Virtual BYC Week 13
Lucky for some?
Well, last week was another huge week. After mentioning him last week, Marcus Rashford went on to force a turnaround in government policy. They will now fund free school meals over the summer holidays. This good news for those in need. In my other job I have seen and heard some heartbreaking stories of people struggling. People who are struggling to get by, who may have lost their jobs or had their income reduced through no fault of their own, should now be able to get access to some extra money to help them get through the summer. It is a shame that it had to come from a professional footballer and not just from human decency.
Windrush Day is today. On June 22nd 1948 the ship below, docked in Tilbury in Essex and the first large group of Caribbean migrants arrived in the UK. Many of the images speak for themselves. Look at people’s faces and imagine their feelings and expectations. Thousands of miles from home, looking for a better life.
Migration is not easy. These people chose to leave their lives behind. They saved for long periods to afford the journey. They suffered hardships we can not imagine. Then they arrived in England and suffered even more.
And some of them even more, and during your lifetime.
The recent Windush scandal in 2018, exposed the governments attitude towards these migrants. A very short video introduces the topic. There are lots and lots.
Many people were wrongly detained, denied legal rights, threatened with deportation, and, in at least 83 cases, wrongly deported from the UK by the Home Office. Just 2 years ago.
This is a longer clip and contains some of the case studies of people affected. Sarah’s story is tragic.
These issues are not historical, they a very recent. Think about the messages you see in some advertising, in some media and online and think about what they suggest about people, about migrants, about other human beings.
The recent BBC programme Sitting in Limbo was based on real life story of Anthony Bryan. Brilliant.
We are living through a period of rapid change, I am optimistic that young people are driving so much of the positive change in our society. I have to be, because we can not keep failing to learn from these terrible mistakes.
The 50th Glastonbury would have been this coming weekend. I imagine a few of you would have been going. I certainly know that Ruth and her family love a festival! I managed to get a ticket back in 1997, I travelled down from London with my little sister and her friend, through the rain and the rain and the rain. 97 was remarkable. For the music and the mud! The sun did come out for a bit as this picture shows!
