20 honoured for service to St George

Twenty exceptional citizens received Pride of Barbados Award on Friday in recognition of their service and dedication to the parish of St George.

Deputy Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw, addressing the awardees during the insignia awards ceremony at State House, hailed their commitment to national and community development, describing them as shining examples in a time when Barbadians are grappling with the rising tide of crime and social erosion.

“You are an example of the work that needs to be done within a community, one by one, across the length and breadth of this country,” Bradshaw said. “Our acknowledgement of each of you is intended to inspire others… to continue the work that you have started.”

She urged the honourees to pass the baton.

“If we don’t look out for other people, then we’re going to keep questioning why our society is deteriorating in the way that it is.”

St George South MP Dwight Sutherland described the ceremony as a moment to give living heroes their flowers.

“Too often we wait until persons go to the grave to celebrate them,” he said. “You gave your time, your heart, your hands to build something bigger than you—a community.”

Sutherland spoke emotionally of his own father, who was among the awardees, and credited him for shaping his journey into public life.

MP for St George North, Toni Moore also paid tribute to the honourees, especially attorney Janeil Odle—Barbados’ first blind lawyer—whom she described as “a young example of all the good work that all of us must be encouraged to multiply across our parish and across our country.”

Odle, a disability rights advocate and motivational speaker, said she was “extremely humbled” by the recognition.

“I never dreamed that I would be recognised at this level,” she admitted. “For my entire life, I’ve been fighting for the rights of persons with disabilities and vulnerable groups in Barbados. It’s amazing to know that the work I’ve done is touching someone.”

She also encouraged young people to take up the mantle of advocacy.

“We are the future… When we go out into our community and start to advocate and inspire others, we are shaping the community into what we want our future to be.”

The oldest awardee, 90-year-old Owen Estwick, GCM, BCH, was celebrated for his decades-long service as a cricket administrator and mentor to generations of underprivileged youth in Malvern and Drax Hall.

Other awardees were lauded for their roles in education, agriculture, sports, faith-based service, social work, youth advocacy, entrepreneurship, and community leadership. Many have served their parish quietly for decades, empowering the vulnerable, mentoring the next generation, and anchoring St George in values of discipline, generosity and faith.

“This is not just a title we have given you,” Sutherland told them. “It is a symbol of our gratitude to say that we see you, we recognise your work, and we thank you for building St George—and indeed Barbados—into one of the best places to live, work, do business and raise children.”

The group was the sixth batch of persons receiving insignias, as part of the We Gatherin’ 2025 initiative. (SZB)