His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales receiving a 50th Anniversary of Independence token at the official opening of two centres at the Nightingale Children’s Village. (C.Pitt/BGIS)
His Royal Highness (HRH) Prince Henry of Wales braved heavy rains and floods to spend some time with the children of the Nightingale Children’s Village.
He did this just before officially opening two additions to the Village, Carole’s Cottage and the McManus and Ellen Horejsi Centre, funded by the Barbados Children’s Trust.
Thanking HRH for taking time out of his schedule to attend, Minister of Social Care and Community Development, Steve Blackett, expressed gratitude to the Trust for its philanthropic contributions over the years.
“The Child Care Board believes in community involvement as it relates to children in residential care and has always welcomed the benevolence and good will of Barbadians and non-Barbadians. This involvement is through the Board’s Voluntary and Sponsorship Programme, which accepts monetary donations or in kind donations,” Mr. Blackett said.
Director of the Trust, Yvonne Brewer, assured those present of the continuation of that relationship. “We intend to spend the next few months working with the Child Care Board to develop and coordinate a whole host of activities designed to develop and encourage children who will be living here.
“Some are programmes already in progress, and run by other charities such as homework, swimming lessons and road tennis clubs. Others we would like to introduce are dancing lessons and reading clubs.”
The Barbados Children’s Trust is a non-profit organisation, which was formed in 1997 by a group of British and Irish friends with winter homes in Barbados. The Carole’s Cottage will house up to 26 babies and toddlers, while the McManus and Ellen Horejsi Centre is for boys aged 5 to 11.
shayla.murrell@barbados.gov.bb