Financial assistance needed to support programmes for youth

The Chief Executive Officer of Supreme Counselling for Personal Development, Shawn Clarke, has called on the government for financial assistance to support their programmes for Barbadian youth.

Clarke made this appeal during the organisation’s Awards Ceremony at the Hilton Barbados on Saturday.

He said the body provided essential services to improve the well-being of individuals, and it plays a significant role in supporting local communities and contributing to the economic growth of Barbadian society.

Clarke highlighted the need for government funding to help the organisation continue its valuable work.

“Supreme Counselling has paid its dues and it is time for the organisation to be recognised with the level of funding to help even more Barbadian youth.  [We are] a value-driven charitable organisation that delivers essential services, helps to improve people’s well-being and contributes to economic growth. We play a vital role in supporting local communities and making a significant and rapidly increasing contribution to the health and well-being of the Barbadian Society,” Clarke said.

“We have invaluable insight into the needs of our young people as they are often located within the organisation. We have built up strong links with our clientele over time. This profound insight into service users and the community’s needs allows us to deliver more personalised and responsive services.  This can provide an invaluable link between the government and the community.”

While Supreme Counselling is trusted by the community and understands its needs, Clarke pointed out that access to government structures and networks was essential for better service delivery.

The organisation has been providing essential services to Barbadian youth since its establishment in 2009, initially serving 20 students.

“Before COVID-19, we moved that number to 1,570 young people in the country benefiting from this programme.  With the advent of COVID, we had a dig in our numbers as expected. Today as we rebuild our numbers, we can boast of having some 1,120 young people directly involved in our programme.”

During the awards ceremony, Supreme Counselling recognised and rewarded more than 160 students from four secondary schools on the island who participated in the organisation’s various programmes over the past year. These students represented the St George Secondary, Grantley Adams Memorial, Princess Margaret Secondary, and Frederick Smith Secondary schools.

Hezekiah Springer of the Grantley Adams Memorial School received the top individual honors the Supreme Being Award, and the Dianne Holder Memorial Award. The St George Secondary School was awarded the Supreme School of the Year.

(RG)