To further broadcasts of ‘A Look at St Helena’s Marine Life’ – a documentary showcasing St Helena’s marine splendour – will be shown additionally at the following times:
Five St Helena Police Constables were officially Confirmed in Rank during a special ceremony in the Council Chamber on Wednesday 10 September 2014.
PCs Julianne Benjamin, Jane John, Brianna Yon, Clayton Crowie and Craig Crowie all passed their two year probationary period and initial police training and were recognised for their achievements in the presence of invited family and friends.
The ceremony was opened with prayers from Bishop Richard Fenwick, followed by opening remarks from Chief of Police, Trevor Botting, who said:
“It is my privilege to be the Chief of Police for St Helena and Ascension Island and no more so than today – when I have the pleasure of recognising the achievements of Officers setting out on a career with the Police Service.
“Sir Robert Peel, who founded the Metropolitan Police in 1829, is reported to have said ‘The Police are the public and the public are the Police’. These words stay true for today’s modern policing where I believe it is crucial to have local people policing their local community. The officers receiving their certificates today, to recognise their confirmation in the rank of Constable, are just that – Saints proudly serving their local community.
“This is my opportunity to say thank you to you, the families who support their loved ones in their chosen career and all that this entails. To you my officers I would say this: Congratulations on your achievements during your first two years and in your Confirmation in Rank. You epitomise what the Police Service stands for through our values – Professionalism, Respect & Dignity, Honesty & Integrity, Courage, Supportiveness and Compassion.”
Inspector Jonathan Thomas echoed the Chief’s words and commented on the day as being one of many milestones in a Police Officer’s career and one they should all be proud of. He went on to say that to pass their probationary period, Police Constables had to carry out various tasks including control of the beat, making arrests, attending court, detaining, interview planning, conducting interviews and accident procedures. All Constables carried out these operational duties to a high standard, and were recognised today.
Certificates were presented to the five Constables by Head of the Governor’s Office Sean Burns, who also recognised not only the achievement of each of those present, but the St Helena Police Service as a whole. He remarked on the continuous evolvement of the service and its strive towards excellence and gaining public confidence. He paid tribute to each member of the Police Service for the work they do which can be difficult in a small community but appreciated by all whom they serve.
This was the first time a ceremony has been held to confirm officers in rank and it is planned this will become a normal occurrence in future.
Further to the press release issued yesterday (Tuesday 9 September 2014) regarding Outpatient Clinics, the Health & Social Services Directorate would like to remind the public of the dates and times of the Pharmacy Bus facility in the districts:
Half Tree Hollow Clinic – Every Monday from 10am
Longwood Clinic – Alternate Wednesdays (from today, 10 September 2014)
Levelwood Clinic – Once every 4 weeks ( the next visit to Levelwood will be on Thursday 25 September 2014)
The Directorate thanks the public in advance for its understanding and cooperation.
On 12 August 2014,ExCo agreed to the allocation of £1m of extra funding to build a newsolar farm for electricity generation on St Helena.The new funding has been identified specifically to support only renewable energy projects, and must be spent in this financial year, 2014/15. ExCo was very supportive of this proposal as solar generated electricity reduces the Island’s reliance on diesel imports for power generation.
This new project will place St Helena at the forefront of renewable energy technology, and work to identify the most suitable site on the Island has now been completed.
Currently, approximately 20% of St Helena’s energy comes from wind power, with the remaining 80% from diesel.Decreasing the use of diesel and increasing the use of natural sources of energy benefits St Helena’s economy and reduces our dependency on imports.The first phase of the solar farm will increase renewable energy capacity on the Island to close to 30%, putting St Helena way ahead of the UK with regards to clean energy. Producing solar energy also aligns generation with peak day time demand.
Connect SaintHelenaLtd is now submitting a Planning Application for a large solar farm around the current site of the rifle range at HalfTreeHollow.This siteis earmarked for commercial development and has been initially identified from a number of possible locations. A replacement rifle range is also under consideration.
