Twenty-four individuals have been celebrated as heroes of St Philip for their exceptional contributions to community life. They are among the recipients of the Pride of Barbados Award, presented under the We Gatherin’ initiative.
Twenty of the awardees were formally recognised by President Dame Sandra Mason during a ceremony held on Wednesday at State House.
President Mason, a proud native of St Philip, congratulated her fellow parishioners, calling them “worthy of the honour that has been bestowed upon them”. She praised the parish for its unity and strong family values.
“I don’t care if anybody thinks that I am especially proud this morning, because it is St Philip I come from,” she declared. “I want to say how really proud I am of all of you. I have no doubt that you will continue the good work that you have been doing, and even when you have come to the end of that, I’m sure you’re going to hand over to other worthy citizens.”
St Philip West MP Kay McConney also commended the honorees, noting that their nominations came directly from the parish residents in recognition of their contributions.
“Often, this kind of work goes unnoticed, or, at least some would say, unacknowledged,” McConney said. “You’ve done this not for recognition, not for money, not even for the chance to meet The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason. You’ve done it for decades simply out of heart. And that, to me, is what community is all about.”
Among those honoured was Ezra Michael Stuart, recognised as a visionary organiser and journalist for his decades of service in cricket, football and education. He described his journey as one of “unselfish service and sacrifice”, dating back to the 1970s.
He credited his early involvement in community work for shaping his path: “I grew up in a district with the Clarke’s Hill Progressive League, and it’s wonderful to see George Griffith, one of its founders, also being honoured.
“As a young person, I became a member of that club, then I graduated to the Barbados Youth Council, attended a couple of leadership courses and more or less still honed my skills in terms of development. But I always had a passion for helping people, so that was one of the factors which led me to doing a lot of community projects.”
Marion Hart was recognised for over 30 years of work in culinary education, cultural preservation and youth development.
“I appreciate it because I never wanted anything posthumously because I won’t be able to enjoy it, but I will enjoy this for the rest of my life,” she said.
Offering advice to others, she added, “Do what you can and what you know well and do it selflessly…. If you are going to give, give it and don’t look back for anything in return, and that’s what I did for all my life.”
A passionate champion of Bajan cuisine, Hart also stressed that parental support is crucial to the success of the National School Nutrition Policy.
“If the parents don’t buy into it, then we are wasting our time,” she said. “We have enough local fruits in Barbados and foods – ackees, dunks, cherries, gooseberries, you name them – but it takes time, and the education must go on.”
Diaspora honoree Jacqueline Conliffe, who leads the Eleanor King Community Outreach and has supported the St Philip District Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital and local schools for over 30 years, described the recognition as “euphoric”.
“Caring and taking care of others is easy,” she said. “You just do as much as you can, but you must do something to help others because you can’t be selfish in this world.”
(LG)
Local Awardees
Sylvester Trevor Alleyne, Glenville Anthony Blades, Shelley Juliette Blades, David Gilliam Forde, Winfield DaCosta Forde, Earl Andrew Glasgow, Clandice Anita Gooding, Neval Greenidge, George Spencer Griffith, Marion Lolita Hart, Audrey Erlinthia Inniss, Algernon O’Brien Jones, Esther Onita Larrier, Anthony Coleridge Lynch, Michael Alester Mason, Maria Dalhita Mayers, Verona Eucleda Seale, Andrea St Clair Stoute, Ezra Michael Stuart, Patrick Carmichael Waithe and Nigel Ethelbert Weekes.
Diaspora Awardees
Jacqueline Cecilia Conliffe, Hashim Akil Estwick and Selwyn Errol Holder.
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