Events

Nottingham pupils explore Windrush history at the City Ground

Ahead of Windrush Day, British Future joined Nottingham Forest Community Trust at the City Ground to help bring Windrush history to life for local school pupils through football, storytelling and hands-on learning.

On Friday 19 June 2026, 40 pupils from two Nottingham schools took part in an interactive workshop exploring the history and legacy of the Windrush generation, and why that story continues to matter today.

The session was led by Dr Barbara Adewumi and Priyesh Patel from British Future. Dr Adewumi brought significant professional expertise to the workshop, including her role on the Board of the National Windrush Museum, helping pupils engage with Windrush history as both a national story and a living community legacy.

The workshop introduced pupils to the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush, the experiences of Caribbean migrants who came to Britain after the Second World War, and the lasting contribution that the Windrush generation and their descendants have made to British life. It also linked directly to Windrush Day on 22 June, a moment to remember, celebrate and learn from this shared history.

Football provided an accessible way into wider conversations about identity, belonging and social change. Pupils discussed the story of Viv Anderson, born in Clifton, Nottingham, who came through at Nottingham Forest before becoming the first Black footballer to play for the senior England men’s team. His story gave the session a powerful local connection, showing pupils that Windrush history is not distant or abstract but closely linked to Nottingham, the City Ground and the diverse football culture they know today.

One of the most engaging parts of the day was a hands-on activity using real-life objects from the Windrush era. Pupils handled items connected to the journeys made by Caribbean migrants to Britain, including a grip suitcase similar to those carried by many people travelling to start a new life. They then reflected on what people brought with them, what they left behind and what they themselves might pack if making such a journey.

The workshop also responded to British Future’s latest Windrush Day polling, which shows that most Britons see Windrush as an important part of Britain’s national story. Yet awareness among young people remains much lower, underlining the need for more engaging educational work in schools, museums, community spaces and local institutions.

After the workshop, pupils took part in a stadium tour, linking the history they had explored with the role football clubs can play today as places of pride, connection and community.

The Nottingham workshop showed how Windrush education can be made interactive, local and engaging. It also highlighted the value of partnerships between schools, football trusts and organisations like British Future in helping young people connect national history with their own communities.

British Future is open to working with football clubs, community trusts and schools around key moments such as Windrush Day. We bring experience in combining football, history and interactive learning to help young people connect national stories with their local communities.

See here for British Future’s Windrush polling: https://www.britishfuture.org/windrush-day-2026-polling-shows-public-embraces-windrush-as-part-of-britains-national-story-but-young-people-are-unaware-still-of-history/