Fundraising to commemorate Windrush and Commonwealth NHS Nurses and Midwives

Around 40,000 nurses and midwives from around the Commonwealth came to the UK from 1948 - 1973 to help the fledging NHS, which was facing problems recruiting enough staff. The dedication and service of these nurses was exemplary; it has been said that without their contribution, the NHS would have collapsed.

To commemorate this dedicated service, community activist group Nubian Jak, in collaboration with Islington Council and Whittington Hospital, has commissioned a granite statue to be installed at the Whittington. The statue, representing a stylised nurse or midwife, will be unveiled on 5 July, NHS Day, at the Whittington Hospital. The unveiling event is being planned in close collaboration with the Whittington Hospital and Islington Council.

As of May 2021, the crowd funder has received £56,000 of the necessary £150,000. The Local Initiatives Fund by Islington Council will commit another £16,191.67 on top of this. Islington Council stands against any and all forms of discrimination and injustice and is committed to challenging inequality. A statue commemorating the unique contributions of Windrush and Commonwealth NHS Nurses and Midwives to Islington, and the country, is important in combatting the historic omission of Black caregivers from monuments nationally. Currently there are only two memorials dedicated to Black females in a public space in London.  

In addition to the statue, a book by Jak Beula entitled ‘Nursing a Nation’ will be released on 10 July to give more life to the stories and lived experience of this generation of nurses and midwives. The book will be followed up shortly afterwards with a documentary called ‘From Severus to Windrush’. Nubian Jak Community Trust is collaborating with Islington Council, Islington Black History Working Group, and other partners to deliver workshops to accompany the book and documentary, as well as teaching resources for teachers, storytelling sessions, and events in local libraries with writers/contributors to the anthology. Copies of the book will be provided to all libraries across the borough.  

Councillor Una O’Halloran, Executive Member for Community Development, said: “It is so important that we properly commemorate this generation of nurses and midwives who helped make this country and its healthcare system what it is today. We know that there are not enough monuments and history written about this generation, which is why I'm asking everyone to donate to this fundraiser if they can.”   

Dr Jak Beula said: “The Nubian Jak Community Trust is delighted to be working in partnership with Islington Council and Whittington Hospital Trust to honour these brave and self-sacrificing NHS staff who have been serving the institution since 1948, the year of its foundation, the arrival of the MV Windrush and renaming of Whittington Hospital. It is only fitting that this year designated by the UN as the International Year for Nurses and Midwives we honour these nurses and midwives by memorialising them in stone in perpetuity.”