Community – Page 2

Fuel Prices Ease Slightly Following Government Freight Tariff Reduction

Consumers will enjoy a slight reprieve at the pumps following the latest fuel price adjustment. The new rates released by the Trade, Investment, and Bureau of Standards and Quality Unit, Monday show modest decreases across most petroleum products compared to August 2025. As of November 7, regular gasoline has dipped from EC$17.01 to EC$16.89, while Diesel now sells for EC$13.52, down from EC$13.99 in August. Premium Gasoline also recorded a small reduction, moving from EC$17.47 to EC$17.62, maintaining relative stability. The Government of Montserrat has attributed the latest easing to the implementation of its 50% reduction in freight tariffs across the board in a move to reduce the cost of living for residents.

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Senior Bank of Montserrat Officials Join Regional Peers at Caribbean Association of Banks 2025 Conference in Trinidad

Community, Finance, News

Senior officials from the Bank of Montserrat Limited recently joined regional financial leaders at the 2025 Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Caribbean Association of Banks (CAB), held from October 28 to November 1 in Trinidad. Representing the Bank were General Manager Mrs. Josephine George; IT Manager Mr. Winston Lewis; and Montserrat’s representative on the CAB Board, Mr. Cheddie Dulep, who serves as Director for the Eastern Caribbean and Barbados. The conference opened with a Sustainable Banking Roundtable, focusing on the sector’s evolving role in tackling climate change, advancing ESG principles, and promoting regulatory transformation. Concurrently, Republic Bank hosted a Small Business Workshop and Marketplace, where over 30 participants explored strategies to access finance, enhance digital capacity, and scale their businesses. On October 29, members convened for CAB’s Annual General Meeting, reviewing achievements, setting priorities for the new term, and electing the 2025–2026 Board of Directors. The day concluded with a Grand Opening Ceremony celebrating Caribbean banking excellence and innovation. Subsequent plenary sessions explored key themes shaping the financial landscape, including Banking as a Service, Cybersecurity, Relationship Banking, and Trade Finance Guarantees Later discussions examined digital transformation and sustainability, covering topics such as AI and low-code systems, intra-regional payments (CAPSS), sustainability standards (S1 and S2), and cybersecurity in the Caribbean banking industry. The event provided invaluable insights into emerging technologies, disclosure standards, and ESG integration, reinforcing CAB’s commitment to innovation and resilience in the region’s financial sector. The Caribbean Association of Banks Incorporated remains the collective voice of the Caribbean’s financial services industry, fostering collaboration, capacity building, and competitiveness across the region.

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Montserrat Union of Teachers Revives Biennial Convention After Five Years, and Elects New Executive

Community, Education, News

The Montserrat Union of Teachers (MUT) successfully hosted its Biennial Convention, the first in over 5 years, on Friday, November 7, culminating with the election of a new Executive. The convention was held at the Brades Arts and Education Centre and focused on empowerment of teachers through multiple sessions, including the importance of trade unions and the rights of workers, which was conducted by Honourable Nyota Mulcare; a Financial Health discussion with members of the St. Patricks Co-operative Credit Union on services that teachers could benefit from. A session on Psychological Wellbeing was conducted by Lester Ryan, and a session entitled Let’s Talk, facilitated by Minister of Education, Dr. the Honourable Ingrid Buffonge. The meeting also saw members of the newly elected Executive, President- Sis José White; Vice President- Sis Audris Jno Baptiste; Secretary- Sis Venice Jones; Treasurer- Sis Hyacinth Bramble-Browne; Assistant Secretary/Treasurer- Sis Jamilia Greenaway; PRO- Sis Lorraine Francois; Floor Members- Sis Althea Sweeney and Bro Mcloyd White The new executive extended sincere gratitude to its members for believing and trusting in them to present and advocate on their behalf, and to those who helped to make this year’s convention a memorable and successful one.

