Partner Article

Sunderland team looks to learn from Africa

AS AFRICA basks in the afterglow of its first World Cup, local authority representatives from the North East are hoping to bring the spirit of the Rainbow Nation back to the region.

In 2009, Sunderland City Council formed a partnership with the Mbombela Local Municipality (MLM) to share experience and help it build capacity for further economic development in an area which suffers from a 43% unemployment rate.

Mbombela’s largest city, Nelspruit, was a host city in the recent 2010 FIFA World Cup, a status Sunderland is aspiring to in 2018.

Sunderland hopes to use the experience of recent visits to South Africa to understand exactly what is required from a Host City should England earn the right to host the FIFA World Cup.

A Sunderland City Council team first visited Mbombela back in April to share its ideas and experiences of economic development. The trip has already borne fruit, with the MLM particularly impressed by Sunderland’s software prowess.

As a result MLM is now due to pilot a new software system which will record job vacancies and individuals’ skills helping to create employment by matching them up.

Councillor Paul Watson, Leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “Through effective partnership working we look forward to providing continued support to the Mbombela Local Municipality in its aim to develop its economy.

“Our two areas also share a common bond through the FIFA World Cup and the knowledge Sunderland has gained from Mbombela’s experience of hosting World Cup matches could prove to be of vital importance should England earn the right to host the FIFA World Cup in 2018.”

A second delegation from Sunderland’s FIFA World Cup bid team including bid director Chris Alexander of Sunderland City Council and Verity Dodd and Louise Wanless from Sunderland AFC, also recently visited South Africa to directly experience the potential for community and economic development presented by the World Cup, and to find out exactly what is required of a successful Host City.

Louise Wanless of Sunderland AFC, said: “Our recent trip to South Africa has been invaluable for the 12 England 2018 Candidate Host Cities, giving us all first-hand experience of just what will be expected of our cities and our football clubs if England 2018 becomes a reality.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .