Barbados Youth Development Council (BYDC) and the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors now have a new space from which to operate.
The fit for purpose space was handed over to members of both organisations in a ceremony at the headquarters of the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Community Empowerment, Haggatt Hall, St. Michael, yesterday.
Minister Charles Griffith, who cut the ribbon at the event, noted the significant milestone in the Council’s history. He said: “The Council is celebrating 55 years, and that is a long time to be working with our young people on the island,” he remarked.
Highlighting future plans for the Ministry, he announced the intention to establish at least 100 new youth groups across the island.
“These groups will be under the guidance of the BYDC, underscoring Government’s recognition of the importance of youth engagement. The space we are inaugurating… is crucial for the BYDC, providing a permanent home for the Council and the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors. This facility, housed within the Ministry of Youth, will greatly benefit community and youth groups,” he said.
He further acknowledged the presence of Priyanka Sharma, Barbados’ lone ice skater on the international scene, who attended the launch.
Minister Griffith also extended his best wishes to the Council and the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors, in all their future endeavours and expressed gratitude to the Secretariat for organising the event. “I believe the Council can only go from strength to strength, and this new home will be instrumental in their continued success,” he stated.
Acting CARICOM Youth Ambassador for Barbados, Dana Broome was excited about the space stating: “I believe that the space is well needed, given that we hold… plenty… of meetings for young people across the country. There are also different projects that we have to work on.
“Having that space is very vital… we can come together as ambassadors from all across CARICOM and then meet and utilise that space to plan projects, execute projects, and have our own personal space that we can do such things in.”
Meanwhile, President of the BYDC, Caleb Brathwaite, expressed similar sentiments about the dedicated space. Noting that BYDC was formed in 1969, he said: “It will do a lot for my organisation, every organisation needs a home to call their own; a base of operation to ensure that their objectives can be met.”