Windrush Festival Day

The Hackney Caribbean Elderly Organisation was founded in 1985 by Dolly Mayers, to support older people within her local Hackney.

It started as a lunch club, but over the years, it has developed to offer a range of services to older Caribbean people living in and around Hackney, and over the age of 55.

Today, their services include a Lunch Club, Dementia and Advocacy Support, alongside other activities, such as Exercise Classes, Arts and Crafts, Gardening, Dementia Services, and Events Seminars.

Hackney Caribbean Elderly Organisation are an inclusive organisation, so whilst many of their members have Caribbean heritage, they are open to people from all backgrounds, especially those living in the borough of Hackney. Their door is always open for new members. They accept referrals from friends, families, health and social workers and neighbours.

Through the services they provide, they have become a pillar to older people within the community. Their work aims to improve their members’ health & wellbeing, reduce loneliness/isolation, and champions their rights.

The Hackney Caribbean Elderly Organisation enables many to ‘get out of the house and meet new people, there is always something new and different every day’. Others have described the centre as a ‘home away from home’.

This year, the centre celebrates their 40th anniversary and have several events and activities lined up, including partnerships with the Museum of the Home.

Website: www.hackneycaribbean.org.uk/

Black Rootz, is a Black- led horticultural centre founded by Paulette Henry.

Its ideas are grounded upon a multigenerational food growing initiative for all communities, with an emphasis on inspiring those of African and Caribbean heritage to step out of the hobbyist mentality of growing food, but to develop it as means to collective wealth and generate a process that allows them to invest in their own health and the environment.

Paulette comes from a family of growers, her grandfather was a commercial farmer in Jamaica and when her family moved to the UK, her father continued the legacy and grew food for his family. Growing up in this environment led to Paulette’s own interests in the land which she later developed in 2008 taking up training with Living Under One Sun, while also setting up her own space, Tourmaline Urban Gardens.

In 2012, Paulette enrolled on a Master Gardeners course and connected with an incredible mentor who, to this day, serves as inspiration for how food growing is a lifestyle and attainable in London.  Paulette has supported many other food growing groups and was previously connected with the growing space and people at Wolves Lane before setting up Black Rootz.

Website: www.capitalgrowth.org/black-rootz/#1

SoilSistars is a branch of GoGrowWithLove C.I.C, an award-winning women led non-profit organisation, founded by Sandra Salazar.

She is a come-unity horticulturalist and farmer who loves to grow food and teach practical food growing skills development, land, food & seed sovereignty to children, women, families and adults. With the group of other women, SoilSistars shares traditional land skills in nurseries, schools, home education groups, allotments, housing estates and community projects.

Sandra is the lead SoilSistar at Women Leading with The Land Project, a grass roots Afro-ecological project in London, that teaches women of African Caribbean heritage traditional skills in land care & cultivation, food growing and enterprise.

Website: www.go-grow.org.uk 

Since first capturing national attention on The Voice UK in 2014, Queen Ameen has been steadily carving out her space as a soulful, powerful vocalist with a purpose. Her journey has been one of passion, perseverance, and deep connection — to her craft, her community, and her culture.

Following her TV debut, she spent years cultivating a grassroots movement through live community events, creating spaces where music and upliftment went hand-in-hand. Singing weekly with a live band, she refined her artistry in real time — sharpening her vocals, stage presence, and emotional delivery with every performance.

She has shared stages with soul and reggae royalty, opening for Teedra Moses, Nate James, and Richie Spice, and headlining two solo shows of her own. In a full-circle moment, she also managed 14 live acts in a showstopping event at the iconic Jazz Café — a feat that proved her versatility both on and off the mic.

After taking time to experience life, love, and motherhood — including time living in the Caribbean and a year in Ghana — Queen Ameen is now returning to her first love: using her voice to breathe life, feeling, and soul into every note.

Her music is not just heard — it’s felt. And as she steps back onto the stage, she brings with her the depth of her journey and a renewed fire to move audiences, heart first.

@queenameenlive

A gifted educator and poet, Ay Hearts combines spoken word alchemy with hip hop sensibilities to light up live shows with an undeniable righteous fire. Her breakthrough set at the EFG London Jazz Festival, shining feature on the debut SUPERORGANIC mixtape, and knowing nods from leading lyrical light Rapsody prove she’s one to watch. Weaving elements of West Indian patois into her affirming alchemic wordplay, the emcee and poetess has crafted a signature.

@ay_hearts

Born in jamaica 1965, brought to England 1972. A proud father of 4 children 10, 17, 28, 29 years old.

I am a father, Poet, singer, teacher, mentor, dj, sustanance grower, multi industry worker and protector.  I want to open the minds of all  who cannot see that truth and real love, which is just a word to most, is the only route to overstanding. The fear of letting honesty and integrity guide us, blocks our progress to clarity of thought.

I know my utterances are a blessing from a higher source. I have been tasked with sharing the Need to question self.

@Malakai_Genesis

Joy Francis is a curator, writer, creative entrepreneur (Words of Colour), literary inclusion activist and award-winning creative health leader. She takes a curatorial approach to DJing, including producing a set celebrating James Baldwin’s centenary at The Ministry in 2024. Joy is a DJ alum from On the Rise Academy and has performed on G-Shock Radio.

Mr Gee has been a veteran on the UK’s Live poetry scene for over 25 years. His work has been featured in the Times, The Guardian & the New Statesman.

He contributed a short story towards the 2021 anthology: “The Other Windrush” (exploring his mixed Ugandan & Indo-Guyanese heritage). He was also a guest on “Hackney Windrush Stories” hosted by DJ Flight for National Prison Radio.

He currently hosts a monthly live poetry night called “The Cosmic Pumpkin” at the Royal Society of Art.

After graduating from Middlesex University and studying storytelling and performance at The London International School for Performing Arts, Zena has been a professional writer/performance poet, curator and creative project developer for over 30 years.

She is known as a renowned award-winning UK based poet of African Caribbean American heritage, and as a multidisciplinary artist, Zena is at home with collaborating with musicians, choreographers, environmental growers and visual artists.

As a curator and producer of independent live and online events, Zena champions environmental awareness, equity and regeneration, as well as the connection to the imagination being a reflection of the Earth’s resilience using diverse cultural agriculture.

@ZenaEdwardsPoet