Council for Business with Britain to honour Kumar Sangakkara at ELT program fundraiser

Kumar Sangakkara 

• Kumar Sangakkara will be felicitated for role as first non-British MCC President 

The Council for Business with Britain (CBB) of the Chamber of Commerce has announced that it will be hosting a fundraising event at the Shangri-La Hotel on Thursday, 24 October. 

The event hopes to raise money for its English Language Training (ELT) program, which is run in conjunction with the British Council in Sri Lanka, and will be graced by the presence of the newly-appointed British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Sarah Hulton. Tickets are now available for purchase, and donors will have the coveted opportunity of meeting cricket legend Kumar Sangakkara in person.

The not-for-profit organisation, founded with the aim of promoting bi-lateral trade between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom, will be honouring Sangakkara at the event, acknowledging his significant contribution to cricket and his current status as one of the most respected ambassadors to the Sri Lankan brand. In addition to a long list of sporting accolades, the former skipper of the Sri Lankan Cricket Team was most recently announced as the next President of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) – more notably, the first non-British President in the Club’s over 230-year history to hold the honorary position.

Guests at the event will be able to hear from the illustrious personality on what this new role means to him, be inspired by his journey, and also have the chance to speak to Sangakkara himself. An entertaining evening of conversation and cuisine is in store, with the opportunity to mingle with fellow donors as well as indulge taste buds with some quintessential British flavours served by Shangri-La.

Amongst its group of elite members from some of the most respected local businesses in Sri Lanka, the CBB encourages the free exchange of ideas, information and advice in the form of informative and interactive forums, seminars, and awareness programs on doing business with the UK. The group also supports UK companies in the management of their business in Sri Lanka, stimulates and aids co-operation between member companies and other organisations, and organises trade and investment promotion via inbound and outbound missions, among other initiatives.

In addition to helping maintain and foster a harmonious business relationship between Sri Lanka and the UK, the CBB has also taken on the responsibility of uplifting the English language-speaking capacity of the country by developing the ability of local teachers to deliver high-quality English language training to young Sri Lankans.

Initiated in 2005, the CBB’s vision of ‘Prosperity through English’ was brought to fruition through the launch of the ELT Project in partnership with the British Council in Sri Lanka. The primary goal of the program is to upgrade the English language skills of pupils in order to improve their chances for success.

In this regard, a training program was strategically formulated to improve the quality of English teaching in schools, with a particular focus on the rural areas of the country. Teachers would then use the new knowledge and inspiration gained from the training to deliver more motivating lessons with a communicative focus so that pupils’ real language skills were improved.

“Our ELT project serves the larger purpose of helping bridge the urban-rural divide in education,” said CBB President Mark Prothero, “Over 2,500 teachers have successfully achieved the Cambridge qualification so far, and as a result over 250,000 children have benefited from the improved skills of their teachers. Through the fundraiser we hope to not just significantly increase these numbers, but to improve the progress of Sri Lanka as a result.”

Platinum sponsors for the CBB fundraiser, Land Rover and Softlogic, are joined by event sponsors HSBC, John Keells Properties, Finlays, International Distillers Ltd. and Norfolk Foods. 

The CBB-ELT fundraising event will be held on Thursday 24 October at the Lotus Ballroom of the Shangri-La Hotel from 6.30 p.m to 9.30 p.m. Tickets are priced at Rs. 5,000 per head, and can be purchased online at https://bit.ly/2mSVjgJ. For more information or inquiries contact Cherryl on tel: + 94 11 5588859, or e-mail: [email protected].