Extending the brolly of friendship – to an international Olympic squad

Company news

Aug 03, 2012

The chance to meet a country’s entire Olympic team is not one to be missed, and Nigel Jopson, who managed Care UK’s Jubilee House in Godalming, rose to the occasion on Saturday 14^th July, making sure that the squad from the Philippines were well-equipped for the British summer – he gave them all Care UK umbrellas!

Nigel, whose wife Nenita is from the Philippines, has a good deal to do with the Filipino community around Guildford, and was invited to the Mass and lunch for the Olympic team held at St Mary’s Church and led by Father Aaron Spinelli from Horsham, who is himself half-Filipino.

Nigel, who now manages Care UK’s Honeysuckle House in Palmers Green, took the chance to wish them well and to give them their gift. He said: “I just wanted to give them something we knew they would need and use in the UK. They held the umbrellas tight – everybody else wanted one too!”

The team, which will be taking part in the 5000m, shooting, weightlifting and swimming events, were in Guildford because their team organiser lives locally and they needed somewhere to stay until the Olympic village opened this week.

Nigel said: “It’s incredible that we managed to meet a country’s entire team and their coaches. The fact that there are only 11 of them helped, but I don’t think many other countries’ teams will get that close to ordinary people while they’re here. We had the chance to chat, take photos and share a meal provided by local families here. Perhaps they still have the true Olympian spirit!”