‘What was it like on the boat?’

‘I didn’t come over in the boat, not everyone did’

HMT Empire Windrush has acted as a symbol for a generation and at times detracted from the sad, ongoing stories of racism below the waves.  Mrs. McGhie-Belgrave MBE met members of Woodcraft Folk to share her lived experience of ‘The Windrush Generation’

Before race riots flared around her in the 1980s, she was already working tirelessly to support people in Handsworth.  ‘Shades of Black’, the organisation she founded, brought reconciliation and helped rebuild communities after the Handsworth riots.

When she arrived in the UK in 1957 she worked in the mental health sector; over the years she’s worked across social and probation services, running community projects. From teaching, sewing to community banking, all build bridges and communities and overcoming loneliness.

“If you can help, simply help a person in a very small way, you will be surprised how they take it and remember it for the rest of their lives.”

Woodcraft Folk Challenging Racism

Her words echoed Woodcraft values as we sat in a circle, every person equal, every voice heard, ‘spanning the world with Friendship’.  More than that, she saw a problem and acted, taking peaceful and direct action.  Woodcraft also has a history tackling issues of racism, be it challenging facism in the 1930s, ‘Kindertransport’ during World War 2, or championing ‘multi-culturalism’, highlighting overt and covert racism in education and throughout the 1960s, 70s, 80s and right into the 21st Century, all explored with our members as part of 100 Objects spanning 100 Years

Mrs. McGhie-Belgrave’s early life

Born in the Parish of St James Maldon District in Jamaica in 1934, Mrs. McGhie-Belgrave recalls her upbringing:

“We had our own plot, that’s what we had to give us cash to buy the things we wanted, so we had to do our own cultivation. We had the land. We were quite lucky because grandma was a white woman, she was married to an African. So, I lived racism in Jamaica before I came here.”

Leah Finlayson (Mrs. McGhie’s grandmother) was the daughter of white plantation owner, working as a local midwife after her parents disowned her for marrying a black man. Mrs McGhie-Belgrave has been dealing with racism and working with people to challenge it throughout her life.

‘If you do not have these conversations, it’s not going away. It’s just bubbling underneath. In 1957 I went shopping and tried to purchase a tin of beans. The shopkeeper replied, “So you can speak English, can you?” and placed my change on the counter rather than in the palm of my hands. I left it where it was and returned three days later to receive my change in the palm of my hands. In that moment, without any argument, lives were changed. Especially for Black people, racism then was rife.’

Mrs. McGhie-Belgrave, now aged 90, describes her life as a lucky one, mainly because of the opportunities she has had for learning and serving. A role model for all, her visit to our Woodcraft Folk group was inspiring and will spark action, raise awareness and challenge racism long after Windrush day.

‘If you are able to help, do.’

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We use them in our ‘100 Objects for 100 years‘ workshops to bring the rich history of the Woodcraft movement. Young people may never have experienced a large international camp like Camp 100 . There’s something unique about being able to see and handle carefully hand-crafted banners used at camps decades ago, carefully saved and stored as momentos. They bring alive the joy and purpose of woodcraft in conversations exploring the values and principles that have guided us for generations.

Inspired by the designs and emblems on the banners, then we get creative! We design postcards and craft our own badges, incorporating logos, badges, and emblems from Woodcraft’s past as well as our own understanding of what it means to be Woodcraft.

A Flag for Camp 100: A Legacy Continues

Birmingham Pioneers are taking on an exciting project: repairing and adding to an old cooperative Woodcraft rainbow flag that was generously donated. This flag could become the official flag for the Birmingham District Village at Camp 100! It’s a wonderful way to blend history with the present, ensuring that a piece of our past will fly proudly at this landmark international camp.

If you want to find out more about ‘100 Objects for 100 years‘ or discuss ways we can support your Centenary celebrations, get in touch – marcus.belben@woodcraft.org.uk. Send us your postcards:

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The visit was a plea for help, and alongside Sir Nicolas Winterton (whose life story is told in ‘One Life’ film 2024), he did everything he could to campaign and rescue children , leading to ‘The Kindertransport’. First Henry wrote to all Woodcraft District Leaders. During the Spanish Civil War he had already raised massive sums of money appealing to them. He also asked, ‘can you take a boy or girl, or perhaps two boys or girls?’ 40 Homes were found immediately for Czech children, and over the course of the next year another 1000 children were cared for from Czecoslovakia, of the 20,000 Kindertransport children. For his part in the operation ‘Mr. Fair’s name was near the top of a Gestapo hit list, saying he should go before a firing squad.’

And what can we learn? First of all Woodcraft Folk along with countless others across the World still mark ‘Holocaust Memorial Day‘, 27th January, the day when 80 years ago Auchvitz-Birkenau was liberated by the Red Army. Many more concentration camps were liberated in the coming months, and since then there have been more Genocides.

What I hold onto is that we are not powerless to make a difference. Woodcraft Folk have developed resources to introduce young people to issues about refugees and displaced people from Henry Fair’s story, and others in Woodcraft Folk Archives. Also Holocaust Memorial is about remembering what has happened, recognise the (many) genocides as they happen and to act.

Here are some images and film footage from our Archives how Holocaust Memorial Day has been commemorated in South Birmingham District – We’re exploring these as part of #100Objects for 100 years.

• Sir Nicolas Winton https://www.nicholaswinton.com/
• 60 Minutes: Sir Nicolas Winton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0aoifNziKQ
• New Pioneer – ‘Tragedy of the Czechs’ 1938 https://heritage.woodcraft.org.uk/archive/item/new-pioneer-vol-vi-no-4-december-the-tragedy-of-the-czechs/
• A People’s History of Woodcraft Folk, Phineas Harper 2016 https://newint.org/features/web-exclusive/2016/08/09/a-peoples-history-of-woodcraft-folk
• The Nazi’s British Blacklist https://www.jewthink.org/2021/01/26/the-nazi-blacklist/
• Holocaust Memorial Day https://hmd.org.uk/
• ‘Time Capsule’ YP Woodcraft Resources 2003 https://heritage.woodcraft.org.uk/static/documents/studypacks/time_capsule_1.pdf
• ‘The Children’s Republic’ Suzanne T Hinton https://suzannehinton.uk/2019/07/14/the-childrens-republic-of-brighton/
• Heritage: Woodcraft Folk https://heritage.woodcraft.org.uk/home/
• Obituary: Henry Fair https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-henry-fair-1079536.html

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