Car park doing well, says SVGSIA

An executive member of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Solidarity in Action says that the organization has done more with the Solidarity car parks than the previous administrators.{{more}}

Noel Jackson, director in charge of the car parks, chairing the group’s second annual scholarship and bursary awards on Monday this week, pointed out that the organization has made a significant impact on society since taking control of the facilities, while fulfilling its other duties.

“…We endeavoured to ensure that we would make whatever little that we are doing at the car park have a significant impact on the social, cultural and economic landscape of the country, while fulfilling our obligation to our two principal organizations: the farmers’ organization, and the workers’ organizations.

“And we have been doing that in a very significant way. It would take us a very long time for me to outline to you the assistance and support that we have given since we started managing that car park in October 2010.

“I can recall that organization who held the car park that we are managing… we have never heard a single contribution to any part or any group of organizations in St Vincent and the Grenadines,” Jackson stated.

Management of the car parks in Kingstown next to the administrative building, and at the E.T. Joshua Airport in Arnos Vale, was handed over to the organization, a joint venture between the National Labour Congress and the Windward Island Farmers Association, in October 2010.

Jackson indicated that they were managed by the St Vincent and the Grenadines Chamber of Industry and Commerce for 12 years prior.

When the lease to the Chamber was not renewed in 2010, efforts were made by the Chamber to put a stop to the facilities being handed over to Solidarity in Action, by going as far as to suggest that the organization should manage the then Food City (now Save A Lot).

After some back and forth, which involved Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, the facilities were handed over to the Solidarity in Action.

Jackson, who is also the president of the National Labour Congress, told SEARCHLIGHT that since managing the facilities, the organization has made numerous donations to a number of community groups.

“We have provided medical assistance to the children of our members,” Jackson pointed out. “There is this one child who had decompression, he got treatment and he is doing very well now.

“We have provided assistance to the Elite Steel Orchestra, the SVG Solidarity football team; we have provided lunch money to students; we contribute to May Day celebrations; and we have sent persons for training.”

Jackson also added that the staff has been treated fairly by the organization.

“The car park is doing fairly well,” Jackson said.

“We collect the money. We are giving an account and we are making investments.”

At what Jackson said was the organization’s flagship project, two students, Avin Cruickshank and Maya Joy Abdoussala received full scholarships for five years in secondary school, while 10 other students and one of last year’s scholarship winners received bursaries.