On 27th June 2018, TEAMGlobal held its annual Members' Day, with a record turnout as groups of students from nine schools attended in addition to TEAMGlobal members.
Morning:
Briefings at Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain and Embassy of the Republic of Ireland
Afternoon:
Afternoon Tea at the House of Lords as guests of the Lord Teverson of Tregony
Tour of Parliament
School Feedback:
Ksenia Christie, Crest Academy: I speak for all of us at Crest when I say that yesterday was a unique experience, filled with many wonderful impressions. I'd like to to express our profound gratitude for your role in providing out students (and teachers) will memories to treasure. You've certainly succeeded in putting together a programme with a wow factor that should inspire our outstanding achievers to continue with their hard work.
Sarah Macpherson, London Academy of Excellence: The event was superb for the students and myself. I was very pleased to see how much TEAM has grown in the 10 years I have had association with so many students attending and asking such good questions.
Lisa Theft, Ursuline High School: Thank you for a really wonderful day for our students yesterday. It was incredible for them to get such an insight as to how a close ally like Spain view their partnership with the UK, especially given Brexit, and the extent of our interconnectedness, culturally and economically. The event at the House of Lords was as powerful as always, getting our young female students to believe it is, as Lawrence said, their Parliament. We really appreciate being invited to bring our students to this day- thank you so much for including us.
Mansimar Singh, Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet: The insightful visit to the Irish Embassy acted as an effective medium through which the complexities surrounding issues and their effects on Ireland were clearly conveyed. The day started with an introduction from the ambassador, who provided a strong foundation to the talk by giving an overview of the events currently facing Ireland. These events were explained in great detail and their effects on the UK-Ireland relationship were also mentioned. Furthermore the panel later provided an in-depth and intensive analysis of issues such as Brexit and its corresponding effects on Ireland, which I found extremely interesting. This was due to my initial perception of Brexit being 'two-dimensional', where it only involved two parties, the UK and the EU negotiators; however, I was fascinated by how a decision taken in one respective region can have such a major impact on another. Furthermore, the adverse impact of Brexit on the citizens of both the UK and Ireland were also communicated, such as the sensitive issue of a potential hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, whereas in the UK itself, there was a large increase in the number of enquiries regarding potential eligibility for Irish citizenship.
Moreover, another aspect of the visit which I found engaging was the question and answer session; the thought-provoking and interesting questions were met by equally detailed and comprehensive answers. In addition to the awarding visit to the Irish Embassy, we also had a memorable visit to the Houses of Parliament and had the pleasure to meet one of the lords. During our time there we had the wonderful experience of having tea next to the River Thames, which was accompanied by the scenic and magical view of London's famous skyline. This was truly a unique experience the only a few are able to to receive, and I am grateful for such a great opportunity as it made my existing enthusiasm for politics even greater! Overall, the two visits to the Irish Embassy and the Houses of Parliament were not only enriching and memorable but it also reminded us the power young people possess and demonstrated the importance for everyone to voice their concerns and opinion.
Students from Gumley House School:
Charlotte Evans - 'We learnt about the relationship between Spain and the UK and what effects Brexit could have on it. The tour of the Houses of Parliament taught me a lot about the history of Parliament, and how it works today. I thorough enjoyed the day.'
Rachel Hatherly - 'The session at the embassy gave me an interesting insight into Spain and the UK's political relationship and how that will change post-Brexit. One of the highlights of the day was undoubtedly having tea at the House of Lords overlooking the Thames!'