Windrush Day, celebrated on 22 June each year, serves as a tribute to the remarkable contributions and rich heritage of the Windrush generation and their descendants in the UK. It's an occasion to celebrate the vibrant and diverse community within our hospital, the NHS and the wider UK.

Just two weeks prior to the establishment of the NHS in 1948, the HMT Empire Windrush arrived in the UK on 22 June. The ship brought with it over 1,000 passengers - many of which were from the Caribbean. This was the first wave of post war immigration with many of the passengers taking up roles in the NHS.

As a result, the NHS has and always will be intrinsically intertwined with Windrush, and we pay tribute to the significant contributions made by the Windrush generation and their descendants.

At the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital we have come together to celebrate the 75th anniversary and the amazing diversity and strength of our NHS workforce, and have marked the occasion by raising the "Windrush Generations -Standing On Their Shoulders” flag.

Claudette Jones, Research Nurse and and Chair of the Trust’s Equality and Diversity Network said: "It's important to honour the impact Windrush had, and how much it is linked with the start of the NHS. It's also important to acknowledge the struggles that the people who moved to the UK faced, and the discrimination and racism they were confronted with."

Falon Paris-Caines, Chair of the Trust's Multi Minority Ethnic Group staff network, said, "I’m so proud we’re flying the 'Windrush Generations - Standing On Their Shoulders' flag at the ROH. It creatively captures the iconic image of the HMT Empire Windrush docking into London’s Tilbury Docks on 22 June 1948. The  rounded triangular form of the flag’s design further holds a profound meaning, symbolising the historical and nautical journey of heritage, highlighting the invaluable contributions of people from Africa to the Caribbean and the Americas to the UK and Europe. Today, and every day, I honour the Windrush pioneers and recognise the challenges they faced, both past and present. Their remarkable legacy and vibrant diversity have greatly enriched our hospital, the NHS, and the wider UK community."

Thank you to our Chief Executive, members of all the staff networks, the Inclusion Team and ROH staff, who took time out of their schedule to acknowledge the momentous occasion of raising the first Windrush flag at the Trust.