Keith Stokes-Smith, Chair of the Commonwealth Association; Her Excellency Aloun Ndombet-Assamba, High Commissioner for Jamaica; Mike Murray, Lead Officer International Links, BCC

Birmingham  Commonwealth  Association Chairman, Keith Stokes-Smith and Mike Murray, Lead Officer, International Links, Birmingham City Council, met informally with Her Excellency, Aloun Ndombet-Assamba, High Commissioner for Jamaica to familiarise the High Commissioner with  the Association, how it came to be established, its structure and how it was intended, through co-operative and collaborative engagement with Business, Communities, Academic and Cultural/Sporting partners, to bring about outcome driven ‘added value’ for all concerned. The High Commissioner was keen to see the Association reap benefits for Birmingham, Birmingham’s Caribbean communities and Business as well as Jamaica itself. Mr Stokes-Smith confirmed that whilst three of the four intended Focus groups within the association had been established being, ’Trade and Business’, ‘Education’ and ‘Communities’,  and were due to hold their first meeting mid July, the fourth Group, ‘Culture and Sport’  was still to get off the ground. However, once it had been established, the High Commissioner comments as to a Jamaican input would certainly be taken on board as would be her thoughts on one or two future ‘Caribbean’ events in the city.

03/07/14