The Welsh Sports Association has been named as one of the key sponsors of Wales Week in London 2018, the annual celebration promoting Wales and its business in London.
The marketing initiative that was first held in March 2017 to promote events and profile-raising opportunities in London for Wales and Welsh organisations has launched its 2018 events programme at an event hosted by Rt Hon Alun Cairns, Secretary of State for Wales, at Gwydyr House in London on Monday 4th December. It was attended by representatives from both UK Government and Welsh Government, and leading figures from a range of business sectors, the Welsh diaspora in London, Welsh sporting and arts organisations, and the media, to hear about next spring’s Wales Week in London, which will take place over a fortnight around the time of St David’s Day in London next year.
Described as ‘Where Wales meets London, when London celebrates Wales’, the inaugural Wales Week in London was first held back in February-March 2017, and is led by Founders Dan Langford and Mike Jordan, two Welsh-based professionals who have long had business connections in London.
The 2018 celebration consists of a calendar of events from Saturday 24th February until Friday 10th March; together to galvanise, showcase and leverage the activities of existing London-based Welsh communities, and help celebrate and promote the best of Wales, in London.
There were 56 events and activities held during Wales Week in London last spring and the organisers are expecting this number to be increased to nearer 75, being held around St David’s Day in 2018.
Victoria Ward, CEO of the Welsh Sports Association said “The WSA is delighted to partner with Wales Week in London to celebrate Wales’ successes, and to showcase the unique contribution that sport and active recreation makes to the physical, mental and economic well-being of Welsh society.
“We are keen to use this as a platform to demonstrate to our corporate friends in London the opportunities that exist for Non-Executive Directors to give back to their communities by serving on the boards of the governing bodies of sport in Wales, so that together we can develop the commercial skills to ensure that Welsh sport can improve sector sustainability and growth.”
Welcoming the initiative, Ken Skates, Cabinet Secretary for Economy & Transport, Welsh Government, said; “Ours is a vibrant country with so much to offer – historically, culturally and of course through our diverse range of businesses, and Wales Week in London is a co-ordinated promotion of all that we have to shout about.
“This annual festival showcases a series of activities that celebrate and promote existing Welsh communities in London, providing an exciting opportunity to raise our profile and create a real buzz.
“Together with the best in Welsh business, music, art, tourism, heritage, sport, public life and the media, we’re promoting a schedule of events that will collectively tell the world how good we truly are.”
Dan Langford, Group Marketing Director of Acorn Recruitment, who for a number of years has been active in promoting Welsh business in London, said, “Back last spring we never imagined how well the inaugural Wales Week in London was going to be received, or the extent of participation it attracted from so many individuals and organisations. The whole thing came together in just over three months, and we were amazed by the incredible reception it had and how quickly it would build into something quite significant.
“This year, we have been completely overwhelmed by how the momentum continues to build, and we’ve experienced a huge increase in the number of people approaching us with ideas for events they’d like to run or to discuss how their organisation can get involved through sponsorship in any way.
“The active contribution of the Welsh diaspora and the various Welsh groups and societies based in London has been crucial to the success to date; as has the superb support and involvement of both the Welsh Government and the UK Government, working collaboratively with a shared ambition to promote a modern Wales to the rest of the world.
“And we are also hugely grateful to all our sponsors, who are backing Wales Week in London through a number of ways; helping it to grow, thrive and develop.”
The Wales Week in London website includes details of nearly 40 events that are already confirmed, and the organisers confirm that many more will be added over the coming weeks.
Other sponsors of Wales Week in London 2018 include Hugh James, Swansea University School of Management, SD Sealants, Furrer+Frey, SaxonAir, GE Aviation, PwC, Cooke & Arkwright, Cardiff City Council, Burns Pet Nutrition, Colleges Wales, Golley Slater, Resources Ltd, and WRW Construction.
The website can be found at www.walesweek.london
English