Diplomacy is…
It seems just a moment ago that Chris Lomax MBE dropped me a text suggesting we could work together, and I replied immediately with ‘let’s go’ and a rocket emoji. Those sixty-not-particularly-thought-through seconds, where enthusiasm and naivety got the better of both of us (thankfully), will no-doubt shape ours and our families’ future lives in many wonderful ways.
It has of course been an incredibly steep learning curve for both of us, not least the day-to-day stuff of working out our respective senses of humour, our music taste for long road trips, and different opinions on the perfect cup of tea.
I’ve also hugely appreciated being exposed to the diplomatic community. Our time at the Foreign Office a few weeks ago was enlightening, and popping into the UK Embassy in Abu Dhabi last week gave me real insight into how diplomacy and sport can interact. Continuing the diplomatic theme, I was fortunate this week to sit in on a seminar at the University of Leeds, hosted by Associate Professor in Diplomatic and International Studies, J Simon Rofe. Simon’s students also grilled Chris on his life as a UK Diplomat, and it was great for me to be in the company of so many people who shared our passion for impacting the world in a positive way.
Reflecting on the relationship between diplomacy and sport, it’s become clear to me that in order to deliver impactful community sport you need to have similar skills to that of a diplomat. And when I think of the many people across the UK and around the world, doing truly great things in their communities, they are all authentic, collaborative, empathetic, engaging, and persuasive.
When, back in 2007, and along with colleagues such as Stewart Ross and Paul Tilley, we started Woodhouse Moor parkrun in Leeds, our driver was engaging the students with the community around volunteering in sport. We knew that as bright as our students were, they would benefit greatly from real world interactions with a diverse group of people. We also knew that relationships between students and the wider community could sometimes be strained, and if we could bring those two groups together in a positive setting, relationships would be built, friendships made, and bonds created.
Fast forward seventeen-and-a-bit years, over 40,000 different people have participated in that event over 300,000 times, and every Saturday is now a celebration of friendship, community, and unity. That event has grown in ways we could never have imagined, and perhaps it was a sport diplomacy project all along?
Finally, I’d like to leave you with this great quote from Alistair Patrick-Heselton PLY, at this week’s Parliamentary session on the challenges facing community and school sport:
“It is very important we are aware that sport goes beyond just the physicals of kicking, throwing and jogging, but that you are part of a movement. It is that sense of belonging that every young person should be exposed to, that is pivotal in society.”