Community - ZJB Radio

Registration Opens for Podiatry Clinics.

Pink Ribbon Charity Montserrat has announced that registration is officially open for the “Feet for Life” Podiatry Clinics. The clinics will be held from 26th to 31st October 2026 at the Salem Community Resource Centre. Lead organizer Sonia Charles says the “Feet for Life” initiative was developed in response to the growing impact of diabetes and diabetes-related foot complications in Montserrat. She explains that the programme aims to “improve foot health, identify problems early, reduce the risk of avoidable amputations and support the long-term development of podiatry services on the island.” Ms. Charles says the clinics will be delivered by a team of specialist podiatrists from the United Kingdom, supported by a UK vascular sonographer. She says the team “brings expertise in diabetic foot care, wound management, circulation assessment, biomechanics, gait analysis, paediatric foot care, musculoskeletal assessment of the foot and ankle and foot deformities.” The initiative has been arranged by the Pink Ribbon Charity Montserrat in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Montserrat Diabetes Association. Health centers across the island and private doctors are supporting the registration and referral process to help ensure patients who would benefit most are identified.

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Deputy Premier Urged Youth to Learn From the Brutal History of Slavery

Community, News

The Montserrat National Trust and the Nincum Riley Project hosted an Exhibition and Awards ceremony on Monday in celebration of Emancipation Day. The well-attended ceremony was held at the National Museum in Little Bay under the theme “Celebrating Our Heritage. Inspiring Our Youth.” Now in its third year, the ceremony recognizes the work of students who participated in the poem and short story competitions, inspired by the Bramble Family. Addressing the audience Deputy Premier the Honourable Veronica Dorsette Hector congratulated the winners and urged the young people to learn and embrace their history. She told the young people “if you do not know your history, you will not recognize the vestiges of history, of slavery. And so Marcus’s admonition is still relevant for today.” Hon. Dorsette-Hector said that “young people, as we focus on you today, you were asked to imagine the conversation of these two great men (Olauda Equiano & Nincum Riley) . This initiative has been encouraged because you can now question history. You can give it your own voice. She also than thanked the Montserrat National Trust for partnering with the Bramble Family “through their commitment to their mandate of preserving the past and protecting the present, enriching the future, not only for Montserrat, but all who will learn and be inspired by the work they undertake.” The Deputy Premier also suggested more awareness as “many still do not know of the evil practices, even after slavery was abolished, where children under the age of six were taken from their parents, kept to work on the plantations until they reached the age of 21. Their parents had no say in the matter. It was a brutal system. Child slavery and human trafficking continue up to today. And even as we celebrate here, we must remember those persons and seek to bring an end to that.

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Sarah F. Sweeney Foundation hosted Back-to-School Giveaway

Community, Education

The Sarah F. Sweeney Foundation hosted its fifth annual Back-to-School Giveaway, continuing its mission of supporting students on Montserrat with essential school supplies ahead of the new academic year. The annual initiative, organized by Washington-based educator Avril Sweeney-Crawford, was inspired by the legacy of her late grandmother, Sarah F. Sweeney, whose passion for education continues to shape the foundation’s work. Speaking with ZJB News, Sweeney-Crawford said the giveaway is rooted in her grandmother’s unwavering belief in the power of education and her desire to see every child succeed. “Well, to be honest with you, this, the Sarah F. Sweeney back to school giveaway, it’s actually something that my grandmother believed in, and that is education. And that was one of her greatest gifts that she could have given to us as her grandkids. My grandmother, Sarah F. Sweeney, a.k.a. Tata, she wanted every child to know that they are valued, and they’re capable and supported,” Ms. Sweeney Explains. This year’s event was at the Bethesda Methodist Church in Cavalla Hill. In addition to distributing school supplies, the event featured activities designed to create a fun and welcoming atmosphere for children. Planned attractions include a bouncy house, music, snacks and other treats.

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MNI Boys and Girls Club to Hold Back-to-School Giveaway Registrations at PRIME Expo

Community, News, Youth

The MNI Boys and Girls Club is inviting parents and students to register for its annual back-to-school giveaway during this weekend’s Produced in Montserrat Expo (PRIME). The organization continues its mission of supporting education while investing in local businesses. Speaking in a ZJB interview, President, Kevin “Showtime” Lee said the non-profit organization- that has members in Montserrat, the United States and the United Kingdom, has spent the past six years providing assistance to schools and young people on the island. Lee explained that the organization introduced a new approach last year by purchasing goods and services directly from Montserratian entrepreneurs rather than sourcing items overseas. This year, the MNI Boys and Girls Club hopes to increase participation in its giveaway programme from 40 to at least 60 students. Registration will take place at the organization’s booth during the PRIME Expo, where parents can sign up children for sponsored haircuts or hair braiding ahead of the new school year. According to Lee, the programme provides sponsorships of EC$20 for haircuts and EC$60 for braiding, helping families prepare children for the start of the new school term while supporting local entrepreneurs.

