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The Stewart Family Honored With Outstanding Leadership In Social Responsibility Award At 2019 World Travel Awards

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#Montego Bay, January 31, 2019 – Jamaica – This year, the World Travel Awards bestowed a very special accolade as part of the 26th Annual World Travel Awards Caribbean & North America Gala Ceremony, which took place at Sandals Montego Bay on January 28th, 2019.  The Stewart family on behalf of the Sandals Foundation was presented with the Outstanding Leadership in Social Responsibility award – a prestigious honor presented to an organization which has not only made a positive contribution to the travel and tourism industry, but to the very people and land who provide their businesses to flourish.

While millions have called the Caribbean their vacation destination, beach paradise or tranquil escape, Gordon “Butch” Stewart, Founder and Chairman of Sandals® Resorts, refers to it as something much more personal: home.  His passion for the Caribbean region translated into the philanthropic values that have been at the forefront of the resort company’s values since its inception 37 years ago.

Many may believe Gordon “Butch” Stewart’s love affair with the Caribbean started with a reinvention of the hospitality industry, but there was already plenty of philanthropic activity stirring up in this salesman-turned-entrepreneur.  At Appliance Traders Ltd, he brought the innovation of air conditioning to Jamaican consumers while sharing the same luxury for free at the then newly built Cornwall Regional Hospital.

In 1981, after opening the first Sandals Resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica, Stewart immediately began offering his assistance to anyone and everyone that needed it – all while navigating the uncertainty of a new company.  Local communities like Whitehouse and Flanker experienced unprecedented transformation through donated supplies, free repairs and meaningful sponsorships.

2009 saw a new milestone for the brand as son Adam Stewart, now Deputy Chairman of Sandals Resorts, decided to further organize these efforts by launching the Sandals Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Extending a reach far beyond Jamaica into Antigua, Saint Lucia, Bahamas, Grenada, Barbados and Turks & Caicos, the Sandals Foundation is committed to fulfilling the promise of the Caribbean community through investment in sustainable projects in Education, Environment and Community, directly improving lives and preserving surroundings, with a Corporate Social Responsibility Award presented in 2016 by World Travel Awards and new campaigns launching to eliminate single-use plastic and Styrofoam across all resorts.

Fast forwarding to the Sandals Foundation’s 10-year anniversary this March, the impact has been truly remarkable with the overall dollar amount of projects and programs implemented valued at over 58 million dollars and the total number of persons positively affected across the region is well over 850,000.

The organization’s impact touches more lives than just countries the brand has resorts in – during times of crisis, the Sandals Foundation has been on the ground following natural disasters in neighboring islands, including Haiti and Dominica and the Out Islands of the Bahamas.  When guests visit Sandals and Beaches Resorts, they are directly supporting countless projects taking place all over the region, restoring hope and changing the face of the Caribbean for generations to come.

The Sandals Foundation and Stewart family are proud to have been recognized with this highly coveted award, and look forward to continuing the Foundation’s efforts to make a longstanding positive social impact.

To learn more about the Sandals Foundation and the positive impact it’s made throughout the Caribbean, please visitsandalsfoundation.org/about/our-mission

 

Release: Sandals Resorts

 

 

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CARPHA Progresses to Eligibility for the First Disbursement of Pandemic Funding

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Following a landmark Public Signing Ceremony for the Pandemic Fund (PF) Technical Cooperation Agreement (“Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Prevention, Preparedness, and Response” [RG-T4387] Project) on December 14, 2023, in Trinidad, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) continues to progress towards the start of implementation.

 CARPHA fulfilled the IDB’s nine conditions prior to first disbursement, achieving full eligibility on March 15, 2024, and is now eligible for the first disbursement. This milestone achievement in just 3 months after the signing speaks to the commitment of both CARPHA, the Executing Agency, and IDB, the Implementing Entity, toward the regional PF project with the objective of supporting the reduction of the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean by building pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) surveillance & early-warning systems (EWS), laboratory systems and workforce capacity, regionally at CARPHA and in countries.

