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St Helena emergency response staff (Fire and Sea Rescue, Police, and Health) recently marked another milestone in further building the capacity and capability of their respective organisational areas. This saw the graduation of 13 team members who successfully completed the Immediate Life Support (ILS) course, 19 staff for First Response Emergency Care Level 3 (FREC3), and seven childminders completing their Combined Emergency First Aid at Work and Emergency Paediatric First Aid Training.
A graduation ceremony, to congratulate and thank the Health and Social Care portfolio teams for their hard work, was held on Thursday 4 May at Plantation House. The event was hosted by Acting Governor Greg Gibson and Director of the Health and Social Care Portfolio Tracy Poole-Nandy.
The various training courses started in February 2023, were led by paramedics Thomas Attewell and Michael Gaga-Hale and were delivered in association with Qualsafe. This means that the courses are accredited and recognised by the UK emergency services, having been developed in line with industry best practices to ensure the training and skill of responders are as up-to-date as possible.
Providing this training to emergency staff will have a number of benefits to the community. Having these additional staff members trained in first aid will mean more people are in a position to assist in an emergency, and able to provide emergency medical care before professional medical help arrives.
SHG have also secured funding for further training to be provided throughout the year. As part of this, we hope to progress First Response Emergency Care Level 3 responders to Level 4, which would be an equivalent qualification recognised by UK ambulance services.
#StHelena #Congratulations #ImmediateLifeSupportCourse #FirstResponseEmergencyCare
On Wednesday, 10 May 2023, ENRP’s Marine and Fisheries Conservation Section, and the St Helena National Trust responded after being advised by members of the public that a green turtle once again attempted to nest on Rupert’s Beach.
After assessment, it was found that this nesting attempt was successful. As such, 144 eggs were carefully moved to an artificial nest incubation chamber, which had been pre-prepared in an effort to give the baby turtles a fighting chance for survival. The chamber has been built at the beachside against the wall, above the high tide line, and the public is therefore requested not to disturb it.
This is a globally accepted and tested method of moving the eggs of endangered sea turtles when their original nest site is at risk, and is an activity which St Helena has successfully undertaken before.
Usually, turtles strive to nest well above the high tide line to ensure that their nest is free from saltwater flooding. Unfortunately, this is not possible at any site on Rupert’s Beach. Even during calm seas, high tides will reach the nest and flood it. Turtle eggs are highly absorbent. If the nest is flooded, salt water will enter the egg and slowly that salt will dehydrate the embryo, eventually killing it.
Most turtle nests hatch after 45 to 70 days. The ideal temperature for an incubating nest is between 27 and 31 degrees Celsius. Successful turtle nests depend on a suitable nesting site and incubation temperature. The ambient temperature in St Helena will decrease over the next two months. This will decrease the chances of successful hatching of these nests, as the drop in temperature extends the optimal gestation period, slowing the growth rate of the turtle’s development and strength.
For the next three months, the incubation chamber will be monitored. If a dip in the sand above the nest is noticed, it is a sign that the eggs have begun hatching. From this point, the nest will be monitored daily. If these turtles hatch they will be retrieved from the incubation chamber and released into the ocean.
We would like to remind the public that green turtles and their eggs are protected under the Environmental Protection Ordinance, 2016. It is therefore an offence to disturb the incubation chamber and anyone found doing so could be prosecuted.
If you would like further information on this, or to report a potential turtle nesting attempt in the future, please contact the Marine and Fisheries Conservation Section by telephone on 25966 or via email through marine@helanta.co.sh.
The Marine and Fisheries Conservation Section and the St Helena National Trust would like to thank the public in advance for their support in this matter.
#StHelena #TurtleNesting #EggRescue #GreenTurtle
On Wednesday 17 May 2023, Chief Minister Julie Thomas hosted a reception at the Palace of Westminster in London to celebrate St Helena’s Green and Blue Agenda and the ongoing Cloud Forest Project. Speaker of the UK House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, kindly allowed the reception to take place in the State Rooms of the Speaker’s House.
Over 120 guests attended. This included UK Parliamentarians, St Helena Cloud Forest Project partners, people connected with St Helena through charities and other groups, officials from UK Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and St Helenian students currently studying in the UK.
During the event speeches were made by the Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Overseas Territories Minister for the UK Government Lord Goldsmith, Beccy Speight the CEO and Shayla Ellick of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the Chair of the St Helena All Party Parliamentary Group Amanda Milling MP.
