The Post & Customer Services Centre (P&CSC) plan to use images of local properties, decorated with Christmas lights for the festive season, in their Christmas 2019 stamp issue.

The P&CSC would like to appeal to the public to submit digital images of their decorated properties for consideration. The best images will be used for the Christmas 2019 stamp issue.

Images must be in a digital format and should be submitted by the end of February 2019.

Submissions can be sent to the Assistant Customer Services Manager, Alan Bennett, via e-mail: alan.bennett@sainthelena.gov.sh, or can be dropped off at the P&CSC in Jamestown. Please submit names and addresses with images.

SHG
12 December 2018

http://www.sainthelena.gov.sh

HM Customs & Revenue would like to advise customers of the following opening times during the festive period.

Wednesday, 12 December	08:30 – 17:00
Thursday, 13 December	08:30 – 17:00
Friday, 14 December	08:30 – 17:00
Monday, 17 December	08:30 – 16:00
Tuesday, 18 December	08:30 – 18:30
Wednesday, 19 December	08:30 – 16:00
Thursday, 20 December	08:30 – 18:30
Friday, 21 December	08:30 – 18:30

Customs will be closed from Monday, 24 December, through to Tuesday, 1 January 2019. Normal business will resume on Wednesday, 2 January. During the closed period an officer will be on call.

HM Customs would like to thank the public for their continuous support and would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

SHG
12 December 2018

http://www.sainthelena.gov.sh

Executive Council met today with two items on the open agenda.

For the first item, members were asked to endorse a report from the Liberated African Advisory Committee outlining options and recommendations for the reburial of the Excavated Liberated African Remains. The Advisory Committee was established by Executive Council in October 2017, with the primary objective to explore options to provide a peaceful and final resting place for the disturbed Liberated African Remains which are currently being housed in the former Pipe Store.  The main recommendations in the report are that the reinterment should take place within Rupert’s Valley, that a memorial should be created at the site and that an interpretation centre should be developed in Rupert’s. Other recommendations are that in the interim period prior to reburial, the remains will continue to be housed in the Pipe Store and that every effort should be made to encourage people to engage with the display of the materials returned from the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool. Members were happy to endorse the report and the recommendations and took the opportunity to thank the Advisory Committee for their excellent work. The Committee will now go on to explore funding options to take the recommendations forward.

Members were then asked to advise whether the Medical, Dentistry and Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill should be printed, published and presented as Government Business at the next formal meeting of the Legislative Council. It was noted that the Public Health Committee had reviewed the current provision and as a result recommended that amendments were necessary as follows:

Practitioner qualifications are reviewed internally within the Health Directorate by the Director of Health or Delegated Officers before recommendation to the Governor;

Evidence of Good Standing from a previous Registration Authority is obtained before practitioners are recommended for registration by the Governor; and

That the fines and sanctions for non-registration as a practitioner before undertaking such role on the island are reviewed upwards.

The Bill will amend the Medical Practitioners Ordinance 1910, the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance 1937 and the Dentists Ordinance 1955.

Members debated the draft Bill and raised concerns in relation to the level of qualifications, the internal processes and the on-island practice and control. Members were reassured that these concerns will be addressed in the supporting policies which would sit behind the Bill. On that basis Members were content to approve the Bill as Government Business for the next formal meeting of Legislative Council.

ExCo

11 December 2018

The following is a public announcement from Waste Management Services:

Waste Management Services (WMS) will continue their operations over the festive period as follows:

Domestic & Commercial Waste Collection:

All domestic and commercial waste collection services throughout December and January will remain mostly unchanged except for the following:

There will be no domestic or commercial waste collection on Tuesday, 25 December 2018 (Christmas Day) and on Tuesday, 1 January 2019 (New Year’s Day).

Customers who ordinarily have their waste collected on a Tuesday will instead have it collected on the preceding day – Monday, 24 December 2018 (Christmas Eve) and Monday, 31 December 2018 (New Year’s Eve), respectively.

