Chinese Contingent at Weymouth and Portland
The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) was visited by the Qingdao Volunteer Association on June 29th as part of a tour of the South West arranged by Weymouth College. The Asian delegation from China, led by the President Mr Chen Fei, made the journey to the UK in order to share their experience and understanding that Qingdao gathered after being the host location for the sailing events during the 2008 Beijing Games.
The delegation were joined by Sarah Kennedy, Weymouth and Portland 2012 Operations Team, Councillor Howard Legg, 2012 Brief Holder for the Borough and representatives from Weymouth College who were involved with planning the cultural Olympiad and volunteering.The Chinese contingent spoke with Chief Executive of the WPNSA, John Tweed, on logistical sporting venue elements as they toured the 2012 sailing venue from the water. The guests were able to get a real feel for where the racing will take place next summer.
The visit is also part of Weymouth College’s expanding relationship with the Qingdao Volunteer Association. Two groups of College Young Ambassadors visited Qingdao last year and met with representatives from the Volunteer Association who were part of the 2008 host city volunteer programme.
Paul Lonsdale, Deputy Principal, Weymouth College:
‘When we visited Qingdao we were overwhelmed by the welcome we received, all the people we met were very helpful and friendly. It has been a real pleasure hosting this visit to Weymouth and Portland. Our Young Ambassadors have left a strong impression on Mr Chen Fei and the rest of the Chinese delegation. Weymouth College is committed to maintaining these links way beyond the Games in order to maximise opportunities for young people to visit China and have life changing experiences like the twelve young people from Dorset who have already done so.’
This visit represents another valuable asset to offer young ambassadors from Weymouth and Portland as a vehicle to travel globally and experience new cultures.
John Tweed, Chief Executive, WPNSA:
‘Having visited Qingdao myself for research purposes I was delighted to host the Asian guests with us at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy during their UK trip. Their experience and commitment to event details is a huge knowledge bank that can teach us best practice to follow in running efficient sporting events on site.’