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Hon Carlisle Powell accepts cheque from Cable & Wireless Chief Executive Patricia Walters witnessed by Mr Glasgow, Principal of Gingerland Secondary
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A healthy injection of cash into the sports programmes of the high schools in St. Kitts and Nevis over the last few days should put them in good stead for the next sports term in the new school year.
Nearly $30,000 have been presented to three high schools so far by Cable & Wireless, representing a percentage of the top up revenue derived from customers who signed up for these schools since the launch last year of CONECT.
CONECT, the acronym that stands for Committed to Optimistic National goals for Each Child, Together, is a school-based programme initiated by Cable & Wireless to assist with the development of sports in the seven public high schools on St. Kitts and Nevis.
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Principal of Charlestown Secondary School (centre) witnesses cheque hand over to Hon Carlisle Powell from Cable & Wireless' Chief Executive, Patricia Walters
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Launched one year ago, customers were encouraged to register their mobile number/s with their favourite school, and with each top up Cable & Wireless would give back a percentage of its revenue to the respective school. With a strong expression of interest in contributing to the project, Cable & Wireless subsequently agreed to include postpaid customers using as a yardstick the value of their package.
During the week of July 2nd, cheque presentations were made to three of the seven high schools – Charlestown and Gingerland Secondary Schools in Nevis and the Basseterre High School in St. Kitts. The presentation ceremonies at these schools were very well received and Cable & Wireless received high commendations from the Ministry of Education and other officials present.
In the words of Christine Springate, Special Advisor in Education on Nevis, “we welcome the consistent contribution of Cable & Wireless, one of our social partners. Government is keen to keep our children off the streets and involved in positive things including sports. On behalf of the Nevis Island Government in general and the Ministry of Education in particular, I want to place on record our sincere appreciation for the continued partnership in education.”
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Mrs Urleen Roberts, Principal of Baseterre High School accepts $20,000 cheque from Chief Executive of Cable & Wireless Patricia Walters, while Head of Physical Education, Stanley Knight applauds
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Hon. Carlisle Powell - Junior Minister of Public Utilities, Public Works, Post, Physical Planning and Environment, himself a keen sports administrator lauded Cable & Wireless for choosing to focus on Sports in the schools. “We have had a number of talented sportspersons who have gone on to represent Nevis, having had a solid foundation developed from the high schools. We could not offer enough gratitude for this innovative way to assist our potential sportspersons. I know you will be proud of the fruits that this programme will bear in the years to come.”
School Principal and teachers of the Basseterre High School shared similar admiration of Cable & Wireless’ commitment to follow through on this project at a cheque presentation on Thursday 5th July.
Head of the Physical Education Department, Mr. Stanley Knight, summed it up by saying, “the handing over of such a significant sum of over $20,000 is a clear indication of Cable & Wireless’ keenness to strengthen the sporting curriculum in the high schools at a time when our student athletes are doing well regionally. More importantly, this presentation should put to rest any concerns about the ability of the programme to deliver and should drive more persons to sign up to support our sportspersons.”
A challenge was issued to the administrators of the three schools to come up with creative ways to promote CONECT in the new school year. “The schools can gain tremendously from this initiative, but they will need to re-engage their stakeholders and encourage them to sign up and lend their support to the schools,” commented Laverne Caines, V P Corporate Communications and Marketing at Cable and Wireless. She announced her company’s willingness to provide additional sign up forms, which will be distributed to the schools to ensure the continuation of the project.
Each of the three schools is expected to purchase sporting supplies or gears in September, at which time Cable & Wireless will re-visit the schools to learn of the plans to refresh awareness of the CONECT project.
