Pan Against Crime celebrates 4th anniversary with Pan Concert

The 4th anniversary celebration of the Pan Against Crime (PAC) Programme will feature a grand concert at the Chateaubelair playing field on Sunday, February 26, at 4:00 pm.{{more}}

Sunday’s massive Pan Concert will showcase the North Stars and Potential Steel Orchestras and the Police Band, and will also include the launch of North Western Zone Police Youth Clubs.

Included among the youth clubs to be launched are Chateaubelair, Petit Bordel, and Rose Hall, which has attracted sponsorship from the New Haven Funeral Home.

The programme, which is being planned under the guidance of Godfred Pompey, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, the PAC Committee in association with the National Commission on Crime (NCCP), The Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force and other stakeholders will be addressed by government, Police, other officials and supporters of the programme, which will also include entertainment by other local artistes.

The Pan Against Crime (PAC) Programme, the brain child of Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, was launched on February 20, 2008.

The Pan Against Crime programme was implemented by the Prime Minister following a spate of crimes that was taking place at the time. Prime Minister Gonsalves opined that the initiative could act as a deterrent to crime, especially for young persons who were exposed to the art of learning and playing the steel pan.

To date, the initiative has given birth to eight steel pan orchestras, The Mustique Charitable Trust Georgetown All Stars, The New Dimensions Steel of Lowmans, The Scotia Bank South East Steel, The SVG Port Authority Genesis, The Symphonix Steel of Questelles, The North Stars Steel of Rose Hall, The Palm Island Resort Union Island and CCA Limited Canouan. The PAC has been able to attract sponsorship for most of the orchestras, and additional sponsorship is forthcoming for the other bands.

Sponsorship has also been acquired from the Solidarity INC Car Park through the PAC for the Elite Steel Orchestra which works along with the PAC.

Similar pan concerts are planned for the rest of the year at various venues across St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The PAC Programme is coordinated by the Ministry of National Security, with assistance from the National Commission on Crime Prevention (NCCP).