These focused on celebrating the wide variety of work underway in St Helena related to the Island’s environmental management and stewardship. This included St Helena’s Blue Agenda and the Island’s MPA and internationally recognised sustainable fishery, as well as our Green Agenda and ongoing cloud forest restoration project.
The voices of some of the cloud forest workforce were brought to the reception through a short video during the speeches. A longer video showcasing some of St Helena’s Blue and Green initiatives was also shown during the reception.
On the event, Chief Minister Julie Thomas said:
“I was humbled to see so many people attend tonight and show such interest in what we have achieved and what we are aspiring to deliver in St Helena. It is a testament to the amazing work underway across our terrestrial and marine environments that such an array of guests wanted to be here, whether to celebrate or learn more.
Our Green and Blue Agenda can only be achieved by working together as a community with our international partners. When we bring our local knowledge and expertise together with that of larger organisations and funders, we’ve shown that we can deliver internationally recognised results.”
Thanks are extended to HMG and other partners for the funding to make many of these initiatives happen.
#StHelena #Reception #CloudForest #Biodiversity #BlueAgenda # GreenAgenda
A formal meeting of Legislative Council will take place on Thursday, 25 May 2023, at 10am in the Council Chamber.
This is the first sitting of the twelfth meeting of Legislative Council and will be broadcast live via SAMs Radio 1.
This meeting is also open to members of the public who wish to attend.
A full Order Paper for the meeting has been published on the SHG website at: www.sainthelena.gov.sh/government/legislative-council/order-papers
#StHelena #LegislativeCouncil #FormalLegCo
SHG is currently conducting a survey to find out what people think of the news, updates and communications provided by the government.
By filling out a survey form, either online or on paper, you can tell us if you receive and how you receive information from SHG. You can also tell us what you think of the information we put out, what it is you want to hear about from us, and whether the information provided is clear and understandable.
The results of the survey will help SHG to improve the service currently provided, and make sure we’re tailoring information as best as we can for the public.
The survey is available online at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/SHNews.
Hard copies are also available at the Postal and Customer Service Center, the Public Library, the NDRA front desk, the Castle front desk, the hospital outpatient and dental clinic waiting rooms, and the rural post offices – MTB Town Shop; Andy’s Shop; Red Hill Shop; Phillip John’s Shop; New Ground Shop; All Sorts Shop; Marcus Fowler’s Shop; Blue Hill Shop; and the Longwood Supermarket.
You can also fill out an online copy of the survey at the Canister Tourism Office in Jamestown using their tablet device. The tourism office is open from 8:30am to 4pm daily.
The survey will close on Wednesday 31 May at 16:00, so please provide any responses before then.
#StHelena #Survey
Mental Health Awareness Week 2023 is taking place from Monday 15 May to Sunday 21 May. The theme this year is Anxiety and what you can do to prevent it. A number of activities are planned both locally and internationally to help promote better understanding and offer support to people that may be dealing with anxiety and other mental health challenges.
The colour green will be used to symbolise mental health and wellbeing.
How to get involved in Mental Health Awareness Week:
- Use the hashtag #ToHelpMyAnxiety to share experiences of anxiety and the things that help you.
- Wear green on Thursday 18 May 2023 to show colleagues, loved ones, or simply those you walk past that you care about their mental health.
Approximately one in four people will experience a mental health problem every year. Unfortunately, stigma around mental health and wellbeing still exists in some places, despite it being something that is likely to affect most of us during our lives. Speaking about your own mental health with others can not only be positive for yourself but also help others who may be facing their own challenges.
If anyone would like to share a story or their experience of anxiety with the public as a form of encouragement and awareness, please submit your story to The Mental Health Team by telephone on 22593 or by email through ian.rummery@sainthelena.gov.sh
Anxiety can be crippling, it can interfere with your life and lead to significant problems. If you find you are struggling with anxiety you can contact your GP or the Community Mental Health Team directly on 22593 or via the Hospital switchboard. It is a treatable condition and more common than you might think.
Alexa Charnley, Director of Fundraising and Communications at the UK Mental Health Foundation, said:
“We all experience anxiety but sometimes it can get out of control and become a mental health problem. However, there are things we can do to manage feelings of anxiety and stop them from becoming overwhelming. For example, breathing exercises, physical activity, speaking to a trusted friend, or keeping a diary. You can find more information and guidance on our website www.mentalhealth.org.uk.”
