The Anguilla Branch of FirstCaribbean International Bank launched the annual local segment of the Unsung Heroes competition at the Teachers’ Resource Centre on Wednesday, April 30.

FCIB Unsung Heroes Committee members and 2007 Hero, Owen Mussington

Acting Country Manager, Hensley Johnson, said the competition included all the seventeen Caribbean territories in which there were branches of the bank and that it involved funding amounting to seven hundred thousand US dollars. The winner of the local competition is awarded US$5,000 to spend as that person and the overall regional winner gets US$10,000.

Mr. Johnson, whose substantive post in Anguilla is Head of Corporate, said: “We at FirstCaribbean recognise that being the choice of bank for Caribbean people means that we must do our part in nurturing our Caribbean societies. We, in the FirstCaribbean family, are keenly aware that to nurture our societies, we must recognise and encourage the good people around us to continue with their good works. We remain committed to honouring our own.

“In the 2008 FirstCaribbean Unsung Heroes Programme will again seek out and acknowledge those persons in our communities who go about their community work without consideration for reward…They play an invaluable role in improving our communities…The work and example of these unsung heroes give us pride for the present, hope for the future and, most importantly, they are living examples of the best that we can be.”

Gretta Morancie, Local Country Coordinator for the programme and Business Support Officer at the bank, stated: “We believe that FirstCaribbean’s regional Unsung Heroes Programme represents one of the most unique and useful community programmes in the Caribbean today. The stories that are uncovered year after year are humbling…The theme, Enriching our Communities Together will seek to demonstrate one of the many ways in which the bank must truly be a community partner…We must find ways in which to enrich the lives of our neighbours. We must give back. What better way to do this than by holding up for public example the many unsung heroes that we uncover each year.

“Unsung Heroes are among us throughout the Caribbean region. They exist in almost every community from small fishing villages to our larger nation’s capitals…They all show one elevated trait in common. They make positive things happen for others…Unsung Heroes go about their charities and their good works without consideration for reward or self-acclaim hence the word, unsung.
Nominations for Unsung Heroes are now being accepted at FirstCaribbean and the competition will continue until June 30. The local committee tasked with choosing the winner, are George Kentish, Bishop Errol Brooks and Sanford Richardson from the community and from the bank are Antoinette Pickering, Credit Counsellor, Gretta Morancie and Country Manager, Marie Rey.

Last year’s Unsung Hero was Owen Mussington, a youth leader from East End. He took the opportunity to inform the gathering at the 2008 launching ceremony that he used his US$5,000 dollars to purchase musical instruments for a group of young people in that village. The instruments are housed in the downstairs section of the Basketball facility on the grounds of the Morris Vanterpool Primary School where the practice sessions are regularly held.

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