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Ministry Launches “Bridging the Gap” Workshops to Strengthen Parent-Teen Relationships

Community, Education, News

The Ministry of Health and Social Services is providing parents with an opportunity to strengthen their relationships with their teenagers through a new four-week workshop series. Titled “Bridging the Gap Between Parents and Teens,” the program is designed to help parents better understand and support their children through the often challenging adolescent years. The sessions begin this Wednesday, November 12th, at the Davy Hill Community Centre, and will continue weekly from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on November 12th, 19th, 26th, and December 3rd, 2025. The workshops will be co-facilitated by Dr. Dionne Imara and the Director of Social Services, Mrs. Teresena Fergus. Topics will include understanding the teenage brain and development, communication that works, boundaries, rules, and consequences, and fostering resilience, independence, and connection. According to the Ministry, the sessions aim to equip parents with practical tools to improve communication, set healthy boundaries, and build stronger family relationships. The program is open to all parents of teens, and interested participants can register by calling 495-3895 or 495-7491.

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Montserrat Strengthens Emergency Response with Successful HAZMAT and HNS Training

Community, News

The first phase of the Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) and Hazardous Noxious Substances (HNS) Training, facilitated by Ambipar Response, here, has been deemed a tremendous success. The three-day training, which began on Friday, 7 November 2025, and concluded on Sunday, 9 November 2025, brought together 27 personnel from the Montserrat Port Authority (MPA), Marine Unit of the Royal Montserrat Police Service (RMPF), the Montserrat National Oil Response Team, the Royal Montserrat Defense Force (RMDF), and the Disaster Management Coordination Agency (DMCA). Participants were introduced to key aspects of HAZMAT and HNS incident management, including risk identification, response techniques, and equipment use for both terrestrial and marine environments. Topics covered included: • Introduction and Background • Labelling, Causes, Fates, and Effects • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Gas Monitoring • Site Set-up and Equipment Use • Tactical Response Strategies The training focused on building capacity among local response agencies to safely and effectively deploy equipment, mitigate environmental risks, and use personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with international safety standards. Upon successful completion of this phase, participants will be awarded an IMO-equivalent Certificate of Competency in HAZMAT/HNS Response, recognizing their enhanced capability to respond to hazardous material incidents across Montserrat’s terrestrial and marine areas. Meantime, the second phase of the training, focusing on the management of Hazardous Noxious Substances (HNS), commenced on Monday, 10 November 2025, and will conclude on Tuesday, 11 November 2025. This segment builds on the practical skills developed during Phase One and emphasizes incident command, response coordination, and strategic decision-making in managing HNS events. It aims to further strengthen Montserrat’s readiness and resilience in addressing environmental and maritime emergencies. The training, held at Port Little Bay and the DMCA Headquarters, was funded by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) in collaboration with the Montserrat Maritime Administration (MMA) and the Montserrat Port Authority (MPA).

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Leading Voice in Diabetes Education Holds Public Outreach Sessions across Montserrat

Community, Health, News

UK-based Diabetes Ambassador and Advocate Tony Kelly is currently on island leading a series of public sessions aimed at raising awareness about the disease, and the need to make healthy lifestyle choices. Mr Kelly, who has been a leading voice for diabetes education across the UK and the Caribbean, is meeting with communities across Montserrat this week to share practical information, and to distribute educational materials on the prevention and management of the disease. Mr Kelly- who has led similar initiatives across the Caribbean and North America, is urging residents to take diabetes prevention and management more seriously, highlighting the growing number of lower limb amputations linked to the disease. Speaking ahead of his public outreach sessions on island, the diabetes ambassador called on Montserratians to attend in large numbers and learn practical ways to care for their health. On Monday, November 3, Mr. Kelly met with members of the Spanish-speaking community at the Davy Hill Community Centre. Upcoming sessions include- Thursday, November 6, at the Emmanuel Apostolic Faith Church in St. John’s for residents of the Haitian community, from 5:00 to 6:30 PM; Friday, November 7, at Julian’s Bar in Salem for residents of Salem and surrounding areas, from 5:00 to 6:30 PM. Saturday, November 8 at the New Ebenezer Seventh-day Adventist Church in St John’s for the Seventh-Day Adventist community and residents in the surrounding areas; and Monday, November 10, at the Davy Hill Community Centre for the general public, from 6:30 to 8:00 PM.

