GFTU BGCM 2019 Minutes

A little quote, and it probably sums him up: “My life has been dedicated to

unlocking young people’s potential and challenging injustice” and, as we know,

there is a lot of injustice to be challenged. Conference, please give a warm

welcome to Geoff Thompson MBE. (Applause)

MR GEOFF THOMPSON MBE

GEOFF THOMPSON: President Elect Williams, thank you for the introduction. I

always said I needed management when I was competing and I think if I had

had Oshor as my manager, I may well not be here talking to you, but

sometimes in life your own journey and personal and professional commitment

to what might well be seen as a vocation can sometimes, whatever you might

dream or aspire to, see your life journey already pre-subscribed. Firstly, I

would like to thank the General Federation of Trade Unions. I did not know

who you were. Like so many institutions that I come across in my work, I

always try and find some alignment, something that might reflect where we are,

that basically informed and inspired where we have come from and my mother,

who continues to be a wise stage (I am a confirmed mummy’s boy), said, “You

need to take from the past into the present to make the future”. Everything that

I heard previously and, again, at a time when we do not like our politicians, I

was quite enthused by Cat Smith. We spoke before. She actually presented

what in effect is a manifesto. By the way, I have served six Prime Ministers in

public life telling the truth to power, so my political colour can be somewhat

more diverse than many would expect, but I let my work speak for itself and my

journey.

I am going to tell you a story, because I feel that stories are far too often and

far too seldomly told, because this multimedia interactive world of real time me

and now far is too much influencing either a Minister of Government or

businesses or even society as a whole, whatever that Tweet, Instagram,

FaceTime or any one of 16 applications that can decide what happens to us in

life. As Oshor said, I actually believe that it is a fundamental human right that

sport and the arts play a part in the mental, physical and emotional wellbeing

and development of young people. I would say that, I am the beneficiary of

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