From adversity to advocacy: How Max Thomas is preserving Ipswich's Windrush legacy

"It wasn’t a warning, it was a certainty," Max says. "I remember going to Tooks Bakery. One person placing cherries, another turning doughnuts, another dusting icing sugar. It terrified me. It was like the donkeys from Pinocchio marching into the glue factory. I knew if I didn’t cut those strings, I’d be stuck there too."

Breaking the cycle

At school, Max struggled with undiagnosed dyslexia.

"I thought I was stupid because everybody said I was stupid," he recalls.

A careers adviser reinforced this when Max expressed interest in catering. The response was blunt: "Not for you, boy. Factory, prison or dole."

Max defied these expectations, becoming a retail manager at just 17. His father, who worked at Cranes, a major Ipswich employer for Windrush migrants, initially doubted his son's aspirations.

"I walked in wearing a suit and tie, and my dad said, 'You think you're too good to work in Cranes?' That stuck with me," Max explains.

Finding his voice

Despite professional success, Max hid his struggle with literacy for years, relying on his memory and strong speaking skills. It wasn't until ten years ago, through Realise Futures' adult education programme, that Max received his dyslexia diagnosis and finally learned to read and write with confidence.

"Meeting Daphne from Realise Futures was life-changing," Max says. "She cleared away the fog. Suddenly, everything made sense."

By day, Max was a retail manager at Sainsbury’s. By night, he ran a catering business and studied fashion, determined to carve out a future beyond what was expected of him.

"I was always told to stay in my place," he says. "But I wasn’t staying anywhere."

Building a legacy

Determined to create opportunities he never had, Max founded the Ipswich Windrush Society. Starting in 1998, and formally established in its current form in 2021, the society preserves the stories and experiences of Ipswich’s Caribbean community.

"People need to see themselves in history," Max emphasises. "That's what the Reflection Room is all about."

He began collecting artefacts and stories to showcase the community's powerful yet overlooked contributions. 'My mum used to say, 'What are you doing with all this old brock?'" Max recalls. 'But I could see the stories they held.

What started as a small collection of objects and stories has become something much bigger—a space that moves people.

A space that moves people

A visitor book in the Reflection Room reveals just how deeply it resonates with people.

"The future means nothing if you have no connection to the past. This is such important work and more people should see this. It shows us where we have come from and who we are."

"A lovely walk around memory lane – even though life moves on, we are all the same."

One visitor described it as “just what the Ipswich community needs to make us co-exist in harmony and learn the history and contributions of the Windrush generation.”

Another reflected: "Thanks for the opportunity to see and be a part of this culture. It’s a phenomenal experience and I have learned a lot. Excellence in putting all this stuff together."

Inspiring the next generation

Max now regularly visits schools across Ipswich, sharing poetry, storytelling and history to empower young people.

"I go into about three schools a week, bringing Windrush stories to life for young people who might never have heard them before," he says.

For many, it's their first introduction to this chapter of British history.

He still vividly remembers being labelled as incapable by his own teachers, a perception he's determined to challenge in today's classrooms.

"Young people need role models who understand their experiences," he says. "I was inspired by Benjamin Zephaniah; now I want to inspire others."

Looking ahead

Recently, Ipswich Windrush Society received £20,000 from the government's Windrush Day Grant Scheme. The funding will support an upcoming event at Sailmakers shopping centre in June, featuring gospel choirs, Caribbean food stalls, live performances and fashion shows.

Yet Max’s vision stretches beyond temporary celebrations. He dreams of securing a permanent home for the Reflection Room.

"I always say, 'It’s not yours until it’s yours,'" Max explains. "We need a permanent space—not for me, but for Ipswich."

How you can support

The Ipswich Windrush Society invites residents to get involved by volunteering, attending events or simply sharing stories.

"Together, we can keep these stories alive," Max says.

To learn more or get involved, visit: https://www.ipswichwindrushsociety.org