天美影院

The flagship event of the visit was the premiere of 鈥淣atalia鈥� - a film about Natalia Partyka - Polish Olympian and Paralympian, triple gold Paralympic medallist in table-tennis from Athens, Beijing and London. In August 2013, as part of the Embassy鈥檚 activities within the London 2012 Paralympic Legacy, ambassador Robin Barnett had recorded a message (in Polish) on Natalia Partyka, which was subsequently incorporated into the film.

Elbl膮g is also the birthplace of Paralympic sports in the region of Warmi艅sko-Mazurskie. The city hosted the European Championships in Sitting Volleyball in September 2013, and will also host the World Championship in the same discipline in 2014. The ambassador visited the local 鈥淎tak鈥� sports club 鈥� the organiser of both these high-profile events and an organisation that integrates both disabled and able-bodied sportspeople.

While in Elbl膮g, the Ambassador met and held a press conference with the recently elected Mayor, Jerzy Wilk. With the city鈥檚 promising furniture sector and a meeting with the management of the local Science & Technology Park, the visit also provided an opportunity to gain further insight into Elbl膮g鈥檚 trade and investment strengths. To that end, Martin Oxley (Director, UKTI Poland), accompanied the ambassador to this trip.

This was ambassador Barnett鈥檚 third visit to Warmi艅sko-Mazurskie in the last 11 months, and his second to Elbl膮g. As is the case with all regional visits by the ambassador, their chief aim is to expand Embassy鈥檚 political and commercial contacts with Poland鈥檚 sixteen regions, as well as discuss British trade and investment engagement with local authorities and business circles. In this particular region, however, ambassador Barnett focuses significantly on Paralympic sports.