VINSAVE Celebrates 61 years

The St.Vincent and the Grenadines Save the Children Fund (VINSAVE), is celebrating its 61st anniversary of pioneering Early Childhood Education and childcare in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), with a week of activities from July 21-28, 2024.

A thanksgiving church service at the Kingstown Methodist Church on Sunday, July 21, 2024, from 4. pm, kickstarts the celebrations. On July 23 VINSAVE will host its annual general meeting; Wednesday 24, will see the institution hosting an open day its premises; and on Friday 26, there will be a social media posting. The week’s activities conclude on Saturday, July 27, 2024, with a gala/dinner and awards ceremony from 6:30 pm at the Methodist Church Hall. The institution was founded in 1963; it commenced as the British Save the Children Fund. In 1969 the Canadian Save the Children Fund (CANSAVE) took over the operations. It transitioned in 1986 to the St.Vincent and the Grenadines Save the Children Fund (VINSAVE).The foundation stone at the VINSAVE headquarters was laid on the July, 24, 1963 by the Administrator S.H. Graham O.B.E, and the building dedicated to the Children of the West Indies by the Commonwealth Save the Children Fund and the West IndiesYouth Trust Fund. From 1963 to 1979 the institution headquartered the British Save the Children Fund and the Canadian Save the Children, which served the other Windward Islands at that time. During the past 61 years the Institution has pioneered and provided training in Early Childhood Education and childcare services in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the region through the Child Development Training Centre, located at VINSAVE. The Centre was responsible for the training of Child Development practioners and pre-school teachers across the entire English-speaking Caribbean.