Tue Dec 03, 2013

by Cecil McKie

Parliamentary Representative for West St George

The Communities which make up the Constituency of West St George (WSG) have produced some of the more powerful and progressive organizations in St Vincent and the Grenadines over the past two decades. The collective membership have gone on to occupy positions of great responsibility in our nation and some of these groups have withstood the test of time and still provide community and country impacting activity and programmes as well as personnel with the requisite capacities to assist with nation building.{{more}}

It was on this knowledge and premise that the current Parliamentary Representative, the Hon. Cecil Mckie, set about the Mission of continuing to build the West St. George Constituency brick by brick; person by person.

Plan to Success:

Critical in the journey was the early development of a five year strategic plan which provides the guidance for the forward movement of the West St George machine. Having as many ‘hands on deck’ has also been the watch word with the imposing belief that “many hands make work light” and “unity is strength” also made practical in the implementation of clearly defined aims and objectives and along with the initiation of appropriate activities to compliment same.

Programme Implementation:

A full report was given directly to constituents and to the print media on the Area Reps Stewardship for 2011 – 2012. This report reflected wide ranging activities and programmes which positively impacted large cross sections of the constituency.

The period 2012 – 2013 followed the trend of the previous year with a multitude of new initiatives and continuation of already established projects. These included:

Agriculture:

• Meetings with farmers in Agricultural belts

• Assistance with Agricultural inputs

• Distribution of seeds and seedlings

• Vegetable Garden Competition

• Poultry Project

• School Assistance including in Agricultural Science

• Establish Co-operation with Agricultural Arm

Culture:

• Facilitated display of craft by WSG residents at various exhibitions

• Assisted with WSG Carnival 2012 and St Georges Carnival 2013

• Produced Queen of St George’s Carnival from WSG

• Can point to various constituents of WSG on various national representative teams

• Cultural talent development through exposure at festivals, including Carnival and Nine Mornings.

Infrastructural Development:

• Road at Robinson Hill

• Road at Ambris Vale, Arnos Vale

• Road at Middle Road, Belair

• Road at Villa/Fountain Area

• Road at Ashburton

• Road at Madame Louis Field, Belair

• Bridge at Belair By-pass

• Bridge at Dorsetshire Hill and Belair

• Vigie Highway – Roundabout – Fountain

• Patching roads throughout Constituency

Jobs/Training:

• 20 new placements on YES Programme

• Assisted with several placements and attachments and training for constituents

• Encouraged and facilitated various self employment initiatives

Schools:

• Major repairs at Belmont

• Repairs at Dorsetshire Hill

• Repairs at Gomea

• Repairs at Belair

• Clean-up at Dorsetshire Hill Compound

• Developed Agricultural plot at Dorsetshire Hill

• Ongoing support to all schools based on needs

• Incentive support to various schools

• Assistance to some 1,000 students on back to school 2013, through various support programmes

Social and Community:

• Belmont, Belair, Fountain Cemetery upkeep

• Road clean ups – Summer and Christmas

• Summer Camp for 100 children

• Coastal clean-up – Arnos Vale and Cane Hall

• Assistance to Special and Para Olympic Organisations

• Christmas Programmes in various communities – packages, concerts, light up

• Home repairs assistance to hundreds

• Joint initiatives with West St George diaspora

Sports:

• Collaborated on Table Tennis Development Programme at the WSG Secondary School

• Commissioned new field at WSG Secondary

• Upgrades to fields at Dauphine, Belair, Arnos Vale

• Support to individuals and teams in Athletics, Football, Cricket, Netball

• Support to Competitions – Netball, Cricket, Football

• Initiated the WSG Primary Schools Cricket Tournament (2yrs)

• Assistance to WSG Youth Soccer Fiesta

• Initiated and keeping alive the Arnos Vale Masters Cricket Team

• Assistance with hosting various sporting events/activities.

Youth:

• Established Youth Community Development group drawn from all districts of WSG

• Have youth lead on several initiatives in WSG

• Collaborated with youth arm on visits and exchange programmes with other groups

• Summer programmes for youth

• Identify and encourage academic, economic, social and other endeavours and opportunities for youth of WSG

• WSG has two students as National Scholars 2013

Looking Forward:

Being contented does not exist in our vocabulary as we look ahead. Broadly speaking, 2014 will see us pushing ahead and progressing the 2012 – 2013 agenda. New initiatives will be encompassed in our exciting roll-out for the New Year to include:

• Road repairs and construction (Government and self help)

• Road clean-up and maintenance

• More rails, steps, footpaths

• Music, dance, craft, sports programmes

• Church programmes

• Sewing project

• Tourism development initiatives

• Development of sporting and recreational facilities

• Training in various sectors

• Agricultural expansion and export initiatives

Invitation:

Every resident of West St George is invited to join the movement of progress and development in the constituency; let us build together.