Ministers, superstars and an 8ft bear…
Leader of Birmingham City Council Mike Whitby gives the latest on his trip to build on business, sporting and cultural partnerships with Jamaica.
One full day in and our visit to Jamaica is already paying dividends.
A hectic schedule yesterday saw us meet sporting stars and officials, business leaders, top Jamaican politicians and an 8ft tall bear!
The undoubted highlight came as I met Prime Minister Bruce Golding at his official residence in Kingston (the Jamaican 10 Downing St) to discuss making the most of the fast emerging links between Birmingham and Jamaica… even if the meeting did have its surreal side.
The meeting was brokered by Minister for Sport, Culture and Youth, and strong Birmingham advocate, Olivia Grange. It came after I was honoured to play a part in welcoming Jamaica’s World Athletics Championship heroes back after another hugely successful European season.
With the event live on Jamaican TV, I was invited to explain what Jamaica’s formidable athletes can expect to find in Birmingham ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games. I also spoke about the other vital elements of our burgeoning links over here. The media interest was huge and I was later interviewed by national TV and radio.
Now for the surreal bit. Joining us at Norman Manley International Airport was Berlino – the mascot from the World Championships in Berlin who achieved cult status for his colourful celebrations with winning athletes, including Jamaica’s very own Usain Bolt.
Not only did the giant bear play his part in the homecoming, he also took centre stage as, under police escort, we joined the athletes and officials on the journey back to central Kingston. Travelling with Minister Grange, the sight of the giant bear sticking out of a sunroof and waving to astonished passers by as we sped through the streets is something I’ll never forget.
Once at the Prime Minister’s house, I was invited to explain my vision for the links we are establishing with Jamaica ahead of 2012 and once again discovered a receptive audience. Wherever we’ve been on this trip we’ve been welcomed with open arms and the Prime Minister was no exception.
After a very productive meeting with Mr Golding, I moved on to a meeting with key business leaders, including Earl Jarrett, General Manager of the Jamaican National Building Society. Hosted by owner of The Gleaner newspaper Oliver Clarke, the meeting was another big success and I was able to highlight investment opportunities back home in Birmingham.
That meeting brought to an end a busy day that saw us meet, among others, Donna-Marie Rowe, CEO of the hugely influential Jamaica Information Service and Major Desmon Brown, General Manager of the National Stadium.
We’ve discussed establishing a number of innovative and exciting sporting links, but more about that in my next blog.
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