Reflections from Independent Windrush Commissioner, Clive Foster, following the listening and engagement event in Birmingham on 31st January.
A few weeks ago, I was back in Birmingham – a city with deep Windrush roots, and one I have always felt a deep connection to. When my parents came to this country as part of the Windrush generation, Birmingham was the place they first called home. So, coming back here, to listen to the experiences of people whose stories mirror so much of my own family’s journey, felt significant.
We gathered at the Legacy Centre. And the more I move through this work, the more that word – legacy – weighs on me.
I hear it in every conversation, every story shared across a table or in a quiet corner of a community hall. It is what this work is ultimately about: justice, healing, and what we leave behind.
To everyone who came through those doors on a Saturday morning – thank you. Some came with ideas – ways the schemes could work better, processes that could be simplified, changes that could make a real difference. Some came seeking answers. Others came to share experiences they’ve carried for years. Stories of pride, of loss, and of waiting too long for justice.
That willingness to show up, to speak, to challenge – it’s what drives this work forward.
Bringing services to the community
One of the things that made this event different was who else was in the room.
In one space, people could speak directly to those responsible for status, compensation, and reviews – Home Office staff from the Windrush Compensation Scheme and the Windrush Status Scheme, alongside a representative from the Adjudicator’s Office that handles reviews. My office was there too, ready to listen and support.
For me, this is what accessibility looks like in practice. The hurt and scars left by the scandal run deep, and I believe that healing begins when people can see an open, transparent, and approachable process – not a faceless system, but real people they can talk to, question, and trust. That human connection matters enormously.
It is much harder to dismiss someone’s concern when you are sitting across the table from them.
Questions didn’t have to travel through layers of process.
They could be asked and answered there and then. That matters. Too often, people feel distant from the systems that affect their lives. They write letters that go unanswered, make phone calls that lead nowhere, fill in forms and wait.
Events like this cut through that. They put the people running the schemes in the same room as the people the schemes were designed to serve.
It doesn’t solve everything. But these conversations are a necessary part of the path towards justice and healing – and for some people in that room, it was the first time they’d had a real conversation with someone who could help.
A room that listened – and pushed back
The atmosphere was one of openness, but also honest challenge. People didn’t hold back. They told me what isn’t working. They asked difficult questions, and they pushed for clearer, simpler information about who is eligible for the Windrush schemes and how to access them.
That message came through strongly. Too many people still don’t know whether they qualify, or feel overwhelmed by the process.
The application form is still seen as too long and too complex, and awareness that the schemes remain open is fading, which means people who are entitled to support may never come forward.
These aren’t just operational issues. They’re barriers to justice.
What people want to see
Several themes kept surfacing throughout the day.
People want greater public awareness of the Windrush schemes, not buried on a website, but visible in communities, in places people trust.
They want better support – whether that’s legal advice, help with paperwork, or simply someone in their corner. Navigating the compensation or status process alone can feel impossible, especially when you’re being asked to relive painful memories.
Having someone who understands the system and can help structure a claim, makes a real difference. I’ve heard this consistently, and I’ll be raising it directly with ministers.
And there was a question that stayed with me. How do we bring younger people into this?
Not just as beneficiaries, but as advocates – carrying forward the message, sharing the story, making sure the next generation understands what happened and why it still matters.
The Windrush story is not just history. It’s a living legacy.
And the people best placed to keep it alive are those who grew up hearing it around kitchen tables, in churches, in their communities.
Progress – but not the finish line
I was glad to have the chance to speak directly about what’s changed in the Compensation Scheme as a result of my recommendations.
Pension losses are now recognised. Advance payments are available for people whose cases are under review. Older and vulnerable claimants are being prioritised.
These changes came from listening. They came from survivors and community organisations telling me what needed to be different. And standing in that room, being able to say that their voices had led to real reform – that mattered.
But I also know we’re not done. For some people, there’s still frustration – about decisions that feel inconsistent, or about waiting years and receiving nothing.
While wait times have improved, I know that for those still in the system, every day matters. That frustration is justified. And I carry it with me into every conversation I have with ministers and officials.
Why events like this matter
Listening events aren’t about ticking a box or being seen in the right places. They’re about creating space – for people to be heard, for services to be accessible, and for me to understand what’s really happening on the ground.
What I hear shapes what I take to ministers and Home Office officials. It informs the changes I push for. It holds me accountable.
I’ll be reflecting carefully on everything I heard in Birmingham. The themes that emerged, around awareness, legal and advocacy support, and engaging the next generation, will directly shape my next set of recommendations to government. This isn’t listening for the sake of it. It’s listening that leads to action.
Justice shouldn’t only happen in Westminster. It needs to be visible, accessible, and rooted in the communities it’s meant to serve. That’s what we tried to build in Birmingham, and what I’ll keep building in the months ahead.
Thank you
If you were in that room – thank you. Thank you for your honesty, your challenge, and your trust.
And if you weren’t, my door is still open.
Keep telling me and my office about your experiences, whether it’s about the compensation process, securing your status, or the wider questions of accountability and Windrush legacy.
Your story is part of this. And it’s your story that will shape what comes next.
Justice is still being sought, healing is still underway, and the legacy of this generation must still be properly honoured. That work continues — and Birmingham reminded me exactly why it must.
Independent Windrush Commissioner, Clive Foster MBE