Rudi Page, Founder, Windrush Anchor Education Programme (WHAEP) and Windrush Anchor Festival (WAF)

By ADF Newsdesk –

Third annual celebration strengthens cultural heritage, health partnerships, and Caribbean youth engagement

The third Windrush Anchor Festival returned to Jamaica in May 2025, delivering an expanded and inspiring celebration of cultural heritage, health innovation, and intergenerational collaboration.

Officially launched on 18 May, the landmark event continued to honour the Windrush Generations while laying the groundwork for a sustainable and inclusive future.

Held annually and now nationally recognised each May as Windrush Anchor Month, the festival became the first of its kind in Jamaica to celebrate Windrush legacies both locally and internationally.

The 2025 edition spanned multiple parishes, including Clarendon, Kingston & St. Andrew, St. Ann, St. Mary, and Paradise View in St. Thomas East, and introduced new regional collaborations with Barbados and Montserrat.

Honouring a 100-Year Journey: 1948–2048

At the heart of the festival stood the symbolic Windrush Anchor, representing Hope, Strength, and Belonging. The festival’s flagship programme, the Windrush Anchor Heritage Education Programme (WAHEP), continued to gain recognition for its work across education, health, and cultural engagement.

In 2023, WAHEP received the UK Prime Minister’s Points of Light Award, further cementing its status as a multi-award-winning cultural institution.

WAHEP also led a growing International Public Health Collaborative, which worked to bridge connections between health and social care sectors in Jamaica, the UK, and the USA.

Key focuses included diabetes, sickle cell, mental health, and long-term conditions, with an emphasis on knowledge sharing and preventative education.

Celebrating Cricket, Community, and Global Partnerships

In collaboration with the Cricket Hall of Fame in Hartford, Connecticut, founded by Jamaican-born Michael Chambers, WAHEP helped support the development of the West Indies Cricket Development Academy at Denbigh High School in Clarendon.

This initiative championed youth engagement through sport and cultural pride.

Meanwhile, the festival’s grassroots work continued to grow. A successful pilot project in Llandewey and Mount Sinai, St. Thomas, led to the refurbishment of the Judgement Cliff monument, which became a cultural exchange hub between schools in Jamaica and the UK.

One standout project, led by Grants Pen Infant and Primary School, produced a Windrush Anchor mural and square to honour returning generations and young pioneers.

“Time is Now: Space is Tomorrow’s Economy”

Looking to the future, the 2025 festival launched the inaugural Space Pathways Ecosystem Creativity Awards (SPECA) at Papine High School in Kingston.

Under the theme “Time is Now: Space is Tomorrow’s Economy,” the initiative aimed to inspire a new generation of innovators and thinkers by connecting creativity, space science, and sustainable development.

United in Purpose and Heritage

The Windrush Anchor Festival 2025 was supported by the Let’s Talk Under the Reggae Tree Foundation and the Heritage Consultancy Network, with major events aligned with Jamaica’s Labour Day (23 May) and Descendants Day for Sustainable Development (24 May).

With its unique blend of heritage, health, education, and creative futures, the Windrush Anchor Festival continued to grow as a movement, not just a celebration, but a platform for change, remembrance, and vision.

As it completed its third year, the festival stood as a symbol of a community united across borders, generations, and aspirations.