Patrick Vernon

Professor Patrick Vernon OBE’s Vision for GJDC UK South

Candidate, Global Jamaica Diaspora Council (GJDC) – UK South

At the GJDC/GJDYC UK Manifesto Hustings, Professor Patrick Vernon OBE set out a clear and purpose-driven vision for the role of the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council UK South, representing London and the South East of England. His candidacy is rooted in a strong belief that the Jamaican diaspora has both the responsibility and the potential to deliver real, measurable change for Jamaica through unity, leadership, and coordinated action.

Drawing on more than three decades of public service and advocacy, Professor Vernon brings a depth of experience as a former councillor, civil servant, senior NHS leader, and national campaigner. His work has consistently focused on race equality, health justice, cultural heritage, and community empowerment. Notably, he led the successful campaign for National Windrush Day in the UK and played a key role in coordinating diaspora support following Hurricane Melissa, demonstrating his ability to mobilise communities around critical moments of national importance.

If elected, Professor Vernon outlined a clear and practical roadmap for his first six months in office, balancing listening with delivery.

In the first three months, his priority will be to listen, connect, and build a strong foundation. This will include launching a UK South Listening Tour, mapping key diaspora organisations and community leaders, and establishing consistent communication channels such as newsletters, town halls, and digital platforms. The aim is to ensure that voices across London and the South East are not only heard but meaningfully included in shaping diaspora priorities.

By month six, the focus will shift decisively towards action and delivery. Professor Vernon plans to convene a UK South Diaspora Roundtable in partnership with the Jamaican High Commission, bringing together key stakeholders to strengthen collaboration between the diaspora and official institutions. In parallel, he will establish three dedicated working groups focused on:

• Health and mental wellbeing,

• Trade and cultural tourism, and

• Youth leadership and enterprise.

These groups are designed to move beyond discussion and begin delivering tangible outcomes, including the creation of a Youth Leadership Network, early-stage trade and tourism partnerships, and more coordinated diaspora support for Jamaica’s resilience and reconstruction efforts.

Beyond the initial six-month plan, Professor Vernon reaffirmed his wider commitments to:

• advancing race justice and reparations dialogue,

• building sustainable health partnerships,

• promoting investment and cultural tourism,

• supporting youth development and social enterprise, and

• ensuring transparent, accountable diaspora coordination.

His leadership approach is grounded in listening, partnership, action, and measurable results. The vision he set out is one that seeks to transform diaspora pride into purposeful impact—strengthening the connection between Jamaicans at home and abroad, and translating collective commitment into real progress for Jamaica and Jamaicans everywhere.

As the hustings highlighted, effective diaspora leadership is not only about representation, but about delivery. Professor Vernon’s statement reflected a commitment to practical outcomes, inclusive engagement, and long-term collaboration—key pillars for building a stronger, more impactful global Jamaican diaspora.