Minister of Family, Culture, Sports and Youth Stephen Lashley yesterday accepted a cheque for $15 000 from the Barbados Shipping & Trading Company Limited (BS&T) towards the Parish Talent Zonal Shows put on by the Community Independence Celebrations Secretariat.
Following the presentation of the cheque at the company’s Warrens complex, BS&T’s public relations manager Jennifer Branch-Maloney said although as a sponsor the company had been pleased with the growth of the show over the years, there was room for improvement in the yearly competition.
“There is always room for improvement. I think perhaps the present format may have run its course and I think it is at this point we will have dialogue with the Ministry of Family, Culture, Sports and Youth and the Community Independence Secretariat towards coming up with a more innovative programme to better [fit] public consumption,” she said.
“Beyond that, I think I speak for [the other sponsors] that we will continue our support of this programme as long as we can and as long as we see the benefits going forward for us. It is a national programme, and I think that it is important that we support these initiatives,” she said.
Lashley expressed gratitude for the donation, describing it as “generous”.
He said the programme was not only one in which young people took part in on an annual basis, but “also as an investment in relation to the whole safety fabric of Barbados and companies who are setting a shining example”.
“At this time, not only in the Caribbean but globally, there are some issues being raised about a number of the community dynamics. We have heard of the concerns in relation to youth deviance, crime in society and so on. But in my view, what helps to gel our societies together and create that kind of unifying spirit are programmes such as the Community Independence programme,” he said.
Lashley also urged more companies to “come on board” and support the programme.
The Parish Talent Zonal Shows will begin on Saturday in the southern zone at Parkinson Memorial Secondary School at 5:30 p.m. This will be followed by the northern and central zones.
Throughout the competition teams will perform songs, dance, drama and poetry. (MM)
