Community - page 4

A team of six military medics from British Forces Gibraltar has been working alongside staff from the Elderly Residential Services (ERS) at the Mount Alvernia site in response to the wider COVID-19 pandemic.

Lieutenant Commander Mark Chambers Royal Navy, HQBF Gibratar’s Medical Staff Officer commented,“This military aid to civil authorities (MACA) task was well planned and delivered here in Gibraltar. Our team members, who were fresh, enthusiastic, capable and cheerful, were very well received and enormously valued by the residents and staff alike.

Hopefully we have made a genuine difference and it’s good to know the team has been able to play a small part in the amazing efforts in the ERS which has seen the numbers of residents with COVID 19 drop significantly.”

National Trails Act

The Gibraltar Heritage Trust has welcomed the newly published National Trails Act.

Many paths in and around Upper Rock are protected already, but the scope of the new Act allows for many more areas that were formally under Ministry of Defence control to be listed.

A spokesperson added, “The protection of these footpaths and throughways under this legislation means that these open spaces will be protected as such for the future ensuring that the wildlife, heritage assets, views and landscapes are protected into the future. It has been particularly poignant that this Act has been passed at a time in our history when open areas and walking routes are such an important part of our lockdown routines and recreational space.”

The Gibraltar Heritage Trust has welcomed the newly published National Trails Act.

COVID Vaccine Update

By close to the end of February, a total of 34,600 COVID-19 vaccines had been administered in Gibraltar.

This is a phenomenal achievement and everyone at Insight applauds all involved in #OperationFreedom. Thank you.

The great progress now allows the GHA to encourage those over 40 to get in touch. Anyone over this age who has not yet been invited for vaccination and who has not previously registered with the GHA online database, is encouraged to do so using the online form:

www.gha.gi/registration-for-over-40s/
or call 20066966.

In terms of the deployment itself, Gibraltar remains committed to rolling out predominately the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. A small number of the Oxford- AstraZeneca doses have been received by the GHA, but these have been allocated to individuals whose specific medical circumstances has meant they’re more suited to this version of the vaccine.

Minister for Health, the Hon Samantha Sacramento, said, “Our incredibly successful vaccination programme has delivered first doses of the Pfizer vaccine to almost two thirds of the population of Gibraltar with little side effects and an impressive level of protection.

I feel very optimistic that we can now slowly but safely unlock our community and our health services due to the programme and the level of uptake from the community. We will continue to offer the Pfizer vaccine only, except in very select clinically assessed individuals.”

“I am extremely pleased at the pace of our extremely successful the vaccine programme against COVID-19 and I’d like to thank everyone who continue to work extremely hard every day to inoculate as many people in our community as quickly as possible.”

The Gibraltar Honours Board (GHB), under the Chairmanship of the Governor, will meet in the coming months to consider nominations for The Queen’s New Year Honours List 2022; and The Gibraltar Award, which is awarded by the GHB and announced coincident with The Queen’s New Year Honours 2022.

Nominations should be submitted to recognise those people, from any section of the Gibraltarian Community, which have made an exceptional contribution or given exceptional service in the progression of either the well-being, achievement or reputation of Gibraltar.

Nominations should be submitted on a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Nomination Proforma for the attention of:

The GHB Secretary

Office of the Governor

The Convent

Main Street

Gibraltar GX11 1AA.

Nominations can be submitted by anyone. A copy of the FCDO Nomination Proforma, along with detailed guidance on its completion, is available from The Convent entrance in Main Street or from the GHB Secretary at enquiry.gibraltar@fco.gov.uk

Up to two letters of endorsement from those with a personal knowledge of the nominee’s contribution or service should support nominations.

Nominations will be considered by the GHB for the following Honours – albeit nominations should not recommend someone for a specific award as this is decided by the GHB:

Companion of Saint Michael and Saint George (CMG) and Commander of the British Empire (CBE). 

Awarded for having made a most prominent, distinguished and decisive contribution/service up to international level within a certain field or discipline; a contribution/service that has led to the enhancement of life/outcomes for the Gibraltarian community up to international level.

