Honouring Tradition, Celebrating Community: 4C Group Sponsors PAC in The Lord Mayor’s Show 2024
20 November 2024
4C Group were thrilled to collaborate with the City of London, GuavaPay, and PAC (Positive Action Through Creativity) for the 2024 Lord Mayor’s parade—an event steeped in history and tradition.
At 4C Group, community is at the heart of everything we do, and we are especially proud to support the first-ever dedicated float celebrating the Bangladeshi diaspora. As sponsors, we had the unique opportunity to be part of the procession, showcasing our company’s values and our commitment to the city’s future. It was also a privilege for Canopy London City Hotel to host the art competition in August giving local children the chance to express their vision of ‘their London’ and share their hopes for the future.
The Lord Mayor’s Show which is the oldest, longest, best-loved and least-rehearsed civic procession in the world, welcomed its’ 696th Lord Mayor of London Alderman Alastair King of the Queenhithe Ward.
Thousands of spectators lined the streets to witness a colourful procession of more than 7,000 participants, including schools, community groups, military units, and corporate partners like 4C Group. Some of the standout moments included The Lord Mayor’s state coach pulled by a team of magnificent horses. This ornate coach made its way through the streets, offering a stunning visual tribute to the tradition of the City Office. Several floats incorporated one of the themes of the procession “Early adopting of new technologies”, these high-tech floats reflected London’s status as a global hub for innovation including some with dazzling light displays and interactive elements that engaged the audience in new and exciting ways.
This year’s event was especially significant, as it highlighted both the city’s storied past as well as the forward-thinking plans for the future of the wards of the city, affecting the businesses, communities and people it supports and represents.
The reflection of the history of London with creative costumes, floats and performances was a powerful reminder of how London continues to thrive by blending old-world charm with modern-day ingenuity.
Our float in partnership with Guava Pay and PAC focused on another of this year’s chosen themes, Communities and faiths – The City comprises a vast network of networks with an array of communities and people of different faiths.
The float, the first dedicated float for the Bangladeshi diaspora, featured 14 young dancers aged between 16 -35 showcasing traditional Bengali dance, accompanied by 2 drummers and 3-foot pedalled rickshaws was led by a moving vehicle with 12 schoolchildren aged between 10 -14.
The performers from Udichi Academy choreographed a dance called Amar London (My London), celebrating the new Lord Mayor’s arrival and expressing their identity as British Bangladeshis living in London. This celebrates the diversity in London through dance and how creative outlets can unite people.
The float’s design was largely created by local children from Portsoken and the surrounding areas, with nine-year-old Yinka Alexander Hounkponou, winner of the Lord Mayor’s float design competition, playing a key role in the concept and presentation.
As the City looks toward the future, 4C Group remains committed to fostering innovation, creativity, and sustainability in all that we do.
Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating this remarkable event, and to all those who helped make it possible.
From the Archives:
The Lord Mayor’s Show 2024 – The Countdown Begins
PAC, (Positive Action Through Creativity)
Positive Action Through Creativity (PAC) founded in 2010, is a BAME-led organisation that looks at providing platforms for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, to explore and showcase their identity experiences and challenges through creative and cultural forms. This includes training, showcasing, and events in film, theatre, and dance.
PAC is primarily focused on young people from disadvantaged backgrounds living in London. These are individuals who often feel excluded or marginalised by traditional approaches. For many of those we engage with, English is not their native language, and the demographic makeup includes a significant engagement from the Bangladeshi community from East London.
Guava Pay is a global fintech company with headquarters in London. The company has built a global financial ecosystem to empower individuals and businesses and give them more control over their financial lives. The All Things Payments App, MyGuava and the B2B platform, MyGuava Business simplify financial services, making them more accessible and affordable for people who have historically been overlooked.
Guavapay Limited is a company registered in England with company number 10601900 and its registered address at Salisbury House, 29 Finsbury Circus, London, EC2M 5QQ, United Kingdom. Guavapay Limited is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom as a Small Electronic Money Institution with reference number 900888. Guavapay Limited’s ICO registration number is ZA274504.
About 4C Group
4C Group manages and develops properties and hotels in key business districts and leisure hot spots across the UK, East Africa, and Canada. The company was formed in 2010, building on the foundations of a family property business that stretches back to the 1990s. The group’s mission is to operate sustainably and delight guests and investors, whilst striving to deliver a positive environmental and social impact within local communities.