Building Bridges and Sporting Centres

After spending thirty-one years with the Fire Service, Jim Smith first retired and then, bored and wishing a fresh challenge, went back to work. He joined the Scottish Government as a security manager in Edinburgh in the late 1990's. It was about that time, and through links developed by his son, that Jim first came into contact with Scotland's Chinese community and particularly with Chinese students from the city's Heriot-Watt University. Conversation led to shared meals, visits to Jim's home and an enduring friendship that continued even after the students returned home to China. The traditional Scottish kindness shown by Jim was much appreciated. So much so that Jim and his family were invited to visit the ancient city of Jining as guests of Kong Ran - once a Heriot-Watt student but now Managing Director of the municipal leisure centre.

Jim took a consignment of booklets with him to China. The Scottish Book Trust print in fourteen languages, including Mandarin and the organisation's Chief Executive Marc Lambert suggested that copies of 'Beginning with Books' might go down well in Jining.

"We were delighted to help, and chose this book as it is designed for parents with very young children. We thought that was very appropriate. The aim is to reinforce early learning skills and, crucially to encourage parents to read to their children." The gesture was widely welcomed and Marc Lambert says the Scottish Book Trust would be delighted to do more.

An unexpected offer

But Jim Smith's trip to Jining was not just about giving. He also received a quite unexpected offer. His host, Kong Ran, asked if the city's new sports centre could be named after their Scottish friend. "I suppose it was a bit out of the ordinary" was how Jim modestly summed up the question. "But as soon as I heard about it I wanted to use the opportunity to promote Scotland in China, and hopefully to spread the knowledge about Scotland's contribution internationally."

The centre was officially opened at the end of March 2008, and with badminton courts, gyms, exercise bikes and other sports facilities, plus a British style 'caf' it is already proving to be a much needed, and a much used, facility.

Jim was proud to be the special guest of honour at the ceremony. But he wasn't the only Scot there. His former colleagues at the Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service organised sponsorship to pay for two pipers and a fire officer to travel to China and make the event even more colourful. The skirl of the pipes, as they played Scotland the Brave' and the majesty of tartan kilts brightened up Shandong and made a real impact. But Jim wanted to use the occasion to show that there was much more to Scotland than this. "Here was a golden opportunity. People often think of just whisky and Braveheart when you mention Scotland. But our greatest contribution historically and today has been innovation from the television to the telephone, logarithms and so on. The punch we've had for our size doesn't always get the push it should and that's what I wanted to say at the ceremony."

China Now

And while Scotland is being showcased through the Jim Smith Leisure Centre in a huge city in China, the contribution of the Chinese community in this country was marked in a spectacular year long festival in 2008. Edinburgh University, just across the city from Heriot-Watt University where Jim first became involved with Chinese students, boasts a Confucius Institute. One of 200 such centres around the world, the Institute's primary aim of developing and celebrating Sino-Scottish links chimes very well with the aspirations of Jim Smith and Kong Ran. And the Confucius Institute took that message out of the lecture room and into the streets co-ordinating China Now in Scotland, part of a wider event taking place all over the United Kingdom.

From the start of Chinese New Year in February to the last blast of the pipes on St Andrew's Night in late November, dozens of events showcased China to all parts of Scotland.

Interest in China, has rarely been higher. Jim Smith has found the people of China to be warm, welcoming and extremely keen to find out more about Scotland and the Scottish way of life.

The last word on this has to go to Jim. "I had a very eventful career as a fireman. I never thought that after I retired from the Brigade that life would continue to be so eventful, and I certainly never dreamed I would have a Chinese leisure centre named after me."