Since the signing of the Technical Cooperation Agreement and as part of the conditions prior to first disbursement, CARPHA has achieved the following key outputs (i) the development of the PF Project Operations Manual, Multi-annual Execution Plan, Procurement Plan, Financial Plan, Procedure for CARPHA’s Financial Reporting System; (ii) vacancy announcements for two tranches of consultants with the subsequent hiring of five (Technical Coordinator, Financial Specialist, Procurement Specialist, Operations Officer and Project Operations Coordinator) and (iii) the establishment of the Project Execution Unit (PEU) and Project Execution Steering Committee (PESC). The dedicated PEU will be responsible for execution according to its planned timelines, which will be led by the Dr. Lisa Indar, the Project Director (CARPHA’s Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Division).

 CARPHA, as the lead regional public health agency and an expression of Caribbean Cooperation in Health is mandated by its Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to support its 26 CARPHA Member States (CMS) in bolstering national systems and coordinating regional response to public health threats. The Agency works closely with regional and international agencies and uses regional mechanisms, surveillance systems, and networks for coordinating its public health response work.

In July 2023, the PF Governing Board announced that CARPHA’s regional entity proposal, entitled ‘Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Strengthened Integrated Early Warning Surveillance, Laboratory Systems and Workforce Development’ was successfully selected for the first round of financing. It was one of only 19 proposals selected from over 300 submissions and the only regional project. The three priority areas in the proposal are: (i) Comprehensive disease surveillance and EWS, (ii) Laboratory systems and (iii) Human resources and public health and community workforce capacity.

This project is expected to begin implementation in March 2024, starting off with a blended onboarding session. A Stakeholder Meeting with countries is tentatively planned for July 2024.

CARPHA remains dedicated to working together with the IDB, CARPHA Member States and the Pandemic Fund to successfully implement the regional proposal geared toward reducing the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean.

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Men who had Murdered Man, Marley Higgs’ cell phone face Court

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Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

The prosecution intends to try two young North Caicos men, both age 21 for the offense of possession of property of a murdered man, property that was stolen and landed in their possession.

The phone belonged to Peureton ‘Marley’ Higgs, who is believed to have been an innocent gunned down at his apartment complex in the Glass Shack area in a spray of bullets on February 2 that killed another man and wounded two others, including a ten-year-old little girl.

The cell phone was described as white in colour, an iPhone, in a hard black case. 

On Monday, March 18th, JEFFVANO HANDFIELD of North Caicos pleaded not guilty to the offense, and the matter was adjourned to April 2024. He was granted bail in the matter.

A second North Caicos man was charged similarly.  

SARENO CAPELLAN aka, Kino Williams is the second individual brought before the court pertaining to the said cellphone. He appeared in court a week after JEFFVANO HANDFIELD, the date being Monday March 25th 2024.

The case for the Crown is that both men sometime in February of this year possessed the cellphone knowing or suspecting it to be stolen property.

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Caribbean News

Supreme Court Closed for Easter

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NOTICE is hereby given that the Easter Recess shall commence on Friday 29th April, 2024 and end on Friday 5th April, 2024. During the Easter Recess Judge Selochan will be available to deal only with matters that are urgent or require prompt attention.

Court Business During the Easter Recess

A person who wishes to have a matter heard during the recess must file a certificate of urgency along with an affidavit, which must set out the reasons why the matter is urgent or requires prompt attention. The matter will not be listed during the recess unless the Judge deems it fit for urgent hearing.

Opening Hours During the Easter Holiday

The Supreme Court’s last sitting day for the first term is Thursday 28th March, 2024. The Court will officially resume sittings on Monday 8th April, 2024. The Supreme Court Offices in both Grand Turk and Providenciales will continue to operate while the Court is not sitting during the recess.

The Court Office will be closed on the following public holidays:

  • Friday 29th March, 2024 (Good Friday) CLOSED
  • Monday 1st April, 2024 (Easter Monday) CLOSED

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