GUEST COLUMN – BARP at Ilaro Court

Tomorrow there will be an Extravaganza at Ilaro Court. This is a fourth annual event that BARP has pioneered in Barbados. It was drawn from the experience gained by my living in Trinidad and experienced the success of what they call “day fetes”.  Please don’t miss this event. It is a chance to enhance your healthy lifestyle listening to the country’s leading calypsonians, enjoying food and drink at reasonable prices and having a great deal of fun without having to drive home at night.BARP is not doing this for the platinum generation alone, but it wants to influence in a permanent way how and when we socialise.This event is again possible because of the kind generosity of our Prime Minister and his wife Mara who have once again permitted us to use the spacious and beautiful grounds of their official residence. And, once again we thank them for allowing us to meet in such large numbers and celebrate the completion of our 15th year of existence.Last Saturday BARP held its Annual General Meeting. Approximately 600 people attended. As I looked around the crowded hall I saw a group of Barbadians who represented the generations that built our country. It was noticeable that men were outnumbered significantly by women.As you examine BARP’s membership, not limited to those attending the meeting, you realise that being of BARP allows you to see a group of citizens who are the parents and grandparents of our country and who represent in a clearly visible way, talent, experience and integrity. You could spot the retired nurses, teachers, public servants, commercial workers and many who went abroad and came back home; all enriching their country of birth or adoption. It is worthy of note that BARP’s current membership of 24 000 jumped from 11 000 only five years ago.Why join BARP? There are many different reasons, 86 per cent of the membership tells us that being a member of BARP allows them to reduce the cost of living in an effective and meaningful way. More than 500 outlets in Barbados reduce prices, in some cases significantly, for anyone possessing a BARP ID card. The cost of membership for a single person is $60 per year.One must give full kudos to the cadre of volunteers who over the years have kept this organisation growing and to state openly that we need more volunteers on board.The loss of our beloved founder parent and past president, Kathleen Drayton, saddened all of us but I am sure as she looks down on what is happening she would be exceptionally well pleased. The outstanding leadership of her successor, our president Ernest Emmerson Batson, is a clear testimony of the quality of people who are chosen to lead this organisation. Clearly there are a number of challenges we have to face, the continuous discrimination against older Barbadians is one of them. This must be stopped. BARP must be seen as a change agent and will make signigicant differences to life in Barbados not limited to the platinum generation (i.e. those over 50).Let’s all collaborate to grow this organisation from 24 000 to 40 000 within the next two years.See you at Ilaro Court tomorrow.God bless.•Frank da Silva is a member of the Democratic Labour Party and a former high commissioner.