British Army gives sports equipment to Youth Department

The Youth Development Department has received a supply of sporting equipment from the British Army. The donation of cricket gear from the United Kingdom was made possible through the efforts of Colonel Mike Bradley, of the British Loan Service who worked and lived in Belmopan a few years ago. Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Russell, the Commanding Officer of the First Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in the U.K., says they obtained the equipment from an army training school that has since closed down.

Lt. Col. Bruce Russell, British Army

“We view the relationship between the British Army, principally, and Belize as an extremely important relationship. It has been going on for many years and we hope it will continue. And we feel like this will help cement that relationship and in some small way thank you for the great hospitality that this country shares with the British Army.”

Ava Pennil, Director, Youth Development Department

“We use the donation in several ways. We want to start a community sporting club so that we could promote youth development

through sports. We also want to use it for the National Youth Cadet Service Corp., that they could be introduced to new games and also probably to build a team. And the National Four H and the Youth Development Centre as well will be using some of the gear to develop teams and probably build a team.”

Pennil says the donation came at an appropriate time with National Youth Week November twenty-first to the twenty-seventh.