The nine (9) participants of the 12-week Personal Development Programme designed specifically to assist “At-Risk Youth” ages 16 to 25 years, who are not engaged in formal education or employment, had the opportunity to learn new skills and gain greater self-confidence, while taking part in a series of outdoor activities, community challenges, classroom based learning as well as internships.

The Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) delivered the programme in conjunction with the Prince’s Trust International, a registered Charity in England and Wales, and through the invaluable sponsorship of The Maria Holder Memorial Trust.

“Today, we feel extremely proud that we can sit with The Trust and the Team Programme and we can say that we are not only looking to “lock up” persons, but we are also looking to develop them and give them hope in society and make them better persons,” Deputy Commissioner of Police, Erwin Boyce pointed out. “Sometimes in analysing the problem of youth deviance and delinquency, we are prone to make the statement that young people lack self -esteem or they are doing things to be recognised. But, we are mindful of the fact that young people undergo radical changes from childhood into their physical and intellectual, emotional and economic

maturity.” “We also recognize from our interaction, that youth have energy, freshness, vigor and an undaunting spirit – and that we need to capture these assets as I believe that we can enhance the self-image, build self-esteem and meet vital needs when we capture those assets,” he said.

Inspector (Ag) Roland Cobbler, Team Manager for the Prince’s Trust International Team Programme, also expressed that the Police Force is delighted to be involved in delivering a programme of this nature which has the potential in making a significant difference in the lives of Barbadian youth.

“This is supported by the fact, that having previously facilitated three Team Programmes, prior to this one, approximately 70 percent of the young people who have completed this programme so far have transitioned into work, educational or vocational training.”

Cobbler also commended the efforts of Team Leader of the Programme, Sergeant Hallam Jemmott who was ably assisted by Constable Cornelia Daniel.

During the celebration ceremony, held at Accra Beach Hotel, each participant reflected on their 12-week journey of skill building, personal discovery and making life-long friends. (TL)

The Maria Holder Memorial Trust Partners with Prince’s Trust

PRINCE’S Trust International has partnered with The Maria Holder Memorial Trust to enable unemployed and disengaged young people in Barbados to move into employment or training opportunities.  The youth charity has been working with the Royal Barbados Police Force and the Ministry of Youth and Community Development in Barbados since 2016 to deliver programmes that help young people to develop the confidence and skills they need to get their lives on track.

Following the successful completion of four programmes over the last twelve months, Prince’s Trust International and its partners will grow delivery to six programmes in the coming year with funding from The Maria Holder Memorial Trust.

Prince’s Trust International currently runs two different programmes in Barbados, called Get Into and Team, which are delivered by the Ministry of Youth and Community Empowerment and the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) respectively.

“Our vision is to improve the quality of life of vulnerable people, particularly in Barbados and the programmes of Prince’s Trust are a perfect fit for our strategic priorities with young people so we are very happy to forge this alliance” said Jane Armstrong, Consultant/Advisor to The Maria Holder Memorial Trust. According to Jonathan Townsend, CEO of Prince’s Trust International, “We are looking forward to building on the work of Prince’s Trust International in Barbados. Thanks to the hard work of the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) and the Ministry of Youth and Community Empowerment we have so far been able to deliver encouraging results. We are grateful for the support of The Maria Holder Memorial Trust, which will help us grow and increase the sustainability of our work here in Barbados, and ultimately help even more young people.”

The announcement follows a celebration event that was held at the Accra Beach Hotel & Spa, on Thursday evening, to mark the achievements of nine young Barbadians who have completed a Prince’s Trust International Team programme.

Speaking about the success of Team, Inspector (Ag) Roland Cobbler of the RBPF said “The fact that so many young people move into positive outcomes after completing Team shows how effective the programme is as an alternative to the criminal justice system when it comes to turning young lives around. We have also seen a different side to policing; Team has provided a different perspective on at-risk youth and what can be achieved when you give them opportunities to make positive life choices. “Other youth engagement programmes in Barbados only cater for young people up the age of 16, yet we know the 16-25 age group has the highest crime level. Team makes a real difference by enabling us to work with this older age group, and also helps us to build even stronger relations with local communities.” The Get Into programme, delivered by the Ministry of Youth and Community Empowerment, is designed to give young people aged 16-25 the experience and training they need to move into sector specific jobs. In its first year of delivery it saw 90% of participants secure jobs in the logistics and hospitality sectors. This success has paved the way for expansion into other sectors this year, including the retail sec- tor, as delivery steps up with support from the Maria Holder Memorial Trust. Delivery of the Get Into programmes will commence in September.

Prince’s Trust International builds on the success of UK charity The Prince’s Trust, which has supported more than 870,000 young people since it was founded by HRH The Prince of Wales in 1976. It provides consultancy, advice, training and access to programmes which sup- port unemployed and vulnerable young people to succeed in education, employment and enterprise.

Article taken from The Barbados Advocate – Saturday June 30, 2018 •