Customers are asked to ensure their bins are ready for emptying by 6am. Late placement of bins may result in bins not being emptied.

Safe and Efficient Waste Storage and Collection:

All cardboard boxes must be flattened prior to waste collection, with large volumes of cardboard tied in bundles for safe handling. WMS will not collect cardboard boxes that have not been suitably prepared. All other waste must be bagged and not placed loose into bins. Where possible, please sanitise your wheelie bins regularly to prevent the formation of maggots. WMS is not responsible for sanitising commercial or individual domestic wheelie bins.

Horse Point Landfill Site:

 The site will remain open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The public is encouraged to recycle as much of their waste prior to any disposal into the bulky waste cell. The Public Recycling Facility can receive plastics, glass, cans, scrap metal, wood, cooking & motor oil, tyres, cardboard, vehicle & domestic batteries, white goods, small electrical appliances, furniture, textiles and clothing.

The public is advised not to use the Landfill Site during the hours of darkness due to the obvious hazards that exist.

Bulky Waste:

The public is reminded that the free bulky waste collection service previously offered by WMS has been cancelled. Members of the public are advised to make private arrangements for the collection and disposal of any bulky waste.

 Public Area Sanitation:

All public area sanitation services throughout December and January will remain unchanged. Please dispose of your litter in the bins provided for the protection of the environment.

Wheelie Bins:

WMS will have a limited stock of 240Litre black wheelie bins available for households and businesses for their waste management from February 2019. Residents and businesses requiring wheelie bins are asked to contact the Environmental Risk Manager, Mike Durnford, on tel: 24724 or via email: mike-durnford@enrd.gov.sh

Waste Management Enquiries:

 With effect from Friday, 7 December 2018, through to Tuesday, 2 January 2019, all Waste Management Services’ enquiries should be directed to the Landfill Manager, Patrick Crowie, on tel: 23655 or via email: landfill.manager@helanta.co.sh.This includes the following enquiries:

• Domestic & commercial waste collection
• Hazardous waste disposal
• Incineration Service
• Secure Data Disposal Service
• Any waste management issues

Waste Management Services are committed to ‘working with customers for a cleaner and greener St Helena’.

SHG
11 December 2018

http://www.sainthelena.gov.sh

 

The following is a public announcement from the Roads Section:

The Highways Authority has given approval for the road to be closed from Seales Corner to the Guide Hall, between 9am and 3pm, on Monday, 17 and Tuesday, 18 December 2018. This closure is to enable the Roads Section to carry out line painting works.

For the duration of the works, all residents and workers in the Seales Corner area, including the Carnarvon Court Complex, Connect Saint Helena Ltd, Harris’ Flats, Matron’s Quarters, Parish Block, and the Guide Hall, are asked to vacate these car parks by 8.30am to allow works to commence. For the closure, residents and workers may use Pilling Primary School playground to park their vehicles.

The Roads Section would like to thank the public in advance for their continued understanding and cooperation.

SHG
10 December 2018

http://www.sainthelena.gov.sh

The Education and Employment Directorate is pleased to announce that Lisa Joshua has graduated with a Bachelor of Education (Hons) degree in Primary Education.

Lisa, daughter of Lionel and Veronica Joshua, started her teaching career in St Helena as an Initial Teacher Trainee in 2014. She departed the Island to pursue her studies in August 2015. Lisa studied a B.Ed in Primary Education (5-11), with a Music specialism, at the University of Winchester for three years.

Elements of her studies included looking at the development and leadership of Music within primary schools and undertaking work placements in various primary and junior schools in Hampshire, UK.

Lisa undertook three core placements during her degree programme, teaching 80% of a class timetable. In addition, Lisa undertook various volunteer and course placements throughout university. She was privileged to be able to visit schools in Denmark and Latvia and presented a research project – Outdoor learning in Early Years – at The International Conference in Riga, Latvia.

