Minister of Youth, Sports, and Community Empowerment, Charles Griffith, visited the Government’s National Summer Camps on Tuesday, August 15, and gave the camps a thumbs up.
The assessment followed an extensive island-wide tour led by Minister Griffith and his team.
“Government is pleased. Every year, we invest in our camps; we’re hoping that this structured activity will provide not only an opportunity to engage in play, but right now I’m really, really pleased about what is happening in summer camps,” he stated.
Mr. Griffith’s tour included visits to multiple camps, where he engaged with campers and officials alike. Reflecting on these interactions, he expressed his satisfaction with the outcome of the initiative.
This year, there were a total of 47 camps, catering to over 3,000 campers. This represented a 25 per cent increase from last year.
Youth Commissioner, Carolyn Garnes, noted that the camps were a success due to early planning and disbursement of funds for camp resources in the first week. She noted that even though they weren’t as many volunteers, the camps were still “running smoothly”.
The National Summer Camps, which commenced in the final week of July, and ends on August 25, cater to children aged four to 15. The activities offered were centred around dance, craft, and digital media production.
The camps the Minister visited were located at the National Disabilities Unit, the Parkinson Memorial Secondary School, Harold Nurse Pavilion, Kendal Community Centre, St. John’s Primary, St. Elizabeth Primary, A. Dacosta Edwards and Selah Primary schools. The touring party also consisted of the Principal Youth Development Officer, Andrea Titus; Manager, Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme, Ryan Moseley; PRO/Liaison Officer (Ag) with the Ministry, Kurlyne Alleyne and Youth Projects Coordinator, David Denny.