The Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Baroness Patricia Scotland KC, and the Mayor of Greenwich, Councillor Jit Ranabhat, officiated at an informal ceremony at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, on Saturday, 14th September, to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Twinning of London, Greenwich and Accra, Tema in Ghana. The Twinning, inaugurated by the late Prince Philip at the Millennium, became the first Commonwealth Capital City Link at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London in 2018.
Accompanied by Peter Mann MBE, Commonwealth Bond Trustee, Lady Dentaa Amoateng MBE, the Founder of GUBA (Grow Unite Build Africa), Greenwich Councillor Dave Sullivan, and Lord Howell of Guildford, the Secretary General arrived at the Royal Arsenal Pier by launch from Westminster and was welcomed by the Mayor of Greenwich and other local officials and community dignitaries, including representatives of the Royal Borough of Greenwich and Berkeley Homes. While at the Royal Arsenal, the Secretary General was presented with the Commonwealth Peace Flag and launched the Woolwich Carnival on No 1 Street of the Royal Arsenal which proceeded to Gordon Square with approximately 300 members of the public.
Commonwealth Bond Trustee Peter Mann commented: “This is a great opportunity to celebrate the Meridan twinning of Greenwich and Accra, Tema. As the symbolic ‘home of time’ and a global geomarker, the Greenwich Meridian is a bridge across the north south divide as well as being the geographical centre of the Commonwealth. The UK’s six million plus citizens of the Commonwealth diaspora are well represented in the Borough and a proposed New Commonwealth Quarter at Woolwich will be a great opportunity to showcase this tremendous cultural diversity.”