Lord Patel Adds His Support To Bradford GXn Bid

Friday, 8 July 2016 07:00

Bradford’s bid to host the Great Exhibition of the North has received backing from Lord Kamlesh Patel.

The Member of the House of Lords, who until recently was chairman of Bradford’s Producer City board and Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has joined world champion triathletes Alistair and Jonny Brownlee, magician Dynamo and Bradford’s business community in supporting the city’s bid to host the exhibition in summer 2018.

In a letter to Bradford Council chief executive Kersten England, Lord Patel of Bradford, who was educated at Belle Vue Boys Grammar School in the city, said: "I wholeheartedly believe that Bradford is the ideal place to host this event.

"Having worked directly with industry leaders, the successful local university and a number of public sector initiatives, I am in no doubt that we have developed a positive reputation for innovation, industry and as a city for successful entrepreneurs.

"There can be little doubt that in the North, Bradford must have the most diverse cultural heritage of arts and literary assets. Moreover, Bradford is ideally located, geographically within the heart of the North of England to host this event.

"Through my experiences it is clearly evident that we also have the ability to successfully engage a range of private and public sector partners, and I believe we can gain the support and participation of a wide range of communities for this bid, including local, regional and national partners from arts and culture, media, business, educational institutions and community organisations, which will help to demonstrate our ability to host this event.

"I believe this is a valuable opportunity for the city and the people of Bradford to further enhance our reputation as a revitalised and innovative city, and to give residents and visitors the chance to enjoy the wide range of cultural entertainments that I know our city is capable of providing.”

Bradford’s bid promises to deliver spectacular and immersive mass participation events which unite the North of England and celebrate its important role in the future of the United Kingdom.

The Great Exhibition will bring together leading artists, designers and business innovators to create a world-class experience that will be thought provoking, transformative, life affirming, welcoming, playful, optimistic and fun.

The city will take visitors on a journey of discovery that pays tribute to the past, celebrates the present and allows them to imagine the future using wearable technology and augmented reality.

Organisers also plan to commission a renowned director to make a crowd-sourced film with contributions from across the world about the kind of future people want to see.

The Exhibition will cover the universal themes of transport, health, energy, home, food, communication, music, fashion, education and sport.

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Bradford Council, (pictured) said: "I am delighted that Lord Patel, who is always an advocate for Bradford, has lent his support to our Great Exhibition of the North bid.

"Following a focused period of regeneration in the city centre Bradford is re-emerging as a strong force in the North of England.

"Locating the Great Exhibition of the North in the city has the power to showcase Bradford as a diverse, modern and vibrant global city, giving a strong and positive message and acting as a role model for the rest of the UK.”

Towns and cities across the North were invited by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to submit bids to host the exhibition. The Exhibition Board appointed by the government and chaired by Sir Gary Verity meets later this month and will start assessing all the bids, with a final decision on the host venue expected in the autumn.

For more information about Bradford’s bid visit www.gxnbradford.com

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