50 honoured!

THE sterling contributions made to the development of this nation, by fifty St. John residents, were on Saturday recognised during The St. John Community Awards.

An event of the St. John Community Care Organisation, in association with the St. John Constituency Council, it was held at the Amphitheatre of the David Thompson Health & Social Services Complex. It is in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Independence of Barbados.

Addressing the gathering, Member of Parliament for St. John, Mara Thompson, congratulated the evening’s recipients and highlighted the significance of the occasion.

“Thank you for coming to receive these awards, which really indicates that you are a part of history, because, let’s face it, 50 years is not a soft milestone, it is an occasion [which] indicates all the accomplishments that you have made and… I am very happy to see that it is being held here in this David Thompson Health & Social Services Complex.”

Thompson also took the time to speak about some of the facilities and departments found currently at the Complex. She also pointed out that the dialysis service and the detox segment of the substance abuse programme were yet to be rolled out there.

Meanwhile, Chairperson of the 50th Anniversary of Independence Celebration Committee, Senator Maxine McClean, urged the gathering to recommit to eliminate some of negatives in society. She also told them that as they celebrate Barbados’ 50th anniversary of Independence, “to remember the charge that has been given to us by our Prime, The Right Honourable Freundel Stuart, and that is to celebrate, but also to reflect on what has brought us to this point”.

We must also “identify those things that have made us good and we should keep, and look at those things that we have collected or acquired, or assumed along the way, and that we have to discard, and of course, as we go forward, to look at those things we have probably achieved or acquired in recent times, that we have to maintain and honestly have to build”.

During the evening, awards were given to recipients for their invaluable contribution in areas including health care, community service, small business development and education. Among the individuals accepting honours were historian, Trevor Marshall, Senator Andre Worrell, Acting Station Sargeant with the Royal Barbados Police Force, Roland Cobbler, Dr. Ayanda Holder, Reverend Carl Hinkson, educator, Robin Greenidge and entertainer, Mike Grosvenor.