Minister of Criminal Justice and Legal Affairs Michael Lashley is seeking to re-establish community youth clubs across Barbados.
Addressing the Criminal Justice Research and Planning Unit’s annual prayer breakfast, held in Golden Square Freedom Park, The City, to commemorate Crime Awareness Month this morning, he said it was important to inspire and encourage youth and tell them they had a contribution to make to Barbados.
“I’m calling for communities to re-establish social groups and clubs. Before, every single community in Barbados had a community group, had a social club. I established a social club in my mum’s gallery up there in Merricks, St Philip. There was a time in St Philip that St Catherine’s Cricket Club won the first division. Then we had a club called Wellhouse Pirates that used to play volleyball, and they won their division. Then we had a group called Clarks Hill Football Team, and they won their competition.
“So we had three victories, three clubs up there, established social institutions, assisting and helping young people. On top of that, The Most Honourable Stedson Wiltshire Red Plastic Bag won the Calypso crown that year, and Thelston Payne made the West Indies Cricket team. So the parish had those institutions and [those inspiring] personalities . . . helping young people and at that time we had no issues with anti-social behaviour up in St Philip,” he said.
Lashley said they intended to begin with the reopening of the Emmerton Community Centre, where they would launch a youth group catering to the people of the area as well as New Orleans and Chapman Lane. He said this would only be the beginning, as this would be used as the pilot to open more.
The rest of his vision included improved community policing, a drug treatment court, and rehabilitation programmes for victims and their families. (CA)