Officer of the British Empire (OBE). 

Awarded for having made a most prominent, distinguished and decisive contribution/service at national level within a certain field or discipline; a contribution/service that has led to an all-encompassing enhancement of life/outcomes for the Gibraltarian community.

Member of the British Empire (MBE). 

Awarded for having made a most distinguished and decisive contribution/service at local level within a certain field or for discipline; a contribution/service that has led to the enhancement of life/outcomes for the Gibraltarian community.

British Empire Medal (BEM). 

Awarded for a most distinguished and decisive hands-on contribution/service at a local level within a certain field or discipline; a contribution/service that has led to the enhancement of life/outcomes for the Gibraltarian community.

Gibraltar Award (GA). 

Awarded for a most distinguished and decisive hands-on contribution/service at a local level within a certain field or discipline; a contribution/service that has led to the enhancement of life/outcomes for the Gibraltarian community.

The first patients to be vaccinated at the GHA’s public vaccination centre were 100 year old Mr Beiso and 98 year old Mr Cohen.

This happened in mid-January and since then further batches of COVID-19 vaccines have arrived from the UK, courtesy of the Royal Air Force.

Since then, the Public Vaccination Centre at the former PCC has administered first doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to circa 10,000 members of the public. Second doses are now underway.

Minister for Health and Care, Samantha Sacramento, commented, “The effort at the PCC to vaccinate so many members of our community in the shortest possible timeframe has been tremendous. Despite dealing with a huge volume of people on a daily basis, staff have been noted for being incredibly supportive as well as welcoming and courteous, I have received nothing but praise for their work.

‘I would like to express my gratitude to the leading team, Rose Suissa, Suzanne Romero and Suyenne Catania and their teams, for making this first part of Operation Freedom the success that it has been’.

A competition has been launched by Cultural Services to design a logo for this year’s Spring Festival.

It is open to all ages and up to two original design can be submitted.

Entries must be submitted in an A4 size on paper or card, indicating whether the orientation is portrait or landscape.

Logos should be simple in design and suitable for printing on posters, flyers, tickets or other promotional material and must contain the wording:

GIBRALTAR SPRING FESTIVAL 2021

First prize is £500 and entry forms plus full terms and conditions are available online at culture.gi 

You can also call 20067236 or email info@culture.gov.gi

Minister for Culture John Cortes said, “I really hope that the Gibraltar Spring Festival will see the beginning of the return to a happy life for the community and that, after taking the heavy blow that COVIDhas dealt us, we can begin to recover. It is unlikely that the Festival will yet see the normality that we all crave, and will have to take a different form, with much of the offer being online, but I would like to see it as a Spring of Hope and Healing, and I have no doubt that our talented artistic community will find us a logo that will say all that it has to say.”

Works can be submitted online, or if COVID-19 restrictions allow for it, handed in at the City Hall reception.

The closing date for receipt of entries is Friday 5th March 2021.

Please use GHA Services responsibly

The GHA has asked Gibraltarians to be reminded that their services are extremely stretched, and appeals for responsible use of them.

For life-threatening emergencies – call 190 for an ambulance. This type of emergency includes, but is not limited to:

Minor injuries can be treated in the Primary Care Centre. For help from a GP, call the Primary Care Centre on 20052441.

• loss of consciousness
• acute confused state and fits not stopping
• chest pain
• breathing difficulties
• severe bleeding that cannot be stopped
• severe allergic reactions
• severe burns or scalds
• stroke
• major trauma such as a road traffic accident

For urgent 24/7 medical help, call 111. A fully trained medical advisor will ask questions about your symptoms so you get the help you need.

111 should be the first port of call for advice or clarifying what to do.

Despite COVID-19, Miss Gibraltar 2021 is now open to entries.

Contestants must be aged between 17 (as at 22nd May 2021) and not more than 26 years old (as at 31st December 2021). The first 10 contestants to sign for the Pageant will each receive £500. The winner of the Pageant will represent Gibraltar at the Miss World Pageant, later on in the year.

