‘A place where things happen first’: Humber celebrated at Biz Week opening
RESILIENCE: Mayor Luke Campbell speaking at the Humber Business Week Bondholder breakfast
By Rick Lyon, Co-Editor
Humber Business Week got off to an inspirational and motivational start with Future Humber’s Bondholder Breakfast.
The traditional curtain raiser for the week, held at the MKM Stadium, was this year titled But First, Humber, and focused on the people and places that set the region apart.
Hosted by Hull-born television presenter Amy Thompson, the sold-out event explored the region’s past, present and future.
Delegates were invited to immerse themselves in the occasion by taking part in the Do You Know Your Humber? quiz, with the winner walking away with a ‘Humber hamper’ of local produce.
The interactive challenge was used to shine a light on some of the national and international innovations that originated in the Humber, as well as the lasting legacies of iconic figures such as William Wilberforce.
Amy said: “Whether you’ve been part of the journey for decades, or are just starting to realise what makes this place so very, very special, you belong here.
“So, let’s celebrate our achievements, champion our future and remember – this is our place, Humber. It’s a place where things happen first.”
Keynote speaker Mayor Luke Campbell told attendees: “It’s an honour to stand in front of you all today, not just as Luke Campbell the boxer and Olympic gold medallist, but as a member of our community.
“All the way through my career as a boxer, I was always part of our community. As a young boy aged 13, I was out fundraising, I was involved in charities, I was packing bags in Asda.
“I had a tremendous career, which was 22 years long. The skills I learned from Hull and this region were what I see in most people here – having resilience and standing up and fighting back when you have setbacks. They were the biggest ingredients I had to be successful in my sport.
“I competed all around the world, and it was a joy for me to be able to represent this region in the Olympics. One of the proudest moments of my life was coming back to Hull after the Olympic Games and being greeted by 20,000 people in the city centre.
“This region gave me everything, and I was in a position to step up as mayor and give it a shot. I want to give back to our communities. I’m not in this for party politics, I’m not in this to level myself up, I’m in this solely to put the people of this region first.
“I’ll do the best job I can, and that will be using those skills I developed in my boxing career of resilience, not giving up and fighting for what’s right.
“If you believe in something, back yourself and go for it. That’s what I did.”
Following the mayor’s speech, a number of individuals from a range of different organisations across the Humber told inspirational stories of their own, including RSPCA Hull and East Riding chief executive Fred Owen, Azaria Murray, granddaughter of Headscarf Revolutionary Yvonne Blenkinsop, Sophie Bartup, founder of Barton Inclusive Football Club, Ruth Lyttle from HMP Humber, and Healing Academy principal Stephen Logan.
Turning her attention to the guiding of the next generation of trailblazers, Amy said: “The skills, confidence and curiosity you are nurturing aren’t just shaping careers, they are shaping Humber’s next chapter – and that chapter is bright because it’s being written by a generation that knows where they have come from, and believes in where they are going.
“So, let’s carry that with us in our final reflections on today, not just with pride in the stories we’ve heard but with hope in the futures we’re helping shape.”