Hello United Kingdom and thank you for such a warm welcome upon our arrival!
The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s In-Country Operations Team have been incredibly busy since landing in the United Kingdom on Friday, August 9th. We arrived in in Manchester and immediately commuted to Barrow-in-Furness to meet with senior staff at Barrow Association Football Club (Barrow AFC).
The crew at Barrow were incredibly welcoming, and we immediately felt at home. We brought along some www.HomeAwaits.ca fan supporter items, and were delighted to see so many of the new kits around the stands with the Newfoundland and Labrador logo emblazoning the front of the shirts! The Barrow club gave us a tour of the SO Legal Stadium on Holker Street and we were fortunate enough to attend the home opener on Saturday afternoon where Barrow AFC secured 3 points with a 1-0 win to start their 2024-25 campaign! The Newfoundland delegation also had a quick chat with the Media Manager Ethan Thatcher, which is posted here.
The BBC Cumbria interviewed our In-Country Operations Manager to discuss the sponsorship agreement and the activities of our team while we conduct business throughout the UK. The interview can be viewed here.
Upon our return to Manchester over the weekend we immediately got to work meeting with individuals interested in learning more about living and working in Newfoundland and Labrador. We met individually with twenty people across greater Manchester and throughout northern England. We also delivered virtual meetings with those who could not travel to our location.
Tuesday after work we commuted back to Barrow to support our team in their Round One EFL Cup match vs. Port Vale. Once again the Bluebirds were victorious with a stellar comeback to advance to the Second Round where they will face Derby County at home at the SO Stadium on Tuesday, August 27th.
This evening we will depart Manchester for Birmingham where we will set up a home base until August 21st. Anyone who wishes to meet with us either in Birmingham, Milton Keynes, Manchester, or even virtually can connect with our team through the Contact Form on www.HomeAwaits.ca.
We look forward to meeting with individuals, organizations, and all pertinent partners during the remainder of our stay and are excited to spread awareness of Canada’s Happy Place!! We will provide regular updates on our whereabouts and our experiences here in your beautiful country, so please come back and visit this site regularly!
Sincere thanks once again for the incredible experience!
Sheldon O’Neill
Manager of In-Country Operations