Windrush stories in Wales

This year, the Welsh Government Minister for Social Justice and Chief Whip Jane Hutt funded “Windrush@75 Our Stories, Our Voices, Our History” - a 90 minute documentary which shows 30 stories of Windrush Generation and Commonwealth nationals who came to Wales between 1948 - 1981.

On Windrush Day this year, there will be celebrations of the Windrush Generation at the Senedd Cymru, led by Windrush Cymru Elders and Hon First Minister of Wales Professor Mark Drakeford and Jane Hutt Minister for Social Justice and Chief Whip facilitated by Race Council Cymru.

Vernesta Cyril OBE and Roma Taylor are two women who have played a key role in advocating for the Windrush generation in Wales. Let’s hear their stories.

Stories provided by Professor Uzo Iwobi, Founder & CEO Race Council Cymru.

Vernesta Cyril OBE

Mrs Vernester Cyril OBE was born in Castries, St Lucia and travelled to the UK in 1962. She carried with her one burning ambition – to become a nurse.

Mrs Cyril trained first as a nurse at the Royal Gwent and St Woolos Hospitals in Newport and then as a midwife. She worked at Lydia Beynon Maternity Hospital [now part of the Celtic Manor Resort] for three years, before returning to the Royal Gwent where she remained for the next thirty years.

She passed her exams in 1973 with flying colours and was awarded the Best Promising Midwife Award in 2009.

Mrs Cyril worked tirelessly and was promoted to senior midwife manager.

Vernester’s services to the community were recognised in 1999 when she was awarded an OBE for community relations in South East Wales and went to Buckingham Palace to receive her award from the Queen. On the 5th of June 2023, Mrs Cyril was awarded the Pride of Britain Award for her contributions to the NHS in Wales by Sir Trevor Macdonald and a plaque was unveiled in her honour in the hospital where she worked in for 40yrs.

Roma Taylor 

Professor Uzo Iwobi tells us about Mrs Roma Taylor.

Originally from Antigua, Roma came to live with her mother and brother in Cardiff when she was 15 in the late 1950’s. As a child she set her sights on getting married, having lots of children and to be a nurse and she fulfilled every single one of these dreams and an early age. Roma married aged 19, going on to have seven children and over 22 grandchildren. She is now is a great grandmother to over 16 children. Roma also became a nurse and was a medic in the territorial Army for 25 years - just after having twins at the age of 26.

Roma really enjoyed Army life but her unstinting resolve to help those around her did not stop there. Here are a few examples: Roma has been a representative for Diverse Mind (Multi-Ethnic Activity Group) Vice Chair for Cyngor Mind Cymru, she has organised events such as the Afro-Caribbean Senior citizen dinners which the First Minister of Wales has attended and she attended LlanderynPrimary School as a teachers aid twice a week, which encouraged her to do the course ‘Beyond the Maelfa’, ‘Powerhouse with Community Education’ and ‘Study Skills at UWIC’. Not least of her achievements, she has also been a foster carer and has a diploma in Playgroup Practice.

As a hugely active member of her Church, the United Pentecoastal Church and on a personal level, I know Roma as a Christian always carries out her duties and relationships bearing these principles in mind. She has collected clothes and food for the homeless and then fortnightly attended a soup kitchen where the clothes and food are distributed.

My professional work with Roma started in 2017 when Roma founded The Windrush Cymru Elders as part of Race Council Cymru. The Windrush Cymru Elders are a proactive group of 50+ elders who aim to promote understanding of ethnic minority elders concerns, mark key milestones and celebratethe contributions of people of African descent. She recently won the Coronation Champion Award for volunteers for setting up the Windrush Cymru Elders.

The group meets weekly in Cardiff to enjoy each other’s company and take part in creative activities in and around Wales, and Roma remains the foundation of this community group encouraging people to come to events and fostering understanding amongst older people from diverse communities in Wales.

Roma is also a keen representative of the ‘Windrush Cymru: Our Voices, Our Stories, Our History’ project and has staunchly supported the aims of Race Council Cymru and Black History Wales to have a platform for the history of under represented groups to be heard and recorded, so that future generations can learn from the very human lives of people who have paved the way before.

My observation is that she has never stopped working hard to represent her community and I find this inspirational.

If you were to ask Roma what advice she would give to her 15-year old self when she first arrived in Wales, it would be to have respect. Respect for the Elders, for anyone older than you, don’t put people down and just do good.