The prizes are:

Miss Gibraltar – £2000 cash; £3500 clothing allowance; participation at Miss World 2021

1st Princess: £1000 cash; £500 clothing allowance

2nd Princess: £500 cash; £500 clothing allowance

Entry forms are available from the Miss Gibraltar Office at the City Hall reception or John Mackintosh Hall reception at 308 Main Street.

For further information telephone 20067236 or e-mail info@culture.gi

NB, the event and arrangements are subject to change depending on the situation at the time in relation to COVID-19.

December 2020 marked the 175th anniversary of the arrival in Gibraltar of the first Loreto Nuns. They came here expressly to open a school for Gibraltarian girls, and actually ended up opening two. Both immediately attracted a large number of pupils.

 The party of five nuns were escorted to Gibraltar by the Catholic bishop, Rt Rev Mgr Henry Hughes. They were Mother Angela Kelly, the Mother Superior, and Sister Vincent Clinch, Sister Seraphia Rorke, Sister Placida Byrne and another sister thought to be Sister Josephine Underhill. The eldest of the nuns was just 28 years old.

Thus began the long association between the Loreto Nuns and Gibraltar.

The GHA has donated packages of food and personal hygiene items to “Help the Needy at Christmas”. A spokesperson for the GHA said, “Despite working hard during these difficult times, all our staff are thinking about the community”.

Cheque Presentations

Two cheques have been presented by His Excellency the Governor, Sir David Steel, to two local charities with donations on behalf of the Convent Christmas Fair Appeal 2020.

This event, which every year raises significant sums of money for local charities, did not take place this year because of COVID restrictions, but His Excellency was still keen to present as much as possible to these worthy causes, recognising the challenges that so many have faced in 2020.

A cheque of £750.00 was presented to the Saint Vincent De Paul Society, and received by one of the charity’s volunteers, Mrs Maria Teresa Pitto. The charity was very active during the COVID lockdown earlier in the year, distributing food supplies to people who were in self-isolation and unable to leave their homes. The charity is exceptionally busy during the Christmas period, especially in delivering food to those of less able means.

Another cheque of £750.00 was donated to the Care Agency, in order to purchase school uniforms for local children. The cheque was received on their behalf by Ms Eleri Surrey, who sits on the Committee of the Convent Christmas Fair.

Specialist Freezers Arrive

The freezers that will store Gibraltar’s supply of COVID-19 vaccines have arrived in Gibraltar.

The COVID-19 vaccination programme is expected to begin in the middle of this month.

Each freezer can store up to 60,000 doses of the vaccine at temperatures of up to -82 degrees Celsius.

Minister with responsibility for Health and for Civil Contingencies, Samantha Sacramento said, “The GHA team team guided by the Director of Public Health, in conjunction with the office of the Civil Contingencies Co-ordinator are working extremely hard in devising the vaccination programme. The arrival of the freezers … is an important step and we are ready to receive the vaccines in early January”.

Security Improvements at Casemates Gates

New “hostile vehicle mitigation devices” – known colloquially as bollards – have been installed at Casemates Gates. They mark a first deployment of such technology in Gibraltar. 

They employ a speed calming measure whereby the aperture between the fixed bollards and the sliding one is adjustable, meaning that vehicles must reduce speed to transit past.

Britannica Virtual Quiz

Renowned international historian and author Christopher Lloyd will be teaming up with Gibraltar Cultural Services, as part of a new development and educational initiative that will be delivered in the forthcoming Youth Arts Jamboree programme, in February 2021.

He has just launched his new book “First Britannica Kids Encyclopaedia” and owing to the current COVID pandemic, the author has developed a virtual quiz show.

GCS will reach out to educational establishments to take part in due course, in what promises to be a fun and immersive way to learn about the world.

For more info contact GCS Development Unit on 20049161 or info@culture.gi

UNECE Youth delegate

Tammy Randall has been selected as the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Youth Delegate for 2020/21, following the call for qualified and experienced candidates.