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Montserrat Residents receive Official Donation Information to Aid Jamaica’s Hurricane Relief Efforts

Community, News

In the wake of Hurricane Melissa, Jamaica continues to receive support from Montserrat and the rest of the world. Honorary consul for Jamaica, Angela Greenaway, appeared on ZJB Radio Wednesday morning to share with the public the official channels to make financial contributions to Jamaica. Along with discussion on how persons can send physical donations, Mrs. Greenaway also highlighted the work of the Jamaica Montserrat Association, the Salem Community Action Group, and Montserrat Red Cross in soliciting donations to send to Jamaica. Mrs. Greenaway also emphasized the importance of ensuring that all persons who have been affected benefit from the donations made. Persons can contact Mrs. Angela Greenaway at 1-664-496-5809 for more information on the needs list, the official Jamaica government portal or other donation channels.

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RMPS Says Probe Continues Into Galloway Hit-and-Run Incident

Community, Crime, News

The Royal Montserrat Police Service (RMPS) is reporting that there has not been any breakthrough in what has been described as a hit-and-run accident involving Nathan Galloway. Galloway was injured in a night-time incident earlier this year in which he sustained substantial in juries. Commissioner of police Mark Payne says the findings from items which were sent off island for forensic examination are inconclusive and as such they are unable to charge anyone with causing Galloway’s injuries. He however says the investigations are continuing

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United Alliance Administration Continues Focus on Sustainable Economic Development for Montserrat

Community, Government, News

The United Alliance (UA) Government is celebrating its first full year in office. The first year in government, following the October 24 victory at the polls, would likely have been dominated by work on significant development projects supported by the United Kingdom (UK) government. The United Alliance’s first year is also marked by their efforts to fulfill campaign promises, such as strengthening the economy and developing infrastructure, as part of the broader UK-Montserrat development partnership. Some of the Key developments in the UA’s first year include the New Governor, Her Excellency Harriet Cross taking up her appointment here in April 2025, succeeding Sarah Tucker; Continued UK support where the UK-Montserrat development partnership, a £40 million program aimed at supporting infrastructure and economic growth, continued during this period. Additional work on major projects, such as the new National Hospital, continuing under the new government; Focus on economic growth: The alliance’s first year is marked by a continued focus on implementing policies aimed at fostering economic growth and encouraging private sector development; and Strengthening partnerships: The United Alliance government has been focusing on strengthening partnerships with the UK and other international partners, particularly in the areas of infrastructure development and economic support. Appearing on the “What’s On Your Mind” radio programme on ZJB Thursday, Public Relations Officer, Jenzil Skerritt stated that the job is far from complete. He called for a united effort to move Montserrat forward into sustained growth and development.

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Bethesda Methodist Church Celebrates 140th Anniversary

Community, News

The Bethesda Methodist Church on Montserrat recently celebrated its 140th Anniversary as a chapel. On October 12th, a special service was held at the Church in Cavalla Hill to observe the special occasion. The service also acknowledged the over 192 years of Methodism on Montserrat. Premier and Minister of Finance and Economic Management, the Honourable Reuben T. Meade, made remarks at the service, highlighting the church’s history and its benefit to Montserrat’s community during the volcanic crisis and hurricanes. In his remarks, President of the Leeward Islands District of the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas, Bishop Reverend Damion Hughes noted the church’s resilience, having faced several natural disasters. Chairman of the Montserrat Christian Council (MCC), Reverend Shane McFarlane also gave greetings, encouraging the church, as they look towards the future, to continue spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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