The normal consultation process has now begun,with all stakeholders,including local businesses and the Rifle Association to be fully consulted. Public meetings are also planned.
Trevor Graham,Director of the Environment& Natural Resources Directorate,said:
‘While many countries around the world talk about the need to increase renewable energy, few are making actual and major progress. Global leaders on renewable energy are often cities and islands,such as the Marshall Islands in the Pacific and Samso off the coast of Denmark. We intend to learn from these and others.
‘This is an exciting opportunity for St Helena and a major step towards becoming self- sufficient in energy.’
Due to an unusual and high number of nurse staff absences, the Health & Social Services Directorate wishes to inform the public that non-Jamestown outpatient clinics are temporarily unavailable from tomorrow morning (10 September 2014). This includes the nurse-led clinics in various districts.
Emergency services, the Jamestown clinic, and the pharmacy bus will operate as normal.
Those with existing appointments in the outlying clinics will be rescheduled. This situation is temporary and the public will be kept informed. The Directorate thanks the public in advance for its understanding and cooperation.
St Helena Government is pleased to announce the finalisation of the Fuel Management Contract between SHG and GreyStar Europe to operate the new Bulk Fuel Installation (BFI) in Rupert’s Valley.
The agreement, drawn up by SHG, DfID and Advisors Faithful & Gould, commits GreyStar to provide fuel services for St Helena for 10 years after the commencement of Airport operations.
Engineering Company GreyStar Europe, part of a group of companies Penspen Ltd, is an international specialist in facilities management in the oil, gas, power and utility sectors.
Working with Solomons, GreyStar will operate the new BFI and Airport Fuel Facility, and manage the provision of both aviation and ground fuels to international standards. They will operate and maintain the facilities for the duration of the term, working closely with SHG.
Deputy Airport Project Director Clare Harris said:
“Provision of aviation fuel is, of course, a critical component of the Airport project. The appointment of GreyStar will ensure that St Helena has the skills and capacity to refuel aircraft at the commencement of air services. GreyStar, working with Solomons, will also assume management of the Island’s ground fuels. This is expected to deliver better fuel security and minimise costs through economies of scale.
“We look forward to welcoming the GreyStar team to St Helena for preparatory work to ensure that everything is in place once all of the new facilities, under construction by Basil Read, are completed.”
The pricing of both aviation and ground fuels will remain the responsibility of SHG and the process will be similar to that currently followed, including financial modelling on the price of fuels.
Head of GreyStar, Robert Lawson added:
“We are delighted to have finalised the Fuel Management Contract with St Helena Government and look forward to working in partnership with them over the coming years. Phil Bloomfield, our Head of Operations, has already started mobilisation work.
“We are now establishing our supply chain, and appointing key people to deliver this contract. Another key priority is to place orders for airside refuelling vehicles which have a long lead time. We are also keen to get key team members to St Helena at the earliest opportunity.”
St Helena Government is pleased to announce that Invitations to Tender (ITT) for the provision of air services to St Helena have today been issued to pre-qualified parties.
The first stage of the formal process to procure an air service provider to St Helena began in June 2014, with interested parties responding to a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ). The responses have been reviewed and the successful pre-qualifying parties have today been issued with the ITT.
Pre-qualified parties will develop proposals over the coming weeks and the deadline for the submission of initial tenders is Friday 24 October 2014.
The St Helena Police Service took delivery of twelve parcels of Police uniform from last week’s arrival of the RMS, donated by Sussex Police in the UK. The items include fleeces, epaulettes, trousers, operational tops, boots and webbing belts. The donated uniform will be used to provide a number of new recruits with uniform over the next 12 months, as well as for replacing worn uniforms.
Chief of Police Trevor Botting said:
‘I am very grateful to my previous Force, Sussex Police, for their kind donation. The uniform will ensure that my officers are well prepared for their duty as well as looking smart and professional. This donation will make a real difference to the Police Service on St Helena and Ascension Island.’
Two photos are attached to this release.
Trevor Botting
Chief of Police
St Helena Police Service & Ascension Island Detachment
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