The UK government focal point at UNECE on matters of environment and education, Professor Daniella Tilbury said, “It is essential that we create spaces for young people to actively engage in the dialogues and decisions which will most affect them. Over the next year, Tammy will form part of UNECE Working Group on youth, drafting proposals for the UNECE Strategy for 2030. She will be looking at ways of bringing younger voices into policy-making and creating opportunities for youth engagement on key sustainability issues.”

In response to her appointment, Tammy added, “I am thrilled to have been appointed as this year’s youth delegate and look forward to working closely with Professor Tilbury on initiatives at UNECE level and locally. I hope that through my role I can bring a younger perspective to decision-making which is often lacking.”

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness

The GHA has marked World Pancreatic Cancer Day with a view to increase public awareness of the disease, its symptoms and ways to reduce the risk of developing it.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most fatal cancer in both men and women, and the death rate due to this disease is increasing across Europe. It usually arises in elderly patients with a mean age at onset of 71 years for men and 75 years for women. One of the main reasons for its high fatality rate is that the majority of patients’ progress to the advanced stages of the disease without showing any symptoms.

The Minister for Health Hon Minister Samantha Sacramento MP said, “Early diagnosis is the key to survival. Raising awareness of Pancreatic Cancer is crucial and can make all the difference to somebody’s life. It is the GHA’s mission to improve the rate of early detection by having the knowledge, understanding and awareness to be able to combat this fatal disease. Raising awareness is not exclusive to the GHA and I would like to wholeheartedly thank the Gibraltar Pancreatic Cancer Gibraltar for their awareness campaigns and for their continued support of the GHA as well as to all cancer charities.”

Green Energy

You may have noticed a new type of bus driving around Gibraltar in a different colour scheme than the familiar red ones.

These were electric buses on trial to ascertain whether such transport would be feasible in Gibraltar, given the technical and geographical quirks of life on the Rock.

The Minister for Business, Tourism, Transport and The Port, the Hon Vijay Daryanani said, “It is exciting to see these environmentally-friendly vehicles on our roads in line with the Government’s commitment to providing a Greener Gibraltar.”

2020. What a year – and for all the wrong reasons. It started off fair enough, but then “the thing” in mid-March landed and it really hurt – and altered – all of our lives.

it really hurt – and altered – all of our lives.

We are very fortunate in Gibraltar to have such a sense of community and kinship that is rare to find elsewhere in the world. Perhaps it’s our spirit, with a large helping of dogged-determination.

Here at Insight, our hearts go out to all the families, friends – and even passing acquaintances – who have been affected by COVID. Words can never adequately express the loss experienced by some families from this deadly invisible virus.

The toll on business has been immense. Rules have had to change in a reactionary manner as governments, both here and abroad, learned more about the ways it could spread. The authorities were working with the best information they had at the time. At all times, the lives of Gibraltarians was first and foremost.

We are exceptionally lucky to have such wonderful advertisers. Without them, you wouldn’t be holding this edition in your hands right now, be it physical or on an electronic device. We don’t take you for granted and are very much grateful for your continued support. We exist to inform and entertain, but an important part of this is our central role in enabling local businesses to advertise their latest innovations, products or services to as wide an audience as possible.

On a personal note, I’d like to thank Jean, Rose, Ben, Elliott and Billy for all that they’ve accomplished in the most trying of circumstances. Once again, thank you very much.

And to our readers, we don’t take you for granted either. Being immersed in the community for almost 30 years is at the heart of everything we do. 2021 will present existing and new challenges and we will do our upmost to present you with a view of what’s going on in Gibraltar, and beyond.

Have a wonderful Festive period. Keep safe, and stay well.

Warmest regards

Ross

Where did you first start your employment?

I started ‘working’ in my dad’s lottery shop when I was 10 to earn pocket money.   I got my first real job at 16 working part time at Safeways. 

How would you describe yourself?

Ambitious, hard working, caring and loyal.

Which person has been the biggest influence in your life?

I can’t name just one, there have been a few; my parents, my Uncle Boss, my wife, certain friends….during your life, different people influence you in different ways.

What’s the best book you’ve ever read?

