Grenadian Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Grenada is a small island nation in the southern Caribbean, known as the Spice Isle for its nutmeg, which appears on its national flag, as well as its cinnamon, cloves and cocoa. English is the official language. Many Grenadians came to Britain in the 1950s and 1960s, and their families have lived here for generations.

The community in numbers

At the 2021 Census, out of a city population of 1,144,919, 4,460 people living in the city had been born in Caribbean countries other than Jamaica, a group that includes Grenada.

Working for Birmingham

Grenadians who arrived after the war worked in hospitals, transport and factories, and their children and grandchildren now work as nurses, teachers, social workers, engineers and business owners across Birmingham.

The city's future rests on the same things as its past: skills, enterprise and people willing to put in the hours. Whether in a hospital, a classroom, a lecture theatre, a van full of tools or a shop on a busy high street, Grenadian residents are helping to build that future, and to make Birmingham a stronger, fairer and more welcoming city.

Culture and community life

Spicemas, Grenada's carnival in August, is a riot of colour and soca music. Oil down, a one-pot stew of breadfruit, salted meat and coconut milk, is the national dish, and Independence Day on 7 February is celebrated with pride.

In a city where scores of languages are spoken, the Grenadian community adds another voice to the conversation. Its members, old and new, are helping to make Birmingham the confident, outward-looking city it wants to be.