Coming to England – The Musical

BAFTA Fellowship

I am absolutely thrilled and delighted to have received the BAFTA Fellowship Award and feel totally blessed. Just wish my mum and dad were alive to celebrate this part of our family’s Windrush journey.

BIRMINGHAM REP HUB NAMED AFTER ME

I am proud to have the Young Rep Hub named after me and to be the Patron of Youth and Education at Birmingham Rep, which is a wonderful privilege.

BAFTA Fellowship

I am absolutely overjoyed that I am being awarded the BAFTA Fellowship at the BAFTA Television Awards on the 12th May 2024.

HARPER’S BAZAAR WOMEN OF THE YEAR

I was super thrilled to be named as a Woman of the Year by Harper’s Bazaar in 2020

EUROPEAN DIVERSITY AWARDS

I was honoured and overjoyed to receive the European Diversity Lifetime Award in 2023 for my contribution to ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ for the last 50 years.

MULTI-CULTURAL BUSINESS & COMMUNITY AWARDS

I was declared as the 'Motivational Queen' in 2022 and awarded the Multi-Cultural Business & Community Lifetime Achievement Award in Birmingham

WOMEN IN FILM & TELEVISION LIFETIME AWARD

I was honoured to receive the Women in Film & Television Lifetime Award for my contribution to the creative industry. I was presented tome my one of my Playschool Babies, Nikki Amuka-Bird. I played her mum in the BBC drama ‘Line of Beauty’ and she told me I inspired her when he was a little girl so it was very appropriate.

TOP 50 WOMEN INFLUENCE LIST

I was thrilled to be included in the Independent Women 2024 - Top 50 Influence List, for my contribution to many different issues in politics in the House of Lords. These included speaking out about the delays in the Windrush Compensation Scheme and demanding legislation to prevent children from easily accessing online pornography.

My autobiography: What are you doing here?

I wrote my autobiography because so many people kept asking me how I got to where I am today. So at age 72 I decided to write it. What I didn’t realise was that I have done so much and could only include a fraction of what I have achieved in my incredible life…I kept thinking how blessed I am and saying to myself... ‘Who would have thought!'

CORONATION OF KING CHARLES III

I was part of an historic event which was seen by millions of people across the world.

Order of Merit

Two days before the late Queen Elizabeth II died she appointed me to the Order of Merit which is the highest honour in the land and is bestowed by the Monarch to only 24 living people.

National Windrush Monument

In 2018 I was appointed by the then Prime Minister to Chair of the Windrush Commemoration Committee to be in charge of overseeing the creation of the National Windrush Monument celebrating and acknowledging the contribution made by Caribbean people to Britain.

My latest book

My latest 'Coming to England’ book, a version for 4 year olds, comes out on the 8th October and I’m very excited.

My Statue at Exeter University

Here I am with my statue which was commissioned by Exeter University when I stepped down as Chancellor after 10 years

Damehood Medal

On the 12th March 2020 I was thrilled to go to Buckingham Palace to collect my Damehood Medal, which I received for over 40 years of charitable work.

Private Members Bill

Introducing my Private Members Bill on the 7th July 2017 to secure a certificate for loss in miscarriage or stillbirth.

All Party Parliamentary Group

I chair an All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on a Fit & Healthy Childhood