#StHelena #mentalhealthawareness #ToHelpMyAnxiety #MentalHealthFoundation
Today, Friday 12 May, St Helena is celebrating International Nurses Day. International Nurses Day is marked every year on 12 May, coinciding with Florence Nightingale’s birthday, who is widely recognised as the founder of modern nursing.
The day is observed around the world each year to mark, acknowledge and celebrate the commitment and bravery of nurses. Every year there is a different theme and for 2023 it is “Our Nurses. Our Future”. This year St Helena also had its own theme, of “Nursing is a work of heart”.
Nursing in St Helena can be very challenging and quite unique, as nurses act across a wide spectrum of nursing requirements. Ultimately they are caregivers for patients, managing physical needs, preventing illness, treating health conditions and ensuring patients’ comfort. In addition to their role as a clinician, nurses often provide emotional support for their patients and families. To mark International Nurses Day, our talented nurses were recognised and celebrated during an event held at the General Hospital. The event was attended by nurses, retired nurses, Health and Social Care staff and senior management.
#StHelena #Nurses #InternationalNursesDay
The International Day of Plant Health is marked worldwide every year on 12 May. It is marked to raise global awareness on how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect biodiversity and the environment, and boost economic development.
It provides a timely reminder of why plant health is vital for nature around the world, including on St Helena. The endemic trees of St Helena are a unique and irreplaceable component of St Helena’s biodiversity and in turn support a huge number of endemic invertebrates. Unfortunately, these endemic trees are under threat from habitat loss, climate change and plant diseases.
In November 2022 it was announced that a number of endemic trees within the Peaks National Park had been discovered to be dying as a result of multiple plant pathogens, including a Phytophthora water mould. These pathogens were identified as part of the ongoing Darwin Plus funded project ‘Managing the pathogens threatening St Helena’s biodiversity and food security’.
Following further research and monitoring, in April 2023 access to some areas of the Peaks National Park was prohibited under powers granted by an amendment to the Environmental Protection Ordinance 2016. As an initial step, access to specific areas of the Peaks National Park will be prohibited until the end of December 2023. Access is prohibited to help prevent the further spread of a range of plant pathogens within the Peaks National Park whilst authorities work to improve their understanding of the issue.
A large scale work programme is ongoing to identify the individual plant pathogens present on the Peaks and assess their impacts on endemic trees. This work includes testing of individual plants for the presence of pathogens, testing soil and water samples to figure out how the pathogens might be spreading, and laboratory analysis of plant samples to confirm the scientific identification of the pathogens present.
So far, the public response to the access restrictions covering parts of the Peaks National Park has been overwhelmingly positive and it is clear that the St Helena public appreciates and values the island’s unique biodiversity. We would like to take this opportunity to thank locals and visitors for helping to safeguard the Island’s precious habitats and endemics, and we ask that everyone continues to play their part in trying to achieve this aim.
More information on the International Day of Plant Health 2023 can be found online via www.fao.org/plant-health-day.
#StHelena #Biodiversity #Pathogens #IDPH #InternationalDayOfPlantHealth
The Provisional Register of Electors was published yesterday on Tuesday 9 May 2023.
The Register of Electors is used to maintain a list of persons who are eligible to vote and stand in elections in St Helena. Anyone not included in the register, will not be able to vote or stand in any election that take place whilst this register is in effect (ordinarily the 12 months after the register is published).
Eligible persons have up until 4pm on Wednesday 24 May 2023, to submit applications to amend the Provisional Register.
Persons who are eligible to have their names entered in the Register may apply to amend the Provisional Register. Amendments can be made to include or remove their name, or to remove the name of someone who has died or left the Island or who might be no longer eligible for inclusion in the Register.
The Registration Officer aims to publish a Register which is as up-to-date and accurate as possible. In order to do so, eligible persons can apply to amend any of their personal details which may be out of date. For example, they may have changed their name since they last applied to be included on the Register or may now live in a different Electoral District and would like to change their address.
It is also possible to amend the Register to enable voting in a different district from that in which you reside. For example, an eligible person may live in Longwood and work in Jamestown, so when there is an election, it may be more convenient for them to vote in Jamestown during the working day. It is possible for the Register to accommodate this, provided the eligible person makes an application to do so.
Persons eligible to be registered must:
- Have St Helenian Status as defined in the Immigration Ordinance, 2011
- Be 17 years of age or older with St Helena as their ordinary place of residence
The Register has been published on the SHG Website at www.sainthelena.gov.sh/news/government-gazettes.
