The Anguilla Red Cross emerged as the 2016 winner at the Annual Risk Reduction Recognition Award Ceremony on April 6.
The award is a partnership between Alliance Insurance Services and the National Disaster Management Committee.
Governor, Christina Scott, congratulated the Red Cross and encouraged all other agencies and stakeholders to make significant efforts to reduce and mitigate the impact of disasters. “This [Disaster risk reduction] isn’t something that Government could do by itself, or the private sector and civil society and voluntary organizations. It requires really close coorporation between all three sectors” she said.
Ms. Sandra Lowell, Manager of the insurance company, presented the cheque for US$500, and a Certificate, to Ms. Jennyville Smith on behalf of the Red Cross.
Ms. Lowell outlined the purpose of the award. Among other matters, it recognizes excellence by individuals and agencies, groups and institutions, throughout Anguilla, contributing in an outstanding manner to reducing disaster risk and a safer and more sustained island.
Mr. Damian Barker, Acting Director of Disaster Management reminded the gathering that everyone who makes an effort to reduce risk in Anguilla is a winner. “The value of this award is reflective simply by what it stands for; it stands for efforts to be made to reduce risks in our communities and across Anguilla. That value far exceeds any monetary reward”, he told the gathering.
The Award, which is now in its 6th year, recognizes excellence in innovation, outreach, and collaboration to improve the resilience of Anguilla’s communities to disasters. The evaluators who comprise members of the National Disaster Management Committee (NDMC) assessed that the Anguilla Red Cross best met the criteria achieving excellent considerations for the risk reduction activities.
The criteria categories included creating a safety and risk reducing set of activities which have stimulated knowledge of various health risks and focus on disease prevention; improving the ability to identify and abate unsafe conditions and practices; implementing effective safety and mitigating resourcing strategies; increasing risk reduction awareness and mitigation programme communication; and improving the ability to identify and abate hazards.
The Anguilla Red Cross Disaster Risk Reduction Programme include community level mitigation and risk reducing activities such as strengthening capacities for disaster response; systematic approaches to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities; and working with high risk communities to reduce exposure to risks and equip communities with requisite training and equipment to mitigate effects of hazards.