Lisa successfully completed her studies in July 2018 and graduated on 18 October 2018. Lisa is now working through her Induction Year as a newly qualified Teacher and is currently teaching a Year Three class in a school in Eastleigh, Hampshire.

Lisa commented:

“The past three years have definitely been a challenge, particularly being away from home and family. However, it has only made me grow as a person and as a teacher. I have learnt so much throughout the course which I will be able to bring to St Helena and which I am already using with my current class. I am loving having my own class so far, especially leading up to Christmas.

“I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who made this possible and to those who helped make this experience a memorable and positive one.”

#StHelena #Education #Graduation #SaintSuccess

https://www.facebook.com/StHelenaGovt/

https://twitter.com/StHelenaGovt

SHG
10 December 2018

WEEK SEVEN

This was the final week of the St Helena Police Initial Police Training seven-week course.

The students took their final examinations and were tested against the entire course content in a final summative exercise. This consisted of having to deal with six practical scenarios. These included dealing with a violent domestic incident, a suspected drunk driver, a disturbance in the street, a vulnerable person, a male with an offensive weapon, and a suspect in custody.

This was a challenging practical examination, but the students dealt with each incident in a measured and professional manner. As a result, they all passed this final test.

During the week, they also received additional law training, including how to deal with a breach of the peace. The Health Directorate also delivered First Aid Training to the officers.

This now completes their Initial Police Training. The successful officers will now be out on patrol, in company with other Police Officers. They will return for further post foundation training over the next twelve months to build on their initial training.

Tutor, Sgt Mike Miskell, said:

“They will now need the support of the community to help them keep people safe and make St Helena an even better place to live and work. I wish all of them well for the future.”

Tutor, Learning & Development Sergeant, Mark Coombe, said:

“The students have now successfully completed their initial training and I would like to thank the public for the support that has been shown during the past seven weeks. It has been a pleasure to assist in the development of these new officers and I wish them every success for the future.”

Their course culminated in a Police Passing-Out Parade at Plantation house on Thursday, 6 December, in front of the Governor, Senior Officers, family and friends.

#StHelena #StHelenaPolice #InitialPoliceTraining #WeekSeven #SuccessfulCompletion

https://www.facebook.com/StHelenaGovt/

https://twitter.com/StHelenaGovt

SHG
10 December 2018

The Education & Employment Directorate would like to advise that Prince Andrew School (PAS) will be hosting their annual Athletics Day at Francis Plain on Friday, 14 December 2018. The sports will start at 9.15am and end at approximately 2.45pm. All parents, guardians and members of the public are invited to attend.

With the safety of the children in mind, PAS would appreciate if all spectators could adhere to the following conditions:

• No animals will be allowed on Francis Plain for this event
• Only the appointed Marshalls, helpers, invited guests, and School Team Leaders will be allowed on the field for the duration of the event
• Only school-appointed photographers will be allowed to photograph the event
• No alcohol is allowed
• Smoking is restricted on the whole of Francis Plain for this event. Persons wishing to smoke must do so outside of the Francis Plain and school premises. The allocated smoking area is away from the school along Watercourse Road
• Parking will only be allowed on the Red Hill car park, the Ring Road, and other designated areas within the school area. Please can road users be mindful that this is still a school day, and that the school is still in operation
• All litter is to be put into the bins provided

Please note, if parents/guardians wish to transport their children home after the event, they are asked to ensure that a written note is handed in or a telephone call is made with the school via tel: 24290 so that all students can be accounted for.

PAS looks forward to your support in making this a successful day for our children.

SHG
6 December 2018

http://www.sainthelena.gov.sh

Last week Executive Council approved a change to the Minimum Income Standard (MIS) that is used to determine the rates for Income Related Benefits (IRB) and Basic Island Pension (BIP). 

