Sunday 28th April 2024, saw the climax of a very successful Senator Shevern John’s T10 Cricket Competition in Owia. On entering politics, Senator John has demonstrated her love for sport. The people of North Windward can expect more organised sporting events and effective representation when Senator John is given the opportunity to represent them in parliament.
Senator John made the following remarks at the end the coopetition: “Thank you all for a wonderful day. Didn’t all the teams play brilliantly? What a day of cricket! My friends, I am honoured to be here. The matches today showed us why we have so much to be rightly proud of in our country. We competed fiercely but we come together in a spirit of support and unity. I am so proud to be standing here today. North Windward is my home. North Windward is where I raise my family. North Winward is where my family and friends call home. North Windward is a wonderful place.
North Windward is a place of mountains, beaches and fertile valleys. But beyond its natural beauty, North Windward is defined by the resilience of its people in the face of adversity. Time and again, the communities of this region have weathered the storms that have swept through our island. From hurricanes to economic challenges, from volcanic eruptions to global pandemics, the people of North Windward have stood tall, united in their resolve to rebuild, renew, and thrive.
Today, as we reflect on the challenges of the past and look toward the promise of the future, let us celebrate the countless stories of resilience and perseverance that define North Windward. Let us honour the fishermen who brave the tempestuous seas to provide for their families, the farmers who toil under the hot sun to cultivate the land, and the artisans who preserve our cultural heritage through their craft.
But our celebration must also be tempered with a commitment to addressing the pressing needs and challenges facing North Windward. As we gather here today, let us pledge to invest in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and economic opportunities that will empower the people of this region to unlock their full potential and achieve their dreams.
On a sporting note, we have exciting plans for a multipurpose sporting facility here in North Windward to grow and nurture our exciting sporting talent. For those of you who haven’t seen the plans, follow me on my Facebook page and I’ll post about the plans there.
In closing, let us reaffirm our commitment to the values of unity, resilience, and progress that define North Windward and St Vincent and the Grenadines as a whole. As we stand on the threshold of a new era of opportunity and transformation, let us march forward with courage, compassion, and determination, knowing that the best days of North Windward are yet to come.”
Our Plan
The New Democratic Party (NDP) is cognizant of the importance of sport to the development of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. That is why we have listed sport as an integral part of the new economy. We have identified the new economy, agriculture, tourism and the blue economy as the four economic pillars to reconstruct the economy of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. We recognize that achievements in sport provide opportunities for young people to achieve higher education, employment and better livelihoods.
One of our sporting programs is the National Athlete Program. This program will be similar to the National Scholarship Program to support local athletes to reach their true potential. This program will ensure that elite and emerging athletes have financial support to reach their goals, with the knowledge that they are able to train, compete and have their best chances to win. These hard-working sportsmen and sportswomen deserve our support to achieve their goals brining joy to us all and glory for our country.
The National Athlete Development Program is also a part of our ongoing commitment to young people, and builds on the Youth Guarantee Pledge we made last year. The pledge affirms that by the end of our first term in office, every young person will have the opportunity of a job or further training or internship to help lead to a job. Programs such as these will help unlock a brighter future for young Vincentians who for too long have been neglected by the ULP government.
The NDP will also pay special attention to the development of sport facilities. We will implement a framework for upgrading and management of sports facilities at constituency and community level. An NDP government will implement a framework, which will ensure that sporting facilities are upgraded to accommodate their respective sporting disciplines. Community Sport Councils will be developed and sustained eagerly taking ownership of the maintenance of the established facilities and supporting the programs for physical activity and sport in their respective communities. We will also develop at least one playing field in each constituency to the extent that it can accommodate regionally organized sports. These facilities will be fully lit and will have stands and changing facilities. And, develop projects to convert the surfaces of playing fields into artificial surfaces, particularly in areas where grass does not grow properly.
The sport of swimming should be at a much higher level at the competitive arena. As a result, the NDP will construct a National Aquatic Centre to attract national, regional and international competitions and to grow the sport locally. Other areas of development that the NDP will focus on include the construction of a national indoor sports complex, floored with special sport flooring materials, to accommodate sports such as basketball, volleyball, netball, tennis and squash. The NDP is committed to the development of sport which will benefit the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