During lockdown I’ve been reading a lot! I’m really enjoying David Baldacci’s books, he’s so descriptive in his writing, it’s like watching a movie in your head.

What’s your favourite music track? 

Fuf! Anyone who knows me knows I love music; reggae, hip hop, flamenco.  I don’t think I could narrow it down to a single album, let alone one song!  If I had to choose, it would probably have to be a Bob Marley track maybe Redemption Song or War or Rat Race or Babylon System…….

What’s your biggest fear?

Going bald, but that happened already so……

If you could change something about yourself, what would it be? 

My baldness!! I really liked my hair!

Have you ever been given advice that you wished you had acted on? 

Yes, I was once told to invest in a scaffolding company and I didn’t…… I should have done, Gib is full of it!

What makes you laugh? 

Una pila de cosas!! El Commandante Lara is hilarious, my kids, some of my friends and their funk (they know who they are!).

What’s your greatest ambition?

To always have my wife and kids around me.

What’s the best country you’ve ever visited and why? 

I love Spain but visiting Egypt and India was an amazing experience and really puts your own life into perspective.

What is your idea of perfect happiness? 

Beach, family & music.

Which word or phrases do you most overuse?

“Señora, no tiene nada!”  But most recently it’s been “pass pass pass the ball.”

Do you have any regrets?

We’ve all made mistake yes, but we shouldn’t dwell on regrets.   

What keeps you awake at night? 

Expectations.

What’s the best experience you’ve had in life so far? 

I’m fortunate enough to have had some great experiences. Watching Barca beat Madrid 5-0 (twice), concerts, visiting the pyramids, the birth of my children. I like to invest in memories. 

If you didn’t live where you are currently located where would you like to Live (Money no object)? 

I would have a beach house in the Cadiz area, with my chiringuito and huerto. Me gusta el Sur.

What person historic or living would you most like to meet?

Bob Marley and Jesus. 

If you could change one thing about Gibraltar what would it be? 

The amount of dog poo/pee on our pavements. Que asco!

What is your favourite hobby or interest? 

I love music, football and art.

The Round Tower

It has fascinated and eluded historians for centuries. Now, the supposed myth of the Round Tower in the Northern Defences can be put to rest.

Over the years, texts and pictorial drawings have made mention of the Round Tower in many languages, in documents that have found themselves stored in museums and private collections the world over.

Now, the on-going work at the Northern Defences has uncovered the structure. It was the only part of the fortress to fall to hostile troops, during the last time such forces had managed to set foot in Gibraltar.

The Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia said that he has always been excited about this project and commended the Project Director Carl Viagas and the team for their hard work. “Carl has done a magnificent job in sifting through both the written and the physical evidence to get to this find. The Northern Defences Project is one where I had taken a keen interest and witness the unveiling of such remains, which before I had only read about, is incredibly rewarding”, he said.

Christmas Coins!

32 years after the much sought-after Christmas Commemorative Coin was struck at the Mint by The Hon Minister Sir Joe Bossano, a new version for 2020 is available.

The original coin has been known to sell to collectors for up to £250, making a remarkable return-on-investment for those lucky enough to own one.

This year’s coin was struck by the CEO of Gibraltar National Mint, Albert Poggio. Unfortunately, COVID restrictions meant that The Hon Minister Sir Joe Bossano was not able to travel to London. There will also be a £2 coin which will be sold with a companion Christmas card.

In keeping with COVID restrictions, the coins will only be available to order using sales@gibraltarnationalmint.gov.gi or by calling 200 48386.

Cultural Awards 2020

Gibraltar Cultural Services, on behalf of the Ministry of Culture, have announced the results of the 2nd Cultural Awards. This year the winners were presented with their awards at a pre-recorded event at the Sunborn Hotel, to ensure adherence with all the current public health guidelines relating to COVID-19.

