Projects & Partnership
BUILDING STRONG PARTNERSHIPS BECAUSE WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER.
Thrive Family Centre
In 2018, the Sandy Lane Charitable Trust built, equipped, and opened a new state-of-the-art residential psychiatric facility, a child-only unit, within the grounds of Barbados’ lone psychiatric hospital. This facility is the first of its kind for children under the age of 16 in Barbados who need residential psychiatric care. “The Thrive Family Centre” has been so named to conjure up great positive sentiments and feelings, as its definition of “thrive” confirms. “The Thrive Family Centre” is an essential link to family, because we need everyone: doctors, children, parents, extended family and the public at large to understand and appreciate that the mental health of an individual child is dependent upon and linked to the long-term support and structure of the family unit.
Annual Wheelchair Project
This clinic was started in 1998 to assist with the annual maintenance and adaptation of wheelchairs for children with special needs. Providing seating for such children is a constantly adaptable process. As the children grow, their wheelchairs need adjusting and monitoring regularly. Through extensive training, the Children's Development Centre can complete this assessment process. They then coordinate with those children in need to ensure they receive the required equipment and the very best of care. Each year, we host wheelchair specialists and technicians from Puerto Rico to assemble and repair the wheelchairs to ensure maximum comfort for the children. Observing the visiting technicians is beneficial for the local technicians who gain hands-on knowledge in assembly and repairs.
The Trust is delighted to undertake the Barbados Wheelchair Project, previously managed by The Because of Jenna Trust. As the sponsor of this project, we take pride in knowing these children benefit from optimum independence and mobility in comfort.
Eden Lodge Youth Charitable Trust
The Trust has formed an alliance with the Eden Lodge Youth Charitable Trust to assist many Barbadian families that we cannot reach individually. This partnership focuses on helping children whose parents are unemployed and unable to provide even the basics for their children, such as food, clothing, school supplies etc. Each year the Trust provides funding to support the Eden Lodge Youth Charitable Trust School Lunch Grants, Home Assistance, Back to School and Christmas Programmes. These initiatives are in sync with our mission of leaving no child behind.
FMH-SLCT Helpline
Launched in April 2019, the Faith Marshall Harris-Sandy Lane Charitable Trust Helpline is the first of its kind in Barbados. Our main goal is to provide counselling and advice to children who are in distress. Qualified volunteer social workers manage the 24-hour hotline. In addition, the United Nations Children's Advocate, Faith Marshall Harris, a lawyer by profession, lends her legal advice when required. From its inception, the FMH-SLCT Helpline has been receiving numerous calls not only from children but also from adults who share their concerns about the wellbeing of children. This counselling covers many areas from abuse, neglect, school issues, bullying, suicide etc. In response, they are counselled in the short term and then referred to the requisite agencies, specially designed to provide them with the help they need.
The guiding principles of the Helpline is to nurture and uplift children in whatever way we can to ensure they grow up to be productive citizens leading healthy and happy lives.
Should you wish to speak with one of our counsellors or report a situation, don't hesitate to contact our Helpline at
+1 246 597-3644.
+1 246 597-3644.
The Drug Education Counselling Services
The Drug Education and Counselling Services (DECS) run a highly successful community service programme that provides counselling, mentoring and support services to persons experiencing behavioural and developmental issues associated with substance abuse/use and gang-related activities. They aim to produce productive, confident, and holistically balanced young men and women who contribute to society. Dozens of volunteer mentors from various backgrounds meet weekly to mentor young people and offer career advice and support from a positive perspective. DECS also provides an alternative education style and a variety of extracurricular activities. Their goal is to prepare these young people for life, and in so doing, they guide them in pursuing a minimum of one or two academic or vocational certifications, some of which include: cosmetology, barbering, nail technology, electrical installation, carpentry, tiling etc. The dedicated counsellors and volunteer teachers genuinely believe that these young people who have lost their way can be shown a different path towards leading a productive life if given a second chance.
As a non-profit entity, DECS encountered many financial challenges. With over 15 years of conducting these services, the centre had relocated over eight times with no fixed location to call their home. Not having a home was challenging, disrupting many sessions, and threatening the programme's sustainability. In January of 2021, The Sandy Lane Charitable Trust handed over a building in Bridgetown that we renovated, fully equipped, and furnished and is now the permanent home of DECS. The structure comprises an administration office, two counselling rooms and three classrooms, one of which they will use as a computer room and library. Students will also have access to a barbering and cosmetology area for skills training.
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital
We are proud to work closely with our partners at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH). As Barbados’ only public hospital, the QEH plays a critical role in the healthcare safety net and is responsible for treating from minor to extreme traumatic illnesses and injuries. Over the years, the hospital has faced significant challenges, primarily financial. Notwithstanding, the lack of modern equipment & technologies, in addition to limited basic supplies continue to plague the government-funded institution. This has resulted in the creation of extremely long waiting lists for critical care. At the Sandy Lane Charitable Trust, our aim is to make a difference and alleviate some of the burden faced by the QEH. Thus, where possible we donate some of the most up-to-date and technologically advanced medical equipment and supplies to improve the quality of services offered at the institution and the overall healthcare. Our partnership with the hospital goes beyond donating equipment and supplies; we also assist with funding critical pediatric patients in need of urgent care that cannot be provided on island. Our collaboration drives life-changing improvements to the healthcare in Barbados and helps the hospital to build upon renowned levels of care for patients. However, we recognize that this is a huge undertaking that we cannot do on our own and encourage likeminded entities to join us in efforts to sustain the heavily burdened institution.
The World Pediatric Project
The World Pediatric Project is a humanitarian organization that volunteers their medical services and is represented by a remarkable team of consultants, surgeons, nurses, technicians and staff who have all volunteered their time and resources to help the children of Barbados.This partnership, which was established in 2015,has been instrumental in transforming and saving the lives of hundreds of Barbadian Children.
