The Cayman Islands Government Office in the UK joins forces with GlobalWelsh to launch a search for ‘Walter’ relatives, the first Welsh settler of the Cayman Islands, 360 years ago.
Nick Pearce-Tomenius and Gemma Treharne-Foose from GlobalWelsh helped to organise our trip to Cardiff, and joined us in a handover of Cayman Islands and Welsh Rugby Shirts at The Iconic Principality Stadium.
Eric Bush and Nick Pearce-Tomenius, GlobalWelsh
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We are delighted to be in partnership with such an engaging diaspora group and we hope to forge close ties for our own Cayman Islands Diaspora network Cayman Connection UK and Global Welsh.
We want to thank GlobalWelsh for their enthusiasm for this project, and we very much look forward to making further connections and working together in the future. We are particularly pleased with our lovely gift bag of goodies from Wales!
Lovey Welsh Gift Pack from GlobalWelsh – THANK YOU!
In our Welsh gift pack we enjoyed…
4: post cards of Cardiff
6: Beautiful hand crafted ‘Cwtch’ message, which we now understand means Welsh HUG!
The team at GlobalWelsh gave us some more information about the work they do, and why this programme is so important to them..
The aim of GlobalWelsh is to create a community where Welsh people and people with an affinity for Wales can access opportunities, connections and expertise from our varied members which will benefit both them and Wales.
We know that when people leave Wales, their affinities do not ‘switch off’, in fact they grow stronger. Which is why since launching we have now attracted members from 29 countries.
GlobalWelsh understands the importance of roots and – however distant – the ties that bind us. Our roots tell a story but they are not the only part of the puzzle. For GlobalWelsh, being Welsh is a feeling – it’s about an affinity for a sense of fondness for place. We know that being or feeling Welsh isn’t just about a surname, a language, being born in Wales….it’s much more than that and everyone is welcome to be a part of it.
We’re pleased to support the campaign to find the original descendants of Watlers and Walters and to welcome Mr Bush and the Cayman delegation to the home of Welsh rugby, the Principality stadium. Our Welsh ancestors wandered to every corner of the planet – and it’s no surprise to us that both founders of the Cayman Islands were Cornish and Welsh. It’s this pioneering spirit that allowed Wales and the Welsh to overcome the odds and maintain it’s culture and language for hundreds of years. We’ve heard from many American community members that though they’ve never set foot in Wales, it lives within them and they feel a keen sense of Welsh identity.
Our work in diaspora engagement is more important than ever – we need to forge new connections with our descendants, expats and countries with a shared history to benefit from trade and investment links, knowledge transfer and innovation. So it’s apt that the Cayman delegation is fostering these links with both Wales and Cornwall and we are delighted to be involved.
We very much look forward to our future relationship with GlobalWelsh.