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Public to Have Say on Montserrat’s Future Development Plans

Community, News

The wider public will soon have an opportunity to contribute to the drafting of the Sustainable Development Strategy and National Development Plan. Director of Policy & Planning Deonne Peters says a website, dedicated to the strategy will soon go live. She says this is part of a wider effort to engage the public following recent consultations with various groups. The Sustainable Development Strategy represents Montserrat’s 25-year long-term development framework. It sets out the national vision, strategic priorities, and transformational outcomes that will guide the island’s development. The National Development Plan will operationalize this vision by identifying the specific outputs, activities, and investments to be implemented through successive five-year planning cycles. Meantime, Consultant Dr. Andre Henry of Ideas to Business Initiative, says the consultations reveal that there is consensus on what the problems are.

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Health Official Urges Holistic Approach to Chronic Pain Treatment

Community, Health, News

Chronic pain is defined as a serious, complex condition that extends far beyond a physical symptom, often altering the nervous system and profoundly impacting emotional well-being, mobility, and overall quality of life. And effective management often requires a personalized, multidisciplinary approach focused on restoring function rather than relying solely on medications. Speaking on the latest “talking Health” radio programme, District medical officer here Dr. Valentine said it is very important to pay particular attention to areas of functionality, limitation or ability. Dr. Valentine spoke of other areas to look out for such as significant weakness or inability to bear weight. He said that unlike acute pain, which acts as a temporary alarm system for injury, chronic pain often persists long after healing has occurred. Its severity is marked by several factors. He also ruled out a common misconception relating to pain and age.

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Stakeholders Unite to Shape Montserrat’s Marine Future

Community, Environment, Government, News

Montserrat’s ocean assets cannot be understated. This from Governor, Her Excellency Harriet Cross as she gave remarks at the opening ceremony of a two-day Blue Belt Programme workshop here. Governor Cross highlighted the abundant resources in Montserrat’s waters, saying persons must be made aware of its significance. Meantime, Minister for Agriculture, Lands, Housing, the Environment, Youth Affairs and Sports, Hon. John P. Osborne spoke on the importance of managing this environment through a practical and enforced workplan. The Blue Belt Programme workshop, which was held between 14-15 July, brought together stakeholders from across different sectors to have interactive discussion on Montserrat’s marine priority areas. The workshop comes after Montserrat officially joined the Blue Belt programme on 8th June 2026.

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Young Filmmaker aims to Educate others on Montserrat’s History

Community, Culture, News

A young creative is using her skills to educate others on the history of Montserrat. She is Nia Golden. Golden, who resides in the United Kingdom, was the recipient of the Excellence in Arts and Cultural Preservation Award at the recent 2026 Caribbean Global Youth Awards. In an interview with ZJB News, Golden spoke on the work she has been doing over the past few years including providing backing vocals alongside the Black Rhythms Band for the National Calypso and Soca Monarch shows. During that time, she also “got the opportunity to work with a lot of our local artists. I did it for about five years and I was able to make a lot of relationships with them, connections, and just hear a lot of stories.” Her curiosity led her to “pursue a documentary surrounding Montserrat’s calypso and try to sort of put together a storyline of events that would hopefully be a foundation for further research. “And then for my dissertation, (1:07) for my undergraduate degree, I pursued it even further looking at how calypso can be used as part of the Caribbean curriculum from primary school to college.” Ms Golden’s latest projects is a documentary ”looking at the events surrounding the volcanic eruption but more on a personal story level. So talking to the teachers, talking to people who were students at the time, talking to health professionals, police professionals, just because I feel like there isn’t a lot of that around that I wanted to sort of add to that conversation. “So I did get the (1:41) opportunity to present at the MVO conference which was really cool just to give a bit of a taster of what I had and I’ve still been working quite diligently on it. I do want it to be as good as it possibly can and hope that people can enjoy it so it will come out soon.” Sandrae Thomas, who lives in Montserrat, also received the Excellence Global Innovation Award for Leadership, and the Excellence Vanguard in Legislation and Climate Award.

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Small Beginnings Orchestra Prepare to Welcome New Members at Upcoming Summer Programme

Community, News, Youth

Noticeable improvements have been reported in current students’ musical abilities ahead of the Small Beginnings Youth Orchestra’s annual Summer Music Programme. Deadline date is closing in for parents to register their child or children for this summer programme, which will be held at the Salem Resource Centre, from August 17 to 28. Founder and Director Herman Francis says the programme will once again feature music teachers from Guernsey, continuing a partnership that began two years ago and helped improve the students’ musical skills, confidence and ability to read music. Speaking to ZJB News, Francis said the programme is open to both current members and new students, providing an opportunity for children interested in music to join the orchestra and encouraged parents to take advantage of the opportunity by registering their children. Parents interested in registering or returning completed registration forms are encouraged to contact Herman Francis directly by calling or sending a WhatsApp message to 496-7877.

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Urologist Highlights Importance of Annual Prostate Screening

Community, Health, News

Antiguan urologist Dr. Dwayne Thwaites has shared information on the after-process of prostate testing. This, after 120 men on Montserrat participated in a men’s health screening event on Friday 3 July. Dr. Thwaites says if the results are normal, the only thing the individual must do is return for testing the following year. However, he says, if results are abnormal, the next step is a biopsy procedure.

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