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A Gloucestershire
West Indian Association was formed in 1962, with Philip ‘Pedro’
Lewis, ‘Daddy West’
(Austin Westcarr) and Bernard Westcarr, among others, on the committee.
Meeting at the Old Custom House in Quay Street, it attempted to
draw the community together and began raising funds for a building.
A successful Independence Ball was held in August 1962, inviting
the Mayor and other local dignitaries.
Social
events
On
the social front, things began to improve as the wives, sweethearts
and children who had been left at home came to Britain.
There
were birthdays, weddings and christenings to celebrate.
By 1970, the Jamaicans were to have their own Sports and Social
Club, situated at Chase Lane, off Eastern Avenue, where they were
able to host their own events, as well as sporting activities for
young and old.
The
first committee
The
first committee consisted of: Austin
(‘Daddy West’) Westcarr, Kenneth Johnson, Byron
Thompson, Dudley Davis, Philip (‘Pedro’) Lewis,
Michael Douglas, John Daley and Lesley Daley, with many others joining
later. However, in the mid-1970s, there was a need to form yet another
organisation - The West Indian United Action Group (WIUAG). The
founder members of this group were Cliff Richards, Bernard Westcarr
and an Englishman, Trevor Knight, also known as ‘Skip’.
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Astley
Lloyd Blair aged 27 was Britain's first black policeman
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‘Skip’
was a scout leader, with many of the young, first generation, British-born,
African-Caribbean boys in his group. They met at a number of venues
over the years - at membersÂ’ homes, St MarkÂ’s School,
a Methodist Church building in Belgrave Road and finally a property
they purchased at 49a Derby Road.
The
formation of this group was in response to a number of issues that
arose within the community at this time. There were perceived problems
around police harassment and there were concerns about the housing
of black people on certain council estates in the city, which was
viewed as discrimination and segregation.
Education
In
particular, there were concerns about the education of young black
children. A national report at this time had highlighted the under-achievement
of black children.
Many
children in Gloucester were being allocated places in secondary
schools and the group monitored the outcomes of allocations and
assisted many families in the appeals system.
They
were also to set up many subsidiary groups, such as the Saturday
School, providing supplementary education and black history, and
the Ladies Circle, providing a focus for women in the community,
which still exist today.
In
the 1980s, this group merged with another group, the Afro-Caribbean
Association, which among other achievements had developed a Black
Luncheon Club. This organisation now has premises on Barton Street
and represents the interests of the community on many committees
in the city. It now also runs The Shining Star Out of School/Kids
Club and the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½work and Study Support Group.
»
See 'Building a community'
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