Slough has a long history of welcoming incomers, going right back to the days of stagecoaches, when it was an important staging post between London and the west. These days, one of the towns' chief strengths is its diversity - a community made up of smaller communities, each adding its own unique qualities to the whole.

Much of the migration into Slough has been economic, in response to a local need. The first major migration came about thanks to the building of the Trading Estate after the First World War. During the economic downturn of the 1930s thousands of people came to Slough seeking work, mostly from Wales, parts of Scotland and the North of England.

Economic migration continued to be a factor. Following the Second World War, workers came over from Ireland to find work in the building trade. In the 1950s, the Trading Estate was expanding rapidly and there was a shortage of workers locally. Adverts went out encouraging West Indians to come here, thus establishing another community in the town.

Similarly in the 1970s, a shortage of doctors led to a recruitment drive on the Indian Subcontinent. The promise of British citizenship and steady work attracted large numbers to this country, many of whom chose to settle in Slough.

Of course, economic factors have not been the only thing bringing people to Slough. Many have arrived here through political necessity. This was the case with the first Polish settlers. Following the Second World War, Slough was one of the areas chosen for the re-settlement of displaced Poles, including members of the Free Polish Army. The Second World War also brought a number of Jewish refugees to the area.

In the aftermath of the Second World War, London faced a housing crisis, with thousands of homes destroyed in the Blitz. The London County Council built several housing estates outside the capital to rehouse displaced Londoners - two of these estates were at Langley and Britwell.

Slough has remained a sanctuary for political refugees and asylum seekers, with recent arrivals from, among other areas, Afghanistan, Kosovo and Somalia.

Another recent factor has been the admission to the European Union of several eastern European nations, leading to a new wave of economic migration. Slough, with its existing Polish community, has been a particularly attractive destination for migrants from Poland.

Today, Slough is a thriving multicultural town, with over a quarter of the population of Asian origin, and significant populations of African, Caribbean and Eastern European origin. The effects have been widespread, from the variety of religious buildings in the town, to the election of Britain's first black female mayor in 1984, to the wealth of religious and cultural events which take place in Slough throughout the year.