Barbadians living in the diaspora have been lending a helping hand to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Philanthropy Officer Gay Howell says efforts are continuing to get Barbadians living abroad to support the facility. She was speaking during the official handover of three transport monitors valued at close to $100 000, from the Barbados Canada Foundation. Treasurer of the Barbados Canada Foundation Hugh Graham says through fundraising efforts, the foundation has donated equipment valued at several hundred thousand to the QEH so far. He says while the main fundraising event is the ‘Bring on the Spring’ event, the foundation also offers scholarships to Barbadians studying at Canadian universities and colleges.

Barbados is on the radar of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority. Representatives are on island assessing the Barbados Food and Rum Festival. Director of Tourism for the Caribbean and Latin America, Charmaine Browne-Spencer has been promoting Antigua and Barbuda and its product offerings. Aside from its beaches, she says Antigua possesses several smaller outer islands. Ms. Browne-Spencer was a guest on CBC TV8’s Mornin’ Barbados.

Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley is among several CARICOM leaders in Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. The biennial gathering of monarchs, heads of government, government ministers and senior officials, civil society and faith groups is the first to be held in a small island developing state in the Pacific. The summit opened with King Charles the Third, the Head of the Commonwealth, telling the organisation it should acknowledge its painful history, and urging it to right inequalities that endure. He however did not directly refer to slavery during his address. King Charles told leaders the past can’t be changed and encouraged them to commit to learning from history. Meanwhile Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Right Honourable Patricia Scotland acknowledged the achievements made during her tenure. She says they were made in the face of immense and unpredictable challenges. Heads of Government and their representatives are expected to meet in executive sessions and deliberate in a leaders’ retreat to discuss shared priorities that will shape the future work programmes of the Commonwealth.