Winston Pinder

Winston Pinder was a black civil rights activist, communist, and youth worker, most notable for his work alongside Billy Strachan, Claudia Jones, and his campaigns against racism in Britain. Originally from Barbados, Pinder has spent most of his life has been spent in the United Kingdom, involved in various political campaigns, trade union activities, and left-wing activism.

His most notable campaigns involved the creation of Paul Robeson House in London, Kentish Town Youth Club, and raising money for the creation of Claudia Jones's grave, which is situated next to that of Karl Marx in Highgate Cemetery.

Winston Pinder died on 15 May 2026.

Early life Born in Barbados, Winston Pinder left school to work for a telephone company after receiving the Charles Howard bursary to fund his work training. He was then sent to British Guiana, where he worked on the building of the Demerara telephone exchange, financed by the Bookers company.

In December 1955, Pinder made history as being a part of a small contingent of communist activists that welcomed Claudia Jones to Britain at Victoria station. Soon afterwards, Jones would go onto become one of the most influential civil rights leaders in the history of the United Kingdom. In later life, Pinder would work alongside Jones politically, particularly in the aftermath of the Notting Hill race riots. Later in life, Pinder was not so lucky, and had to have his spleen removed after being stabbed in the stomach during a fight in the Tally Ho pub on Fortess Road. Pinder would recall how he and the young people he worked with campaigned to found Paul Robeson House:"A group of youngsters I was working with couldn’t find anywhere to live and began squatting empty houses...”

“In the end, we squatted a property in Belsize Park that was due to be renovated the next week. We said we would not move out until we were given another empty place that we could turn into a hostel.”

Political influences A committed communist activist for most of his life, Pinder was also heavily influenced by Cheddi Jagan,

Honours and awards At the age of 80, Winston Pinder was awarded a "people's title" from Hackney community college.