Community - page 7

The Guardian Angel Foundation has donated over £3,300 to the Office of the Commissioner for Sustainable Development and Future Generations to support an initiative that encourages young people to take social responsibility, look after the world around them, and play an active part in their community. This money has been used to purchase books and other resources that can be deployed in lower and upper primary schools. A further £4,500 has been earmarked to develop the initiative further by encouraging growing food in schools and looking after green spaces.

The Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change, Prof John Cortes said, “Building a greener tomorrow is not just the responsibility of the Government, it requires that everyone in the community think beyond their own individual needs and take responsibility. This initiative builds upon the excellent work being done by local educators and youth workers and questions what is important to us as a community now, and in the future.”

Mr Kevin Hook, spokesman for the Charity, added, “We also seek to fund activities that may benefit children and make their lives happier with less worry, which really is what childhood should be all about.’ Mr Hook explained that the Charity ‘has established a close working relationship with the Government to help guide us in our projects so that our help has a maximum impact on the children who most need it. In effect, every penny raised is used solely for the projects that have been identified. Therefore, all administrative and other costs associated with running the charity will be met by the Committee members themselves.”

Bosom Buddies Cancer Trust recently donated £867 to Pancreatic Cancer Awareness.

A total of £7,803 was raised from sales of their 2020 calendars, with the funds donated equally to the nine Gibraltar cancer charities. Louis Baldachino and the Pancreatic Cancer Awareness team wishes to thank everyone one involved, with a special mention for Bosom Buddies chairperson, Sonia Golt.

Recruitment for Mrs Gibraltar 2020 is now open.

• The entry requirements include:
• Married ladies
• Mothers over 22 years old or long-term relationships
• Divorced ladies
• Mothers over 25 years old

You can apply on the Mrs Gibraltar Facebook page, or mrsgibraltar@gmail.com

The closing date is Wednesday 1st April 2020 and the event will be held on Friday 7th August in the Alameda Theatre.

Good luck!

The roadmap for the improvement of Main Street continues apace as the Minister for Business met with the Gibraltar Federation of Small Businesses and international specialists, The Mosaic Partnership as part of the ongoing progress and implementation of a Business Improvement District (BID).

It’s envisaged that the implementation of a BID will enhance the trading relationship between businesses and customers as well add further aesthetic improvements to Gibraltar’s world-famous trading district.

The Minister for Business, the Hon. Vijay Daryanani said, “The Government fully supports this initiative by the GFSB to enhance and fulfil the potential that we all believe Main Street can enjoy as an international shopping area for locals and visitors. As we have previously mentioned, the Government is financially committed to supporting this project on a pound for pound basis.”

Julian Byrne, Chairperson of the GFSB added, “We are very excited to see the positive progress that is being made towards creating the Main Street BID. The GFSB are very grateful to the Government for their support from day one, both financially, plus also in the time and effort dedicated to it. Having a Minister of Business who has a great deal of experience in Main Street has been incredibly beneficial to this whole project. This meeting is one of many as we push forward to make the Main Street BID a reality, which will be beneficial for business owners, the Government, tourists and locals too.”

The Gibraltar Honours Board (GHB), under the Chairmanship of the Interim Governor, will be meeting in the Spring to consider nominations for The Queen’s New Year Honours List 2021; and The Gibraltar Award. The latter is awarded by the GHB and announced coincident with The Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2020.

Nominations are sought to recognise those people, from any section of the Gibraltarian Community, that 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 no later than Monday 6th April 2020 on a GHB Nomination Proforma and addressed to:

GHB Secretary
Office of the Governor
The Convent, Main Street
Gibraltar GX11 1AA

A copy of the necessary form can be obtained at The Convent Rear Gate Reception or from the GHB Secretary at enquiry.gibraltar@fco.gov.uk

Nominations can be supported by up to two letters of endorsement from people with a personal knowledge of the nominees’ contribution or service.

The following Honours are up for consideration:

• Companion of Saint Michael and Saint George (CMG) and Commander of the British Empire (CBE)
• Officer of the British Empire (OBE)
• Member of the British Empire (MBE)
• British Empire Medal (BEM)
• Gibraltar Award (GA)

Full details of the nuances of each Honour can be found online.

A co-ordinating group has been established to monitor Coronavirus in Gibraltar.

A recent meeting involved Government departments, the Royal Gibraltar Police and Gibraltar’s Essential Services.

During the meeting, the Director of Public Health, Dr Sohail Bhatti, briefed the group on the current state of the virus.

The Acting Chief Minister the Hon Prof John Cortes who has responsibility for Public Health, chaired the meeting, which was also attended by Minister for Civil Contingencies, Samantha Sacramento and Minister for Health, Paul Balban.

The risk – identified at the time of publication – centres on people who have been to mainland China from mid-January.

If you have cold-like or flu symptoms, it is advised to stay at home, drink plenty fluids and keep warm. You can also call the PCC 20072266 where infection control nurses are on hand to give advice.

In the meantime, current medical thinking is that Coronavirus could be spread by droplets, so good hygiene with frequent hand washing will help stop its spread.

The Ministry of Business, Tourism and Transport, has teamed up with GibSams, to rollout a new awareness campaign.

Using a combination of bush shelters, bus signposts and external advertising on buses themselves the campaign aims to further enhance the reach of the services GibSams offers. This ties in with a concerning rise in mental health issues in Gibraltar.

The charity’s Freephone helpline, 116123, is open every day from 6:00pm to midnight. 

The Minister for Business, Tourism and Transport, the Hon Vijay Daryanani, commented, “I am pleased to see the positive collaboration amongst my Ministry, GibSams and the Gibraltar Bus Company for a truly worthy cause. The roll out of this awareness campaign throughout our public transport vehicles as well on bus shelters and signposts provides useful information to the public on many frequented routes and thoroughfares throughout Gibraltar”.

The Chairperson of GibSams, Ms Marielou Guerrero also added, “We are really grateful to Minister Vijay Daryanani for immediately agreeing to support GibSams in a joint public awareness campaign. We are trying to reach all sectors of the community to inform them that there is help available to them when they need it. They do not have to suffer alone or in silence.

“Our sincere thanks to the team at the Ministry of Business, Tourism and Transport for their swift action, our graphic designers for producing the artworks for us, the team at the Gibraltar Bus Company who installed the posters for all their hard work, and to the gentleman who placed these on the buses and shelters, despite the stormy weather! Everyone worked at full speed to make sure the campaign was up and running before Christmas, which for many, can be a very bad time of the year”.