A former award-winning BBC radio presenter has teamed up with a Walsall charity to lead a project close to her own heart, spotlighting some of the local stories from the Windrush Generation.
Nikki Tapper MBE is partnering with Walsall Black Sisters Collective to record a podcast series for The Walsall Windrush Sisters Project, an oral history and heritage project shining a light on the powerful, often overlooked stories of African Caribbean women and families who helped shape Walsall and wider British society.
National Windrush Day (Monday, June 22nd) honours the historic arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush at the Port of Tilbury in Essex in 1948, carrying 492 Caribbean migrants who helped rebuild post-war Britain and commemorates their ongoing contributions to the UK.
The aim of the new podcast is for real people to tell their stories of resilience and achievements, which have often been overlooked. Through oral history, spoken word, community research, and lived experience, the project is preserving memories that may otherwise be lost forever.
From working in factories, leather trades, and public services, to raising families, building churches, creating businesses, and strengthening communities, the project presents an authentic social history of Walsall through the voices of those who were there.
Led by Walsall Black Sisters Collective, established in 1986, the project captures the voices of members of the Windrush generation and their families, who arrived in Britain from the Caribbean between the late 1940s and 1970s, and made enormous contributions to public life, industry, healthcare, education, faith communities, and local neighbourhoods.
Project Lead Glenis Williams said: “This project is about real people and real stories. It is about recognising the heritage, resilience and contributions of under-represented African Caribbean communities whose voices have too often been left out of history.
“Through oral storytelling, we are preserving memories, wisdom, and lived experiences directly from those who own those stories. If we do not capture them now, we risk losing an important part of Walsall’s social history forever.
“The podcast also seeks to open honest conversations about one of the lesser-known and deeply painful parts of the Windrush story: the children who were left behind in the Caribbean while parents travelled to Britain first to find work and housing. Many children were raised by grandparents or relatives, often with barrels of clothes, food, and gifts sent back as symbols of love and support. Yet for many families, this separation created feelings of displacement, abandonment, confusion, and emotional loss.”
She added: “It has been an extraordinary achievement to find four individuals who have kindly agreed to share both their joyful and harrowing experiences, helping to bring truth and humanity to this chapter of history.
“The generational trauma caused by these experiences has left scars that, in many cases, have never fully healed, been openly acknowledged, or reconciled. These stories deserve compassion, recognition, and space for healing. Through dialogue, oral history, and therapeutic storytelling, the project hopes to begin important conversations that support understanding and recovery.
“The project reminds us that history is not only found in official documents, but it also lives in people, memories, voices, kitchens, churches, workplaces, and family homes. Because when communities tell their own stories, history becomes fuller, fairer, and more truthful.”
Nikki, from Smethwick, is the youngest of five born to Jamaican parents who both moved to Birmingham when they were young adults.
She went on to become a familiar voice on local radio for more than two decades, fronting a host of regional shows, including Gospel Lounge, Chat Back and, more recently, Sunday Night With Nikki Tapper. She is now continuing to make a name for herself as an established events and awards host, speaker and facilitator through her company Nikki Tapper Ltd.
Last year she received an MBE for Services to Broadcasting and the Community of the West Midlands, recognising more than a quarter of a century working in both the broadcasting and teaching fields.
Of this latest project, Nikki Tapper said: “I feel very honoured that people are sharing their personal stories with me and to learn about everything they’ve contributed to the UK over the years. This is such a great platform to celebrate everybody for what they’ve achieved. Britain is their home, and so I love the idea of celebrating what could be deemed a negative start and it ending up being positive.
“I don’t think The Caribbean in that sense is unique because I’m sure those who’ve come from Ukraine or India or Pakistan could have similar stories, but because that’s my heritage it’s a joy to hear and speak to people about. And it shows us all that everyone’s story is actually not that different, and needs to be heard.”
Nikki is also host on a special night of celebration marking the 40th anniversary of The Walsall Black Sisters Collective, on July 4th when Olympian, Dame DeniseLewis will deliver the keynote speech. Tickets for the red carpet event, at The Pallett Track Bescot Stadium in Walsall, are available HERE.
The four podcast episodes are available to listen to HERE.
Visit Nikki Tapper HERE. Learn more about The Black Sisters Collective HERE.
HEAR ELAINE’S STORY HERE.