Our History

The aims set out were very clear in that the intention was:

• to bring people together in unity, in order to promote good fellowship, social, educational and cultural activities for the benefit of all;
• to provide a source of valuable information mainly on Caribbean issues;
• to assist in any welfare matters within the scope of the Association and to provide possible support;
• to establish a meeting place either by purchase, hire, or lease, in order that the discussions and functions pertaining to our aims could be carried out.

A constitution was constructed and the Association was officially launched on 5th June 1985 at private premises in Aytoun Road, Brixton, SW9 as a non-profit making entity, with an initial outlay of £200. A monthly membership of £5.00 per person was agreed. With membership not restricted to any particular type of individual.

Women were not given full, but affiliated membership. This was meant to be a goodwill gesture allowing women freee membership. However, this was changed a year later when it was realised that the constitution did not allow affiliated members to have a vote on any relevant matters pertaining to the Association.

The Association had no fixed meeting place hence meetings were held in various public houses to include the Red Rover in Putney, The Railway Bell, in Tooting, The Red Lion in Colliers Wood, The Beaufoy Arms in Battersea, The Cricketers in Mitcham, where we found the various publicans very accommodating. Later St Augustine’s Church Hall in Tooting was to become our regular meeting place. Committee meetings were held at individual private premises.

From its earliest days a strong spiritual bond deeply rooted in the Church and especially St Augustine’s was established. The late Vicar of the Church, Serafin Lopez, who in some ways acted as an unofficial patron of the Association together with some of his small congregation at the time were always encouraging the members to worship there. The threads of this bond have become even stronger over the years. This is evident from the fact that today many of our members worship there and indeed form a majority of their church committee. The Association hosted its first Thanksgiving service there in 1988 when the Rev Tyrone Lewis a visiting clergy conducted the service and has continued every since. Indeed, St Augustine’s is often referred to as the Wiffa church.

The trend of moving around the area for our meetings continued until 1989 when we were able to occupy premises for our meetings at The Vestry Hall, London Road, Mitcham, a building which is owned and managed by the London Borough of Merton and was opened to the voluntary sector in 1988.