City school toasts hotel group’s partnership

In a gesture of gratitude, St Ambrose Primary School played host to the Mango Bay Hotel group on Wednesday in an appreciation ceremony for its “generous” adoption of the school.

The event at the Cypress Street, Bridgetown school celebrated Mango Bay’s support and contributions, which it said significantly enriched the student’s learning.

The appreciation ceremony featured the presentation of gifts to the donors and class and student performances of songs, sign language and poetry.

“We at St Ambrose Primary School would like to thank our partners and friends of the Mango Bay Group of Companies, for their understanding, contributions, and outreach programmes, but mostly for giving their time and efforts,” physical education teacher Ken Springer said.

Class 4 student Jalissa Sobers-Franklyn presents a gift of gratitude to Director of Operations at the Mango Bay Group of Hotels, Joanne Fraites.

Saying the ceremony was “only the tip of the iceberg” of the school’s appreciation, he added: “This generosity does not come often, especially for small schools like St Ambrose so we know how important it is to have support, community, and stakeholders.”

Mango Bay Group’s Human Resources Manager Venetia Burnett stressed the company’s commitment to the school. 

“We are pleased to be partnering with the Ambrose group. It’s all about the kids and their education,” she said.

Burnett told Barbados TODAY that the company is always looking for new ways to keep the children and the school thriving.

Class 2 student Ghia Joseph gave a gift to Mango Bay’s CEO Shireen Mathlin-Tulloch.

“We have sponsored trophies for sports day and will also sponsor their graduation,” she said, adding that the company also plans to support the school’s green initiative and is open to further collaboration.

Sharing additional insight on the partnership was Class Four teacher, Tanisha Lashley, who initially reached out to the Mango Bay Group for assistance.  

“Originally, I was looking for graduation sponsorship but then I thought the entire school could benefit, so I asked if they would consider a longer-term relationship… say about five or so years,” she said.

“They were enthusiastic and asked, why limit the time? So we discussed the details and established this wonderful partnership.”

Class 1 student Shacoria Hinds presents a token of gratitude to HR Manager at Mango Bay Group of Hotels, Venetia Burnett.

The partnership is not limited to support but also includes providing mentorship and giving students opportunities to showcase and sell their arts and crafts at the hotel, Lashley said.

“The children are so excited about this. They get exposed to different environments and mentorship, which is invaluable so it’s not about money… more about forming a good relationship between us.”

The collaboration began in February after initial contact was made in January. Mango Bay Group, which owns Mango Bay Hotel in Holetown and south coast hotels Island Inn and The Sands, will also host the school’s graduation ceremony on July 9.

As the school year progresses, the school and the hotel said they look forward to continued collaboration and having a positive impact on the students’ lives and the school community. (SM)