The following increases were made to Basic Island Pension:

Categories	Old Rate	New Rate
Individuals with 30 or more qualifying years	70.20	71.30
Individuals with less than 30 qualifying years but more than 25 qualifying years	52.65	53.48
Individuals with less than 25 qualifying years but more than 20 qualifying years	35.10	35.65

 

The following increases were made to Income Related Benefits:

Categories	Old Rate	New Rate
The Applicant	67.90	69.00
For each additional adult in the household	38.90	39.70
For each of the first three children in the household	27.16	27.60
For each additional child thereafter	20.37	20.70

 

The approved Social Security (Amendment No. 2) Regulations, 2018, came into effect on Friday, 30 November 2018. Payment at these new rates will commence from the week ending 13 December 2018. In recognition of this, payment of the arrears of two weeks will also be made.

In addition to this, Executive Council also agreed that an ex-gratia payment be made to households and individuals in receipt of IRB and BIP that recognises the four week period that has lapsed between the end of October, when Executive Council had previously given a commitment to review IRB and BIP, and the actual date of the uplift.

The arrears and ex-gratia payment will be made to all recipients with their benefit payment for the week ending 13 December.

Letters will be issued to all IRB recipients and to BIP recipients in receipt of another pension, detailing their new adjusted rate. Letters will not be issued to recipients only in receipt of BIP as the uplift is a basic change as detailed in the table above.

Reference to the ex-gratia payment or the arrears in benefit will not be included in the letters. Anyone in receipt of IRB or BIP is advised to check your Remittance Advice that accompanies your benefit payment.

If any member of the community would like further information about eligibility for both BIP and IRB, or the new rates, they can contact the Social Security Office, at the Post Office in Jamestown in person, by appointment, or via tel: 22605.

#StHelena #MIS #BIP #IRB #ExCo

https://www.facebook.com/StHelenaGovt/

https://twitter.com/StHelenaGovt

SHG
6 December 2018

The Education & Employment Directorate would like to advise that the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom (CSC) is inviting nominations from St Helena for scholarships tenable from October 2018.

One nomination may be in either of the following categories:

• Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship (one year)
• Commonwealth PhD Scholarship

And one nomination may be in the following category:

• Commonwealth Undergraduate Scholarship

Commonwealth Scholarships are intended to contribute to the development needs of Commonwealth countries by providing training for skilled and qualified professionals and academics and to contribute to UK higher education and foreign policy aims by encouraging collaboration and links.

Intended beneficiaries include academically successful candidates who wish to earn first degrees and high-quality postgraduate students who have the potential to enhance the development of their home countries with the knowledge and leadership skills they acquire.

The CSC aims to identify talented individuals who have the potential to make change and are of the highest academic quality. Scholarships are being offered under six development themes:

• Science and technology for development
• Strengthening health systems and capacity
• Promoting global prosperity
• Strengthening global peace, security and governance
• Strengthening resilience and response to crises
• Access, inclusion and opportunity

The Commission is committed to a policy of equal opportunity and non-discrimination, and encourages applications from a diverse range of candidates. For further information on the support available to candidates with a disability, please see the CSC disability support statement at http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/apply/csc-disability-support-statement.

Further information on the Commonwealth Scholarships can be found on the website http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/apply/applicants or by emailing robyn.franconi@sainthelena.gov.sh. 

Persons interested in a scholarship should write an initial letter of application that identifies the developmental theme they wish to apply under, the type of study that they wish to pursue, their reason for pursuing it, and its relevance to St Helena. In addition to this, the letter should include their professional aspirations and educational background including previous study undertaken and qualifications earned. Initial letters of application should be sent to the Scholarships Awards Committee, through the Secretary, Education Learning Centre, or via email to robyn.franconi@sainthelena.gov.sh by no later than Friday, 14 December 2018.

The Awards Committee is the official nominating body for the Scholarships Award and will decide on a suitable nomination based on the set criteria.

SHG
5 December 2018

http://www.sainthelena.gov.sh