Government Commits $1 Million To Island Games
The Bermuda Government has “wholeheartedly thrown its support” behind the Island Games, and have committed $1 million to the event, Minister of Community and Cultural Development Wayne Scott said today [July 4].
“We‘re only 9 short days away from the start of the NatWest Island Games, and we at the Ministry of Community and Cultural Development are excited about the upcoming competition and the arrival of athletes from the around the world, including the UK, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Greenland, Cayman Islands, St Helena and the Falklands Islands,” said the Minister.
The Minister continued, “And the time has come for Bermuda to be on centre stage, and I am pleased to declare that Bermuda is ready to host the Island Games.
“My message to all residents is simple… it’s time to roll out the red carpet and to welcome the athletes who have worked so hard and made great sacrifices to participate in these Games.”
Bermuda will host the Island Games at 15 different venues across the island from 13th July until 19th July.
Minister Scott’s full statement follows below:
Good afternoon!
We ‘re only 9 short days away from the start of the NatWest Island Games, and we at the Ministry of Community and Cultural Development are excited about the upcoming competition and the arrival of athletes from the around the world, including the UK, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Greenland, Cayman Islands, St Helena and the Falklands Islands.
This is the first time the Games have ever been held outside of Europe and we are expecting close to 2,000 athletes, officials and visiting spectators to descend on our Island.
And the time has come for Bermuda to be on centre stage, and I am pleased to declare that Bermuda is ready to host the Island Games.
My message to all residents is simple… it’s time to roll out the red carpet and to welcome the athletes who have worked so hard and made great sacrifices to participate in these Games.
Many of athletes have been raising money for four years for this opportunity to compete.
It is a tremendous sacrifice for many and we want our visitors to enjoy the Games and of course, our famous Bermudian hospitality.
Today, I am encouraging everyone to come and support the athletes and cheer on our local competitors.
We hope that all residents will take advantage of the great ticket prices and go to the many venues to support the teams. A great deal of planning has taken place to ensure that the Games are a success.
The hub of activity will be the Bermuda National Sports Centre, which will serve as the venue for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Athletics, Football, Swimming and Beach Volleyball. Other venues include: Spanish Point Boat Club, Berkeley Institute, ER Joell Tennis Stadium, Bermuda Squash Club, BHS, Bermuda College, Warwick Camp, Coopers Island, Bermuda Gymnastics Centre and Port Royal Golf Course.
As you can see, the National Centre has taken on a new look with the installation of sand for beach volleyball. The Bermuda Government has wholeheartedly thrown its support behind the Games. We have committed $1 million to this event and have worked in partnership with the Organizing Committee to help them achieve their goals.
The Games has demanded tremendous co-ordination of transport, accommodation, sports governing bodies, athletes, sponsors, volunteers and venue, and I want to acknowledge and thank the Chairman, Mr. Jon Beard and his committee for their tireless effort, not only to bring the Games to Bermuda but to manage and organize and monumental event.
We wish you much success over the course of the Games. Now ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to ask Mr. Beard to share a few remarks on behalf of the Committee.
Thank you.
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I thought we were trying to save damn money!! Some hell!!
Where is this money coming from?… asking people to sacrifice and take pay cuts and the like…I thought we were in debt…
The planning for these Games started 4 years ago when Bermuda won the right to host them. Obviously, with an event of this magnitude, the funds from the Govt. and other sponsors would have been committed to support the event ages ago……and NOT in the last few days. YES, we are all feeling the pinch economically BUT we have 2000 athletes coming NOT counting their friends and family. This is a huge boost for tourism and a chance for BDA to show the world how capable we are of organising and hosting a world class event. Can everyone please be the best we can be to our visitors. We want them to return!
Yup, this govt can find money for games, but they want average man and woman to take a 15% wage cut !!! Makes no sense to me !
Explain this to me bob !!!!!!
WTF seriously!!!!! Smh
Ummm… Won’t this bring a hell of a lot more than that amount into the island, especially as it is being staffed largely by volunteers? Seems like a wise investment to me, unless the govt has already sunk millions into this?