Hard copies has also been placed at the following locations:
- The office of the Registration Officer, the Castle
- Customer Service Centre, Jamestown
- Public Library, Jamestown
- ENRP Offices, Scotland
Assistant Registration Officers Connie Johnson and Anita Legg, based at the Castle in Jamestown, will also have access to a copy of the Provisional Register and can be contacted by persons who require any assistance.
Applications to amend the Register using the prescribed ‘Form A’ will need to be submitted to the Registration Officer, at the Castle, by no later than 4pm on Wednesday 24 May 2023. ‘Form A’ is available on the SHG website via through www.sainthelena.gov.sh/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Form-Election-Register-A, as well as at the Castle Reception.
Further information about registering and making amendments may be obtained from the Registration Officer, Carol Henry, at the Castle, by telephone on 22470 or via email through carol.henry@sainthelena.gov.sh.
The final Register of Electors for the 12 month period commencing 1 July 2023 will be published towards the end of June.
If your name is not on the Register of Electors you will not be able to stand or vote in any Bye-Election or General Election. It is therefore your responsibility to check the Provisional Register and to make application to have your name included if it is not already listed.
#StHelena #ProvisionalRegisterOfElectors #RegisterToVote
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SHG
10 May 2023
The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected the Island’s tourism sector. With the lifting of restrictions in August 2022, estimates forecasted that the peak tourist demand season for 2022/23 (between October to March) was likely to see around 50% of the number of visitor arrivals and of visitor spend when compared to the 2019/20 peak tourist demand season (the last season to be largely unaffected by COVID-19).
Recently available data released by the Statistics Office indicates that tourism demand was in fact higher than anticipated, suggesting recovery is happening faster than anticipated for the sector.
Total arrivals by air of visitors with a leisure purpose between April 2022 and March 2023 was 1,488, 61% of the number during the same period in 2019/20 (2,436). This is despite quarantine requirements being in effect for the first five months of this period. Figures for air arrivals of leisure visitors during the peak tourist demand season between October 2022 and March 2023 were even stronger, at 74% of the same period in 2019/20 (1,153 compared to 1,564).
This is very positive news for both the tourism sector and for the wider Island. Prior to the pandemic, tourism – through the provision of services to visitors – had grown into St Helena’s biggest export sector. In 2019/20 visitation expenses of tourists and other visitors were provisionally estimated by the Statistics Office to account for around 11% of all money coming in from abroad. This makes it the biggest contribution to the Island’s economy after UK financial and capital aid, which was estimated to be around 84%.
The Statistics Office have also made provisional estimates that the total expenditure of visitors in 2022/23 was between £3.9 and £5.4 million. Whilst lower than 2019/20, this is nonetheless higher than had been anticipated:
| 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | |
| Visiting friends and relatives | £2.5m to 3.5m | £2.3m to 3.1m | £0.9m to 1.2m | £2.2m to 3.0m | £2.2m to 3.0m |
| Leisure tourist | £1.9m to 2.6m | £1.8m to 2.4m | £0.1m | £0.4m to 0.6m | £1.0m to 1.3m |
| Other | £0.9m to 1.3m | £0.7m to 1.1m | £0.4m to 0.7m | £0.7m to 1.0m | £0.7m to 1.1m |
| Total | £5.3m to 7.4m | £4.8m to 6.6m | £1.4m to 2.0m | £3.3m to 4.6m | £3.9m to 5.4m |
It should also be noted that the positive figures for the last year were not only in spite of the necessary disruption caused by quarantine requirements, but also against much reduced air access arrangements. Even after the phased recommencement of the Airlink service began in March 2022, the peak tourist demand seasons in 2022/23 only had weekly flights, rather than twice weekly flights as in previous years. The operation of a second weekly flight during the period 28 November 2023 to the end of February 2024 should provide additional opportunities to the tourism sector and Island businesses.
Minister for Treasury, Infrastructure and Sustainable Development, Mark Brooks, said:
“These figures paint a very encouraging picture for the Island’s fortunes after the significant impacts the pandemic has had on our economy. The Island’s future prosperity will undoubtedly be influenced by our tourism sector. To see it already bouncing back like this is therefore great news.”
“With the launch of the Tourism Recovery Strategy last week, and the announcement that £500k of this year’s budget will be ring-fenced for tourism development activities, we hope to see this sector move from strength to strength over the next 12 months.”
#StHelena #Tourism #TourismRecovery #ABreathOfFreshAir