The winners were:

• Cultural Awards Board Outstanding Achievement: Jake Torres
• Junior Award for Under 15s: Aditya Dhanwani
• Youth Award for Under 25s: Amy Wink
• Senior Award for Over 25s: Maribel Matthews
• Best Educational Project: Gibraltar Youth Service
• Cultural Ambassador Award: Mark Sanchez

Covid Award, presented by GCS CEO Seamus Byrne to Nolan Frendo & Dion Mifsud for Friday Night Live

The Gibraltar Cultural Services Award for extraordinary achievement was presented to Karel Mark Chichon.

The Ministry Of Culture Lifetime Achievement Award was presented by the Minister for Culture Prof. Dr John Cortes MBE MP to Arthur Harper.

Minister for Culture, the Hon Prof Dr John Cortes MBE MP said, “Gibraltarian Culture continues to develop an identity of its own, clearly demonstrated by its resilience through COVID times, and by how it has continued to be at the heart of the community throughout this time. I congratulate all nominees, and in particular the winners, and if I may be permitted to specifically mention the winner of the Ministry for Culture Lifetime Achievement Award, Arthur Harper, at the young age of 92. His lifetime dedication to the Art and Science of Photography and the knowledge and conservation of plants in Gibraltar have been exemplary and are an inspiration to young and old alike.”

Christmas Stamps

Also available now, is a brand new set of Christmas stamps, issued by Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar and the Gibraltar Philatelic Bureau.

The set of stamps covers the postage values used in Gibraltar for postal operations throughout the Christmas period, and feature six colourful Santa Claus illustrations, designed by Stephen Perera.

They are now available for purchase from the Philatelic Shop by the Main Post Office, online at www.gibraltar-stamps.com, plus Royal Gibraltar Post Office counters.

COVID DRIVE-THRU

The COVID-19 Drive-thru testing centre at MidTown has extended its opening hours:

• Monday to Friday – 7:30 am to 6:30 pm.
• Saturday and Sunday – 7:30 am to 11:30 am

Anyone in possession of a valid GHA card wishing to have a COVID-19 test should call 20041818 to make an appointment. “Walk-in” appointments are also now available.

Besides, the COVID-19 Mobile Swabbing Stations have also resumed operations.

Please note, do not attend a Mobile Swabbing Station if you have symptoms to mitigate the risk of spreading the virus further. Go home as soon as possible, self-isolate and call 111.

Owing to the current COVID-19 situation, many traditional events of the Festive period in Gibraltar have been disrupted.

The Christmas Festival of Lights, the Christmas Attractions at John Mackintosh Square and the New Year’s Celebrations at Casemates will not be held this year in their usual format.

Gibraltar Cultural Services is working on an online offering for both the Christmas Festival of Lights and the New Year’s Celebrations. Further details will be announced in due course.

Discussions are also being held with the Cavalcade Committee to decide whether the 2021 Three Kings’ Cavalcade will be able to proceed.

These arrangements will be held under constant review in order to allow a return to normality in line with the prevalent public health guidelines, as the time approaches.

Minister for Culture, John Cortes commented, “It is indeed sad that we have had to take these decisions. But it is important that our celebrations this Festive Season don’t become a cause for regret later. We will find other ways to enjoy ourselves, responsibly, as we did on National Day, as we await better times.”

Those wanting further information should contact the Gibraltar Cultural Services Events Department on 200 67236 or info@culture.gi

Parliament Restoration

HMGoG has announced that Parliament House on Main Street will be subject to a major restoration works. This follows the decision to take back the commercial premises on the ground floor and return the area to its original use.

The building which houses the Gibraltar Parliament was completed in 1817 as the seat of the Exchange and Commercial Library. This had been established to rival the military-only Garrison Library. The Exchange building later housed the Gibraltar Legislative Council which was established in 1950. This was followed by the Gibraltar House of Assembly when this was established under the 1969 Constitution, and it became the seat of the Gibraltar Parliament since the 2006 Constitution.

The Gibraltar Heritage Trust has warmly welcomed the news, noting that any restoration should also take into consideration as much future-proofing measures as possible so that it continues to serve the community in times ahead.

The historically significant property known as “Fortress House” has recently been put up for sale.

