Windrush event under threat after funding blow

An event for the Windrush generation in Leicester is under threat due to a lack of funding.

The Caribbean-style high tea to honour the legacy of the people who came to the UK from the West Indies is held in New Walk every year and usually includes a programme of dance, music and stalls.

However, it relies on funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which has allocated its £500,000 budget to other projects connected to Windrush this year.

Organisers Opal22 say they do not know why their application for funding was not successful, but the event, scheduled for June, is unlikely to go ahead unless more money can be found.

Opal22 founder Tara Munroe said: "We normally do it for £25,000. Currently we've managed to raise £7,000, so we are about £18,000 shy.

"We are normally funded by the Windrush fund. I've asked for feedback on why we weren't successful this year and we haven't had any, so I don't know.

"But we have time and we need to get this money through the door because this is such an important event."

The high tea is served to elder members of the Caribbean community in Leicester and the event as a whole usually attracts 1,000 people throughout the day.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, said its £500,000 funding had been split between 30 projects this year, but the event in Leicester was not among them.

They added: "This year we had a record number of applications which shows the enthusiasm of communities across the country to support the legacy of the Windrush generation."

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