Festival Story

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Windrush Day felt like a family gathering with stumps and songs. The ground filled early with pupils from three local schools, each group guided through fast-paced softball cricket so that everyone could bat, bowl and celebrate a wicket. Teachers joined in. Parents cheered from the rope. The score was secondary; the smiles were the point.

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At the pavilion, Caribbean food and a simple corner of board games brought generations around the same tables. Close by, an education board and time with Windrush elders turned history into conversation—short, honest stories that landed because they were told by neighbours, not narrated from a slideshow.

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As the day went on, juniors played knock-out games and then gathered for medals and photos. Every participant took one home, and each school left with a trophy to mark the occasion. Later, local players rounded things off with a friendly hardball match—an easy, social finish with families lining the boundary.

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Why It Mattered

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The festival connected past to present: Windrush stories beside first wickets; food and music beside playful competition. It also connected street cricket to club cricket. With familiar coaches on a friendly ground, juniors saw a clear path into weekly sessions and teams—confidence first, performance later.

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All summer, that momentum continued through weekly softball fixtures on the club MUGA: simple, local games that lifted activity and cohesion, and gave new players a way to keep turning up.

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A Keepsake for Everyone

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Every child who took part received a medal engraved:

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Windrush 75th Anniversary
‍Sheffield Caribbean Sports & Wellbeing Club
& Cricket Arena
22nd June 2023

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Each school also left with a trophy—first, second, third styles, but all celebrated equally.