Beverley Knight announces £244k grant for Wolverhampton Windrush project

Beverley Knight has announced that a project aiming to save stories from the Windrush generation has received a grant of £244,452.

The singer-songwriter and actress from Wolverhampton revealed that Diversity Music Community 1st had received the grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund at the Together For Music event at the Wolverhampton Arts Centre.

The money will support the group’s Windrush: The Music, The Sound, The Legacy project.

Knight, an ambassador for the National Lottery, said: “As someone whose family is part of the Windrush generation and a lifelong lover of music, it’s inspiring to see National Lottery funding supporting organisations like Diversity Community Music 1st.

“This work is so close to my roots and heart, celebrating and preserving Caribbean culture and music,” added the star whose hits include Greatest Day.

The project explores the impact of the Windrush migration within the local area through the lens of the Caribbean community’s contributions to the music and culture of Wolverhampton from the 1950s to the 1980s.

Diversity Music Community 1st was founded to honour the histories of Caribbean-born DJs, musicians and community leaders who have helped shape Wolverhampton’s cultural identity.

Wayne Blake, the chair director of the group, said: “There’s a rich and vibrant heritage in our community, and this National Lottery funding helps us honour it: from the Windrush generation who laid the foundations to the future generations shaping what comes next.

“Having Beverley Knight surprise us with the announcement made it even more special. She’s a Wolverhampton local, a hometown hero, and a proud daughter of the Windrush generation.

“Her presence reminded us just how powerful our roots are and how far they can reach.”