News reports located on this page = 3.

Windrush Day 2020 launches with ₤500K for communities

COMMUNITIES across the country will share ₤500,000 to host events marking the 2nd national Windrush Day, was confirmed on Thursday, 5 March 2020 by the Communities Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP. The nation will pay tribute to the outstanding and ongoing contribution of the Windrush Generation and their descendants on 22 June 2020. Building on the success of the inaugural national Windrush Day last year, 49 projects across the country will receive funding to mark Windrush Day 2020 and commemorate the seminal moment nearly 72 years ago when the Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury Docks. Those hosting events will work to celebrate, commemorate and educate communities on the leading role the Windrush Generation and their descendants have played in making Britain stronger, culturally richer and more inclusive.

4 projects across the North West will receive a share of over ₤29,000 to hold a rich and wide ranging series of events, including:-

► Project in Manchester to teach young people about the commercial impact of Windrush generation music led by West Indian Sports and Social Club.

► Intergenerational booklet written by young people from engagement with their grandparents supported, by Strategies to Elevate People, in Trafford.

► A celebratory Church Service, community fun day and a partnership with Universities to produce a booklet capturing Windrush Generation's heritage, in Manchester.

► Community arts project and public exhibition as well as creation of an educational resource for local Primary Schools, by Brunswick Parish Church.

Communities Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said:- "Windrush Day provides a great opportunity for all of us to come together and remember that we are a better country for the central role British Caribbean communities have played in post war Britain. British Caribbean communities have made Britain a better, more prosperous country in so many ways. From the communities they have built to the public services they have supported and led, and the arts and culture they have enriched, they have made an incredible contribution to their country. It is right we reflect on this hugely positive impact on our society and I'd encourage everyone to come together to share and commemorate on 22 June 2020, and in the days and weeks beyond."

Wallen Matthie, Windrush Day Advisory Panel member said:- "Windrush Day serves to commemorate the powerful legacy of the Windrush Generation and their descendants who have changed Britain for the better.  It was moving to join events last year as the nation came together to mark this vital part of our shared heritage and history.  Now the aim is to further embed Windrush Day in the national consciousness and ensure we continue to honour the Windrush Generation and their descendants for years to come."

Today, new guidance supporting community groups and Civil Society organisations to host their own events has also been launched. The marketing and events toolkit will ensure Windrush Day is marked as widely as possible in communities around the country.

► Windrush Day...

In June 2018, the Government announced an annual Windrush Day to encourage communities across the country to commemorate the Windrush story on Windrush Day and throughout the year. The national celebration is backed by a ₤500,000 Windrush Day Grant Scheme overseen by a Windrush Day Advisory Panel of community representatives. Launched in October 2019, the Windrush Day Grant Scheme received over 200 bids for funding from community groups, charities and Local Authorities across England. This year's successful bids came from across the country from Birmingham to Bristol and Leicester to Leeds indicating the breadth of enthusiasm in communities across the country to mark Windrush Day 2020.

► The Windrush Generation..

Windrush Day marks the Anniversary of the arrival of MV Empire Windrush, at the Port of Tilbury, near London, on 22 June 1948. The arrival of the Empire Windrush nearly 72 ago marked a seminal moment in Britain's history and has come to represent the rich diversity of this nation. Those who arrived on the Empire Windrush, their descendants and those who followed them have made and continue to make an enormous contribution to Britain, not just in the vital work of rebuilding the country and public services following WWII, but in enriching our shared social, economic, cultural and religious life. Overcoming great sacrifice and hardship, the Windrush Generation and their descendants have gone on to lead the field across public life, in business, the arts and sport. Britain would be much diminished without their contribution.

BBFC changes the way domestic abuse is referred to in ratings

THE British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is changing the way it highlights domestic abuse in ratings info for films and episodic content, after working with Women's Aid and Respect on new research. The research, which focused on both female and male survivors of domestic abuse, experts and the general public, showed that the BBFC is getting it right when it comes to classification decisions in both films and episodic content featuring domestic abuse. The regulator already takes domestic abuse portrayals seriously, and the respondents agreed that the BBFC rightly classifies these issues at a higher category.

The research showed that 'less is more,' and going into too much detail in the ratings info is a minefield as people's sensitivities and triggers are complex, this is already taken into account in the classification decision. It was highlighted that the widely understood catch all term of:- 'domestic abuse' was much better placed to describe such scenes, as it is considered broad enough to include:- psychological and economic abuse, gas lighting and non sexual abuse of children.

Therefore, the BBFC will now use:- 'domestic abuse' instead of:- 'domestic violence' in the ratings info it issues to accompany its ratings. The BBFC will also stop using the term 'themes of,' which the research showed people felt trivialised the issue.

The research flagged that survivors can be triggered by scenes of domestic abuse, especially if it is unexpected. This can be traumatising, and can lead to people avoiding certain types of content. Responding to these findings, the BBFC will now flag domestic abuse in every case, even if the scenes are not category defining.

David Austin, Chief Executive of the BBFC, said:- "This timely and important research is shining a light on people's attitudes towards domestic abuse, and it's important that our classifications reflect what people think. It's very encouraging to see that we're getting our classification decisions right when it comes to domestic abuse, which already can be category defining. But what it has shown, is that we should bring our ratings info more in line with what people expect and understand, which is exactly what we're going to be doing. These changes will give people the information they need to choose content well. Most particularly in this case, the ratings info will highlight the issues to those that have been personally affected by domestic abuse, so they are forewarned of content which could trigger distress."

While there were few factors that would reduce the impact of watching a scene of domestic abuse, a series of aggravating factors among survivors were flagged, including:- the sound of a key turning in a lock; the silence before an attack; the sound of a slap or a punch; and seeing fear in someone's face or eyes.

Adina Claire, Acting co-Chief Executive of Women's Aid, said:- "This research has given an important insight into what survivors, experts and the general public think about depictions of domestic abuse in films and episodic content. We're pleased that the BBFC have responded to the report, and have reflected the attitudes in their classification policies; meaning that anyone affected by domestic abuse will now have the clear and consistent information they need about what triggers content may contain."

The research also found that the term:- 'child abuse' was widely associated with sexual abuse, rather than domestic abuse, and having a child present in a scene depicting domestic abuse often meant that the scene was more triggering for audiences. Therefore, the BBFC will limit the use of 'child abuse' to scenes where child sexual abuse is depicted only, with non sexual child abuse also described as:- 'domestic abuse.'

People agreed it's very important to educate audiences about the issue and to encourage awareness and discussion. As such, the research strongly underpins the BBFC's policy of being less restrictive on public information campaigns than on commercial trailers and ads, rating them at the lowest reasonable classification.