BARP Charitable Trust launches fundraising concert to support elderly

The Barbados Association of Retired Persons (BARP) Charitable Trust has announced its first fundraising concert, aimed at assisting vulnerable elderly individuals who require financial, medical, or housing support.

Scheduled for May 17 at 4 p.m. at the Walled Garden Theatre, Barbados Museum, the concert will also raise funds for postgraduate scholarships and lifelong learning programmes focused on ageing.

Themed around community and care, the concert will showcase a wide array of local talent, including Trinity Clarke, Rhesa Garnes, Adrian Clarke, Barry Chandler, and the Foundation School Steel Orchestra. Also performing are Ken Farrell and his line dancers, emerging artistes Nathan Richards and Kellie Cadogan, and the ever-popular Mr Blood. The evening will be hosted by MC Antoine Williams, known for their signature humour.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, trustee and chair of the Fundraising Committee, Jean Springer, encouraged the public to support the initiative.

“Kindly come out and support this cause. It is a worthwhile cause… and this is our first major effort,” she said.

BARP President Marilyn Rice-Bowen also urged members to attend.

Vice-Chair of the Trust, Teresa Marshall, said the concert could become an annual event, depending on how successful it is.

“If you help to sell us out, then we would of course consider making it an annual affair,” she said.

Marshall highlighted the generous spirit of the performers, saying, “The artistes are donating their time and talent for pro bono or very small honorarium, and we are extremely grateful to them for supporting the cause,” she said. “They show by this gesture their respect for the elders.”

Since its inception, the trust has operated in three core areas: providing small grants for financial, medical, and housing assistance; funding postgraduate scholarships at the University of the West Indies (UWI) related to ageing; and offering lifelong learning programmes for BARP members.

(LG)