This building has great importance to Gibraltar, being at one time the home of Lieut. General Sir Robert Boyd, whilst he was Governor of Gibraltar between 1776 and 1777. Succeeded by General Elliott, Boyd remained in Gibraltar throughout the Great Siege and together with William Green was responsible for the works on the King’s Bastion which proved to be a critical defence during the Siege. Boyd then became Governor for a further term from 1790 to 1794. Upon his death he requested to be buried within the walls of the King’s Bastion, where he remains to this day.

Fortress House, which has fallen into a particularly poor state in recent years, is of typical Georgian architecture with strong Gibraltar vernacular features such as a verandaed corridor overlooking a courtyard garden. Although part of the original garden was reduced decades ago for the provision of a pavement, the style and proportions of this building have remained largely unchanged over the centuries.

The Gibraltar Heritage Trust has been pushing for this property to be listed for many years and encourages any interested parties to engage with them as early as possible.

World Alzheimer’s Day

Mount Alvernia, the home of many residents living with Dementia – and the largest residential care home for the elderly – was floodlit in purple to mark World Alzheimer’s Day.

Bayside Wins

Bayside School has won the incredibly prestigious UK Cyber School of the Year Award.

The Chief Minister met with the teaching team behind the success that has put Gibraltar at the forefront of cybersecurity education, and has earned consistent success at the annual Cyber Centurion competition.

The Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, said, “Wow. I am extremely proud of this fantastic achievement by a dedicated team of teachers and their talented pupils. This is excellent news for education in Gibraltar and for all our students who have a very bright future ahead.”

Enrolments at the University of Gibraltar have increased significantly from the last available statistics last year.

This year over 200 students have been welcomed to the Rock’s academic family.

The University of Gibraltar’s Vice-Chancellor said, “I am delighted to welcome our 2020/2021 cohort of students to the University of Gibraltar. It has been a unique year and seeing the excitement of so many new and returning students on campus during our welcome week highlights our purpose; the pursuit of shaping personal and professional futures through education, training and research.”

Acknowledging some of the challenges faced across the higher education sector as a whole, Professor Bachleda added, “Despite all the challenges affecting higher education institutions globally as a result of the pandemic I am pleased to say that our enrolments have more than doubled and we have the largest number of international students to date.

Local students will this year learn alongside learners from Canada, Guatemala, Germany, Nigeria, Italy, Austria, Netherlands, Morocco, Spain and the USA – some of whom will be staying in the student accommodation. In order to welcome everyone on campus and settle them into life in Gibraltar, the University hosted a number of events which included beach volleyball and a walking tour of the Rock.

In the five years since its launch, the University has been developing its portfolio of courses and programmes. Learning opportunities include professional and short courses, undergraduate degrees such as BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing, BSC (Hons) Maritime Science, BBA (Hons) Bachelor of Business Administration and postgraduate programmes that include PGCE, the MBA, MSc in Marine Science and Climate Change, MA Leadership & Management and PhD research. MA Leadership & Management and PhD research.

Is it me or did lockdown go really slowly and summer went really fast? Luckily our children here in Gibraltar have been able to enjoy a relatively normal summer. But now we’ve hit September and it’s time for schools and clubs to start. A child’s first day at school and nursery can be a worrying time for parents, especially in these uncertain times. Over the years PACS have watched the children of Gibraltar grow from tiny babies to confident pre schoolers who thrive at nursery and then school. Socialising your child during their formative years assists in developing their emotional, social and physical development. It can also of course help the parent / carer to develop lifelong friendships. We know, as parents ourselves, the importance of these. 

As schools return, we hope that soon PACS will also be able to start running again. Bumps & Babies has continued throughout the summer at The Living Room Cafe and will continue to do so. Our playgroups and cookery club are planned and ready to start as soon as we are allowed. As we are lucky to live in a warmer climate, some of our groups may take place at an outside location to begin with. If anyone knows of any venues that would be willing to host us, please let us know! 

Please continue to check our Facebook page for regular updates. We are ready to welcome you all with open arms and hope to see you soon.

Facebook: @parentandchildsociety