Stubbs/Diamond Police Youth Clubs host inaugural Symposium

Fifty-three members from six Police Youth Clubs on mainland St Vincent convened their first symposium last Saturday, February 4, during which they addressed a range of diverse issues.

Hosted by the Stubbs and Diamond Police Youth Clubs, the youngsters touched on such topics as teenage sexuality, savings and money management, the Rights of a Child, achieving excellence in academic and skills-based studies and employment, youth’s role in reducing crime and violence, and creating personal vision boards, a police release states.

Forty of the participants were from the Stubbs/Diamond Police Youth Club (PYC) while the other 13 were from the Calliaqua, Mesopotamia, Layou, Richland Park, and Georgetown Youth Clubs.

The symposium, convened at the Hospitality Management and Tourism Institute in Diamond, was held under the theme ‘Investing in our Youths Today for a Safer Tomorrow’. It had as its main objectives:

1. To provide a safe space where young people can openly share their experiences and build a network with their peers.

2. To provide an avenue where new learning can take place with the aim of contributing to individual positive engagement and ultimately positive behavioural change.

3. To equip young people with tools and skills that will help them navigate challenging situations by making positive decisions.

The day’s activity commenced with an opening ceremony that heard remarks from Parliamentary Representative of South Windward and Minister of the Public Service Frederick Stephenson; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Mobilisation Merissa Finch-Burke; Superintendent of Police Junior Simmons officer in charge of Police Youth Clubs; Sergeant Stephen Billy national coordinator of Police Youth Clubs; Osborne Bowens, Dean of the Technical Division of the SVG Community College; and Yoland London, one of the coordinators of the Stubbs/Diamond Police Youth Clubs.

The presenters were acting Assistant Commissioner of Police Trevor Bailey; Roselle Solomon, Social Worker; Candace Sealey, Public Relations Officer at the SVG Building and Loan Association; Osborne Bowens; and Yoland London.

The organisers envisage that the symposium will be held annually.

It was sponsored by the St. Vincent Building and Loan Association; National Properties Limited and the Government Employees Cooperative Credit Union (GECCU), and supported by the Government Printery; His Majesty’s Prison; The Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force; The St.Vincent and the Grenadines Community College and the Ministry of National Mobilisation and Youth.

Coordinator London said “The symposium met its expectations and realized its objectives.

It was a resounding success and could not have been possible without the support of our sponsors…”.

The next activity scheduled for PYCs is the launch of a female-to-female mentorship program on International Women’s Day, March 8.