Not the point tired mum, pay the hell attention !!!!!
No, that is the point. She’s right.
Not true at all. THe people that are coming here have already brought their tickets to this event, they didn’t buy them becuase our Government donated 1m dollars. Wether we donated or not, they would have still came. A pointless donation that came too late.
Can we have the statistics on how many tourists this $1 million will draw from our transparent government, in light of the fact that we are in debt and government is asking the average man/woman to take pay cuts??????
This should bring in at least 3,000 visitors including athletes many will come early and stay later to enjoy a Bermuda vacation seems like a good investment to me ?
Not true at all. THe people that are coming here have already brought their tickets to this event, they didn’t buy them becuase our Government donated 1m dollars. Wether we donated or not, they would have still came. A pointless donation that came too late.
And if it was a total flop due to lack of funds the result would be 3000 plus visitors with a negative view of the island.
By word of mouth alone how many people might this reach?
The point is Bermuda was already committed to the event so we need to ensure it is a success (a great stay for all our visitors).
I suspect the government was committed to this cost almost from the time they signed on to the games. I doubt its a new pledge with only 9 days to go before the starting ceremony.
$61,000K for KBB $120,000.00 for Corey Butterfield…worker don’t fall for the hoop-la…
Rhonda,
Why didn;t you quote Ms. Wade’s, MS. Webb’s and Mr. Commissiong’s lucractive consultancy contracts when the PLP sought for the civil servants to take a pay cut? Why did you stay so silent? Why weren’t you ou there advocating for the ‘workers?’
I am genuinely interested.
Paula Cox getting paid for the post of Premier and also getting paid for post of Finance Minister. Whereas for civil servants they would just get paid for the higher post otherwise it is double pay.
But I disagree with both parties. I vote for whichever one I have the most faith in or lesser of two evils.
I think the fact the the Premier, whoever it may be at any given time, gets paid good money and has free rent (Camden or Gombey House) is absurd.
While you, me, john and jane doe pay our rent/mortgage out of ourown paychecks or savings. In general I disagree that luxuries should be provided with additional taxpayer money and should be paid for out of a paycheck like everyone else. I live within my very limited means at way less than a ministers salary.
The committment to hold the Small Island Games was made during the administration of the previous Government and it would be catastrophic to either cancel it now or have it collapse. The negative publicity would do far more damage to us internationally than forking out the money to ensure its success. As ‘Family Man’ says, if this committment had already been made then this Government has no real choice.
What we need to do is to give our full support to this event and ake sure that it’s a great success.
Agreed!!!
Giving away money that we dont have. Well done.
Those posting criticisms of this event really don’t have any idea what it means to the Island. All of the sports are being supported by volunteers from our community and this is a fantastic opportunity to show 3,000+ people what Bermudian hospitality really is.
I strongly suspect the funding mentioned in the article was committed to long ago. Having attended the Island Games in the Shetland Islands years ago I will say I spent money that any tourist would have spent…but the reason I was there to spend it was because of the Games.
I just attended a meeting for my union where the government tried to ask us civil servants to take a HUGE pay cut. But they are willing to give 1 million dollars away for this? Why not just say, “sorry we can’t host the games this year”, but they find it easy to say, “sorry we need to cut your salaries.”
As was mentioned before, these games were bid on and won by the PLP. (see July 13 2012) when Glen Blakeney announced we had won the bid. You have to bid on these things well in advanced (possible by at least 2 years). So all of you narrow-minded people, think for a minute. Who put the bid in? Stop trying to blame everything on the present government.
This event might help boost tourism.
The civil service is vastly overstaffed (largely due to the downturn in tourism).
It’s not like the current Govt. agreed to this.
I also think the PLP would have ensured this event went off successfully by the way and would have provided funds if necessary!
Agree entirely with 1,3, and 4
I agree that CS is over-staffed but I think that even with tourism up there would still be a lot of dead-weight, I think that we just notice it more because of the decreased revenue and lack of available jobs island-wide.