On Friday, 15th September, St. Kitts and Nevis’ High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, His Excellency Dr. Kevin Isaac, welcomed 240 nationals to the Park Regis Hotel in Birmingham, the UK’s second-largest city to celebrate the Federation’s 40th anniversary of Independence.
Nationals representing eleven St. Kitts and Nevis national associations from across the United Kingdom began the evening with a steelpan-inspired cocktail reception, followed by a sit-down dinner.
The gathering heard remarks from the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Chaman Lal and Her Excellency, Christine Walwyn, Ambassador for Diaspora Affairs in the Office of the Prime Minister.
As High Commissioner Isaac addressed the gathering, he conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Dr Drew, and he briefed nationals on progress taking place in the Federation.
High Commissioner Isaac spoke about the importance of service to others and encouraged nationals to keep in mind that “true independence is more than a political construct, it is a mindset and a way of life, which requires individual commitment, personal service and working together to build a more resilient, sustainable and prosperous St. Kitts and Nevis.”
High Commissioner Isaac also briefed nationals on the government’s initiatives in the field of education to make sure no one is left behind, and in improving the quality, access, and delivery of healthcare, including making St. Kitts-Nevis a centre of excellence in health consistent with the vision to transform the Federation into a Sustainable Island State.
High Commissioner Isaac later travelled to Leeds where he joined other nationals, and residents in that area, at the well-known Roscoe Methodist Church. He addressed the service of thanksgiving, updated the congregation on developments in the Federation, and shared warm wishes from Prime Minister Dr Drew. HC Isaac, accompanied by the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Al Garthwaite, and other local Councillors, later took part in a celebratory dinner to mark the 40th Anniversary of Independence.