When members of the Barbados Association of Retired Persons (BARP) meet on July 23 at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC) for their annual general meeting, they will do so with the organisation in a stronger financial position.
In its 2026 annual report for the financial year ending March 31, BARP reported net income of $218 336, representing a significant increase from the $106 148 recorded in 2025.
Total revenue for the financial year reached $1.99 million, up from $1.61 million the previous year, while total expenditure rose from $1.51 million in 2025 to $1.77 million.
Member subscriptions of $1.51 million accounted for the bulk of BARP’s revenue, followed by unrealised gains on investments of $235 469, interest and dividend income of $79 168 and other income of $159 632 during the review period. All revenue streams improved over the 2025 financial year.
With a valid membership of more than 22 600, BARP reported total assets of $7.59 million, an increase from the $7.11 million recorded in 2025. The bulk of its assets rested in the organisation’s main property.
Based at Marine Gardens, Hastings, Christ Church, BARP is a registered non-profit organisation and one of Barbados’ leading membership bodies, committed to improving the quality of life of retirees and persons aged 40 and older.
Since its establishment in 1995, BARP has provided advocacy, member benefits, health and wellness programmes, a comprehensive healthcare medical plan, and engagement opportunities that promote active, healthy and financially secure ageing.
In her message, president Marilyn Rice-Bowen highlighted BARP’s pivotal role during the review period in advocating for the Older Persons (Care and Protection) Bill, 2026.
“We are gratified to see it advancing. This landmark legislation strengthens the legal rights of older persons and, critically, introduces meaningful penalties for elder abuse, including fines of up to $100 000 and the real prospect of imprisonment for perpetrators. For too long, elder abuse has existed in the shadows,” she stated.
“This bill brings it into the light and makes it clear that Barbados will not tolerate the mistreatment of those who gave so much to build our society,” she stated.
The president said BARP would continue to monitor the bill’s implementation and stood ready to partner with Government to ensure its objectives were fully realised.
She also reiterated the call for Barbadians to take retirement planning seriously, noting projections that by 2060, approximately one in four Barbadians will be over the age of 70.
“The National Insurance [and Social Security Service] remains a vital safety net, but it was never designed to be anyone’s sole source of retirement income. Whether one envisions ageing in place – with the necessary home modifications – or transitioning to a residential facility, financial preparation must begin long before it is needed. BARP has made it its mission to communicate this.”
The BARP will include elections to fill several vacancies on the board of directors. Those seeking election include former newspaper editor-in-chief and writer Eric Smith, chartered accountant Orson Simpson, cultural practitioner Scott Galt, educator Carseen Greenidge, health and wellness consultant Lennox Prescod, and former Government senator Irene Sandiford-Garner. (PR/SC)