Our Monday Motivation series on GuinnessWorldRecords.com profiles the inspiring stories of commitment, courage and dedication behind some of our most extraordinary titles. This week we're placing the spotlight on a former partygoer who spread some cheer to a dispirited community by building a record-breaking miniature disco venue.
For many, the nightclub scene is a place to get lost in.
With venues packed full of revellers and blaring music, they offer a place for people to momentarily pause their normal lives and have a bit of fun.
Arguably the epicentre of the culture is the Spanish city of Ibiza, thanks to its audacious island discos and endless entertainment.
The lights, DJs and dance floors of the city are a setting all too familiar to Gerard Jenkins-Omar, who spent a decade of his life rooted in the lifestyle.
While many Ibiza clubbers were looking to escape their regular routines, Gerard felt like he really belonged there.
While still a teenager, his family took him to San Antonio and let him go out with a friend he'd met there:
"I absolutely loved it. The music coming out of the dance scene and the trance was just hypnotic. Its music and songs will never leave me and I still love listening to it now."
From early on in his life, Gerard - also known as “Ged” - was enthralled by the energy of nightlife.
Though he was enraptured by the atmosphere of the clubs, Ged knew that pursuing an education would ultimately be the most safeguarded decision for his future.
“I spent five summers working in Ibiza but before that I went to university where I got a Bachelor of Science with honours in Environmental Geography and also a postgraduate certificate in education so that I could teach Geography to secondary school pupils.”
However, Gerard was troubled by the pressure to follow a “normal” path after college. He was discontent with entering into a structured, "mundane" career path, and questioned why he should chase a job he didn’t really want.
At this time of hesitation, he remembered a formative experience of working life he had endured.
“I’ll never forget working in a factory making funeral coffins when I was around 19 years old. It was a part time summer job to make some cash to go on holiday for two weeks. I worked there for about four weeks and it was for me the most soul destroying, boring and grim job I have ever done.
“There was a man who worked there doing the same thing, day in, day out for over 30 years. I felt so sorry for him and his life working in this factory. Now, I have the utmost respect for the man for working and I understand he probably didn’t have many choices and he was providing a stable living for his family.
"However, I knew that this life wasn't for me. I like to live by the saying, 'if your ship doesn’t come in then swim out to it'."
It was then Ged packed his bags and moved to Ibiza, realising he needed a life that was more carefree.
After arriving, the young thrill-seeker found exactly the kind of life he was looking for.
Each week was fulfilling, stress-free, and spur of the moment - Ged never had a schedule or knew what next opportunity lay ahead of him.
Gerard knew it was time to begin a career - so he started running a private hire taxi, which transported tourists to the local super clubs on the island and embedded him further into the city's exhilarating nightlife.
Soon afterwards he met his wife Danielle, who was also involved in the clubbing scene.
After spending five long summers in Ibiza, Ged decided to move back to the UK and take the positive and enriching experience he had enjoyed back home with him.
He was asked to head up an outdoor art gallery in the city center of Rotherham - a whole-hearted project designed to sponsor public art while helping the town’s aesthetic.
The project was a huge success, so Ged moved on to continue the same work in other towns, using the constructive and upbeat nature of these endeavours to liven up several communities.
It was this work that would allow him to connect with organisers of a Rotherham carnival, who wanted an experienced Ibiza partygoer to provide the event's entertainment.
“Vicky [the carnival organiser] knew of my background in house music and promoting nights, and asked if I would like to bring a house music vibe to the carnival. I was more than happy to get involved and set about thinking what I could do. I knew there wasn’t any money to do anything on a large scale, like a house music tent or stage, so I started thinking really small and wondered what the smallest club in the world was. I then did a bit of research and found out that there was an existing record - so I applied to break it.”
The record idea was sparked from Ged’s childhood experience with the Guinness World Records books, which his mother purchased for him each Christmas as he grew up.
Ged sought the help of his friend Stephen whom he had met in Ibiza, knowing they were the perfect team to take on the job.
As with his other projects, crafting the world’s Smallest mobile nightclub was attempted as a means of bringing fun and positivity to a town that had recently experienced hardships.
With several crime-filled headlines making print and TV screens all over the United Kingdom, the town of Rotherham was in low spirits, and Ged decided it was time to change that.
He hunted down a shed that had the proper framework to fit the record, shipping the £50 purchase to a local art gallery where it could receive a proper nightclub makeover – including putting in two doors, building an internal DJ booth, laying down a dance floor, and installing lights and a stereo system.
With a colourful coat of paint, Club 28 was born, ready to show the people of Rotherham a good time.
On the day of the carnival, several families lined up to squeeze into the delightful box for their own personal club experience.
“We had a little baby in there on her mum’s carrier– the baby had earmuffs on for the music but was full of smiles, probably at the lights.
“One memory that stands out is of a rather tall gentleman who had recently lost his friend. He requested a song in his memory, so we played it and he was bouncing about smiling and absolutely loving life – that was nice to see.”
Club 28 had a maximum capacity of just six people, and measured just 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) high, 0.92 m (3 ft) wide and 1.53 m (5 ft) deep. As required by the Guinness World Records guidelines, the venue contained a professional quality sound system with two turntables, a usable dance floor, dynamic lighting and even had door staff outside.
Major newspapers and online music sites like Billboard wrote about the exciting impact Club 28 had made.
“It’s that small that even the grumpiest of people wouldn’t be able to not smile if they entered it – especially if we played their favourite song. Music brings people together and this is what the club aims to do – just on a very small scale.”
After partaking in the Ibiza nightlife for so many years, it was fitting that Ged would end up owning a nightclub - one that would allow him to socialise with friends and appreciate the glory days whenever they wanted to.
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