Bridgetown, Barbados – Reaffirming its commitment to use the power of football to help develop the nation’s youth, the Barbados Football Association (BFA) hosted a community tour on Saturday to celebrate the continued success of its partnership with the National Peace Program (NPP), in collaboration with the Government of Barbados.
Through this partnership, the BFA currently facilitates both ‘on-field’ and ‘off-field’ theoretical, educational, and practical sessions designed to empower young people in five local community ‘hubs’ – Pinelands, Deacons, Eden Lodge, Passage Road, and the newly-launched Brittons Hill hub – aligning with the Association’s vision to use football to create positive social change for youth in Barbados.
The community tour was attended by BFA Special Projects Coordinator Amanda James, External Facilitator for NPP/BFA Football Hubs Kerry Skeete, Passage Road Hub Fitness Trainer Gillian Martindale, Passage Road Hub Football Head Coach and Hub Coordinator Andrew Tudor, and local children aged 8 – 14 years from the Passage Road community hub.
Led by BFA Special Projects Coordinator Amanda James, the children were treated to a bus ride to Paradise Nature Park for a tour of the animal and nature sanctuary, then stopped off at King George V Memorial Park for an afternoon of football games, a mini training session, and a picnic lunch.
James said she was delighted with the attendance on this first community tour, confirming that the BFA intends to host a series of community hub tours in the coming weeks.
“It was lovely to see the children’s dedication to participating in all of the BFA and NPP hub activities, and it just shows how much they really enjoy all aspects of the program,” she said. “Our mission, in collaboration with the National Peace Program, is to continue to assist to strengthen our nation’s youth in a holistic manner and to engage them in a variety of positive activities, using football as the driving force. It takes a village to raise a child, and the BFA are thrilled to be a part of such a life-changing program for Barbadian youth, families, and our local communities.”
BFA President Randy Harris echoed these sentiments.
“The youth are the future. This is true in both football and in wider society, and the BFA remains firmly committed to putting youth and community outreach initiatives, such as our collaboration with the National Peace Program, at the forefront of the Association’s agenda and to continuing to make valuable contributions to the future of football in Barbados, and to the future of our nation.
We live and breathe the FIFA mantra of ‘football unites the world’, and the BFA’s participation in this program shows us on a local level how much of an impact sport, particularly football, can have in our communities, and these benefits extend way beyond the pitch.
I am pleased to see the BFA’s involvement in the continued success of the football arm of the National Peace Program and commend its multifaceted approach to national sporting and community development.”
