Patrick Vernon

Patrick Vernon
Born
Patrick Philip Vernon

1961 (age 62–63)
Wolverhampton, England
EducationManchester Metropolitan University; Warwick University
Occupation(s)Social commentator and political activist
Known forSuccessful campaign for Windrush Day
AwardsHonorary degree of Doctor of Letters, University of Wolverhampton
Websitehttps://patrickvernon.org.uk/

Patrick Philip Vernon OBE[1] (born 1961)[2] is a British social commentator and political activist of Jamaican heritage, who works in the voluntary and public sector. He is a former Labour councillor in the London Borough of Hackney. His career has been involved with developing and managing health and social care services, including mental health, public health, regeneration and employment projects. Also a film maker and amateur cultural historian, he runs his own social enterprise promoting the history of diverse communities, as founder of Every Generation and the "100 Great Black Britons" campaign.[3][4] He is also an expert on African and Caribbean genealogy in the UK.[5][6] He was appointed a Clore Fellow in 2007,[7] an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2012 Birthday Honours for "services to the Reduction of Health Inequalities for Ethnic Minorities",[8] and in 2018 was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Wolverhampton.[9]

Vernon led a successful campaign for 22 June to be recognized annually as Windrush Day, a national day acknowledging the migrant contribution to UK society,[10][11] which was officially backed by the British government in 2018.[12]

In 2019, he was appointed associate director of Communities at the Centre for Ageing Better,[13] a National Lottery Community funded charity looking to improve the lives of those approaching later life.[14]

  1. ^ "Queen's birthday Honours list in full", The Daily Telegraph, 16 June 2012.
  2. ^ "Patrick Vernon" Archived 1 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Sankofa 2013: Teachers' Resource Pack, p. 41.
  3. ^ Chandler, Mark (10 June 2019). "Robinson snaps up 100 Great Black Britons book". The Bookseller. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  4. ^ "Every Generation Media Timeline".
  5. ^ Vernon, Patrick. "African Diaspora Approaches to Family History & the Collections of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)". Royal Geographical Society (with IBG). Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference SS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Distinguished friends: Patrick Vernon OBE". [[Migration Museum, London|]]. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  8. ^ "Influential health equality advocate Patrick Vernon OBE joins HSIB". HSIB. 21 February 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  9. ^ "Patrick Vernon OBE". Cumberland Lodge. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  10. ^ Vernon, Patrick (25 January 2010). "Windrush Day: a fitting way to celebrate our immigrant population". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  11. ^ Vernon, Patrick (9 May 2018). "The Windrush shaped Britain. Why not recognise that?". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  12. ^ Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government and Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth, "Annual day of celebrations for the Windrush Generation" (Press release), UK Government, 18 June 2018.
  13. ^ "Patrick Vernon – Associate Director for Communities". Centre for Ageing Better. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  14. ^ "What we do". Centre for Ageing Better. Retrieved 31 July 2020.