The presentation of an HP laptop to each of the fifty-six affiliates of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF) has been lauded as a welcomed move.
Last Thursday, affiliates received their laptops in a staggered handing over ceremony at the SVGFF’s Offices, located at the corner of Higginson and Grenville Streets.
Jerome Dick of the Stubbs Football League lauded the initiative, saying, “We welcome something like this….
It will certainly be helpful to us as we have to do a lot of record-keeping and before the presentation of this laptop, everything was done on hard copy.”
Dick also recognized the acquisition of the laptop as helping in “bettering their database” and as facilitating “a move from the old ways to the new ways.”
Similar sentiments were expressed by Renson Haynes of Awesome FC.
“I do think it is a good initiative because of the history of Club Football here in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
We are now in a 21st Century age in a post traditional era, where a lot of things are needed to be done….. ,” Hayne said.
The laptops, Haynes added, will provide for a halt to the use of members’ personal devises to do the business of their clubs.
“Thumbs up to the Federation for placing the laptops in the hands of affiliates,” Hayne declared, and added, “There is no further way of excusing for not being able to do certain things.”
Meanwhile, General Secretary of the SVGFF Devron Poyer underscored that the distribution of the devices is “timely.”
Poyer advanced that the laptops could not have come at a more opportune time, as they will enable the Secretariat to keep the affiliates informed and engaged.
“They have come in timely, to have the meetings and programmes, and there are a number of other activities and things that would help the clubs to develop and the Federation to move forward as it relates to Football… So the distribution of these laptops is really to help the Federation grow and to help the members grow themselves,” Poyer stated.
In addition, Poyer reinforced the improvements – accounting purposes, minutes recording, online meetings – that affiliates will see with the use of the laptops.
The laptop distribution forms part of the SVGFF’s Assistance Programme to aid affiliates, and was funded from the COVID-19 Relief Fund from FIFA, which was made available last September.
Then, the SVGFF was the recipient of US$1 million, half of which was allocated specifically to Women’s Football.
Of the total funds, US$100 000 was allocated for the purchase of equipment (laptops included), as well as providing other forms of assistance amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
The SVGFF will be in line for another COVID-19 Relief Package from FIFA, during the first quarter of this year.