legacy of the Windrush generation means so much to so many.

“As a first-generation immigrant myself, I understand personally how important it is to highlight how much we welcome and celebrate the contributions made by those who choose to make Britain home.

“Thanks to our funding, events like the event in Tilbury will take place on June 22, helping us to remember the leading role the Windrush generation and their descendants have played in making Britain stronger, culturally richer and more inclusive.”