Caribbean News Now!

By Caribbean News Now contributor

CASTRIES, St Lucia -- Winners of the prestigious Virgin Responsible Tourism Awards, Best Volunteer Organisation, UK-based social enterprise Travel People and Places, has appointed Sacred Sports Foundation as its new partner in Saint Lucia.

Well known for their ethical, responsible, sustainable volunteer travel programmes, Travel People and Places match skills to the right projects in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America, customising each and every placement helping local people to build the futures they want for themselves. All company profit is covenanted to charitable purposes.

“We believe that volunteering isn't a replacement for a traditional holiday, said programme director Sallie Grayson. “Responsible volunteering can be emotionally exhausting and mentally challenging -- but it can also be a profound and life-enhancing experience if you are well-prepared, well-matched with your host community and well-supported in your endeavours.”

“We are thrilled that Sacred Sports Foundation has agreed to work with us – their professionalism and guidance on the needs of the communities we seek to serve, will be invaluable,” Grayson said.

The Sacred Sports Foundation is a legally registered, economically, politically independent non-denominational not-for-profit based in Saint Lucia, founded by the late football trailblazer Keith Alexander, using sport and social transformation to work with disadvantaged Caribbean youth. The foundation has secured important grants from the European Union, UNESCO, Digicel, and the Australian government and is the Caribbean partner of The Jason Roberts Foundation and Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE).

Executive director Nova Alexander is proud to have been selected as the local partner.

“Saint Lucia remains the only Caribbean island where Travel People and Places actively promote social programmes within their network, which speaks to the local facilitators on the ground and their continued efforts to ensure both volunteers and local communities gain mutual benefits. Our youth require major interventions to tackle serious and troubling issues, such as high unemployment rates and social challenges that are equal to those in other less developed regions of the world,” Alexander said.

“Our foundation looks forward to working together on a number of initiatives designed to pool our combined strengths to help Caribbean youth,” she added.

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