Shell boost for cricket, villages
December 3, 2009

RECIPIENTS of the Shell Community Grants for 2009 with officials, from left, Bryan Davis, Kelvin Mohammed, Nigel Martin (Shell Financial Comptroller), Gerard Mitchell (Shell Country Chair Representative, Kathy Ragoobarsingh (Shell Human Resource Manager), Debideen Manick, David Hector, Manzoor Baksh, Sooraj Ragbir, Camal Basdeo.

SHELL Trinidad Limited yesterday handed out $155,000 in cash grants to six cricket clubs and a coaches’ association to assist in their development and outreach programmes.

The recipients were Fulham Sports Club of Arima; Rousillac United; Clico Preysal Cricket Club; Invaders Sports Club of Felicity; Sancho/St Julien Sports Club; Queen’s Park Cricket Club; and North Zone Cricket Coaches’ Association.

The Shell Cricket Grant Programme has been ongoing for the past three years and is a brainchild of All Sport Promotions and the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB).

It is aimed at supporting clubs with their community initiatives which include education, youth development, agriculture and support to senior citizens.

Representatives of the recipients were all present yesterday at a breakfast meeting hosted at the CLICO Hospitality Lounge at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain.

Also in attendance were Azim Bassarath, president of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board and first vice-president Dudnath Ramkessoon.

Delivering the feature address was Gerard Mitchell, Country Chair Representative of Shell Trinidad Limited. Also representing Shell yesterday was Nigel Martin, Financial Comptroller and Kathy Ragoobarsingh, Human Resources Manager.

Mitchell revealed that in its third year, the number of clubs receiving the grants and the amount of money disbursed have both increased significantly.

He traced Shell’s storied association with West Indies cricket as a famous sponsor of the Shell Shield regional tournament from 1966 to 1987 and observed that since then it has been renamed the Red Stripe Cup, President’s Cup, Busta Cup and Carib Beer Cup in subsequent incarnations but yet to replicate the success enjoyed in those halcyon years.

“Maybe Shell needs to start back sponsoring the regional tournament to return our West Indies team to the glory that it once had,” said Mitchell a bit tongue in cheek.

He said it was fitting that Shell would use local cricket clubs as one of the avenues to be able to distribute the Shell Community Grants which is designed to benefit the cricketers and the communities they come from.

“Community clubs and more specifically cricket clubs, we find are strategically positioned and culturally appealing to many people especially from villages and communities that would benefit most from such contributions.

“We therefore hope and expect that not only avid cricket enthusiasts will be able to enjoy the rewards gained from these grants but also worthy people from within the communities that the clubs could provide programmes, events or facilities for, that would make their lives just a little better,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell said that the academics have stated that there are three main ingredients for a successful venture, namely will, skill and resources.

He said the representatives of the seven organisations awarded 2009 grants have shown the will to promote a healthy, clean, positive alternative for the youths and others within their communities to participate in, by promoting their clubs and applying for the grants.

“The many hours, a lot of times without compensation, that it takes to nurture these future cricketers may seem ardous at times but I can see by the faces of those present that it is a love for the sport and the love of giving back that motivates you,” said Mitchell.

He said that there is no doubt that the Shell Community Grant Recipients have acquired the skill necessary to teach the correct form to the youngsters and more importantly the correct attitude and discipline that is required to produce the calibre of players for the game today.

“They will look to you as exemplars of how to approach the game of cricket and life to get the sort of results that is needed for a more productive cricket team and society as a whole,” Mitchell said.

He said that Shell through their Community Grants hopes to make a meaningful contribution and expects that the donations will make the communities a better place for the residents to gravitate and find solace in a very challenging world.

“I speak on behalf of the approximately 60 employees that we have in Trinidad presently when I say we look forward to the opportunity to visit your clubs in the near future so that we can see first hand for ourselves how your clubs have been contributing to your communities and see if there are any other ways in which we may be able to assist,” Mitchell said.

Prior to the handing over of the grants, a video presentation was made in which representatives of the organisations gave an overview of their programmes and all profusely thanked Shell Trinidad Limited for their financial intervention.