Minister Hensley Daniel: Nevis has homegrown heroes

CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – MINISTER of Social Development the Hon. Hensley Daniel believes that Nevis has its own crop of heroes who live right there on the island. 

Speaking at the Community Awards Ceremony held Friday (June 26) at the Albertha Payne Community Centre in Bath Village, Minister Daniel said that young people often look to television and outside of Nevis for people to emulate, but the event demonstrates that the island’s heroes are in fact homegrown.

According to the Minister: “…because we know each other very well we don’t’ celebrate them as much as we should. So, if you ask young people who are their heroes they are most likely to tell you people they have not seen.” 

The Minister continued: “However, I am going to present these eight people on the basis that they are heroes. They are alive, and you can touch them and feel them and you can still benefit from their contributions to the community.”

Honoured for their outstanding contributions to the development of the Bath community were Ima Stanley-Brooks, Wilma Thompson, Collin Huggins, Dianne Hobson, Mario Parry, James Phillip, Keith Barzey and Patricia Claxton.

Minister Daniel said the eight have shown, by their efforts, that they have continued to serve the community of Bath – and by extension – the people of Nevis, without asking “what is in it for me?” 

He thanked them for holding on “to the vines of community service and community development while others swing in the direction of money first, service after.” 

 “I believe that when we work for the good of others we receive our own enrichment. You must see your wealth in your contribution to others. In life it is not so much about you but about what you have done for others. And all of the people we are celebrating have done something to help others,” he said. 

The Minister said their efforts went a long way towards the island’s current development and hoped that as they leave the scene there would be others coming through to take their places.

He asked the community development workers to prepare detailed profiles on the awardees and have them left at the Albertha Payne Community Centre as a first step towards ensuring the community’s resources are documented. 

The event was a product of the Community Development/Community Cohesion Department and the Minister promised it would be an annual affair.

Also speaking were Director of Community Development/Community Cohesion Abdul Karim Ahmed, and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Development Alsted Pemberton, who was the chairperson. Pemberton said the Ministry felt it was best to honour the eight while they were still alive.

Only five of the eight awardees where present with Barzey, Wilma Thompson and Mario Parry missing out.
The eight honoured were:

-  James Phillip – for outstanding contribution in the field of electrical engineering. He was born in Antigua but raised on Nevis. He worked with the Electricity Department from 1952 to 2001. In 1980 he became nighttime emergency man; 

- Ima Stanley-Brookes – for outstanding contribution in the field of nursing. Started her nursing career in October 1973 and retired in 2007 before returning. Credited with helping lots of nurses and school children purchase uniforms;

- Keith Barzey – for his community work in Bath; 

- Patricia Claxton – for being involved in a number of activities including Culturama, the football association, the Bath Village clean-up campaign, the Bikes-not-Bumps programme and the Ride not Die programme in Bath;

- Wilma Thompson – a seamstress who made many a wedding dress;

- Mario Parry – for his contribution to sports, in particular football;

- Collin Huggins – for his contribution as a fisherman, renowned sportsman especially cricket; and

- Dianne Hobson – for her work with a variety of pageants – as chaperone, dancing and choreography.