Social Responsibility Winner
We are delighted to announce the Neal & Massy Wood Group (NMWG) Community Team as the winner of the June 2012 Social Responsibility Living our Values Award.
The team’s members are Dalia Watson, community liaison; Felicia Holder, communications officer; and Sharleen Taylor, communications and community coordinator, and they are all helping to make a positive difference to the Mayaro/Guayaguayare community, a small fishing community located on the south-eastern side of Trinidad & Tobago.
NMWG priorities social investment in this community, and has identified education, training, personal skills and social development as its main areas of focus. Led by Dalia, Felicia and Sharleen, the company works alongside residents of Mayaro/Guayaguayare to promote and introduce programmes and projects that will contribute to the development and empowerment of the entire community.
Social Responsibility Value
Being socially responsible is integral to what we do. We aim to make a positive difference to the communities where we operate and seek ways to assist them. We prioritise the hiring and development of local people and work with local supply chains where we can. We are committed to minimising the impact of our activities on the environment by conserving resources, reducing waste and emissions, and preventing environmental pollution and we work with our customers to provide the best environmental solutions.
One of NMWG’s major initiatives for this community is its SWOTS programme – Successful Women on Towards Self Reliance – which focuses on the issues faced by women and their children in the community. SWOTS began in April 2008, and since then has touched the lives of women from different villages in the Mayaro/Guayaguayare community, addressing various issues ranging from abuse, illiteracy, school drop-out, teenage pregnancy and poverty. Through forums, weekly sessions and community outreach activities in more remote villages, the programme offers learning experiences which facilitate empowerment, self-development and self-reliance. It also aims to address the root causes of problems associated with things like unemployment and illiteracy in Trinidad & Tobago.
SWOTS is now a registered Community Based Organisation (CBO) with Trinidad & Tobago’s Ministry of Community Development, and has its own leadership team and executive committee comprising former participants of this life-changing programme.
Congratulations to Dalia, Felicia and Sharleen. Their commitment and dedication to helping the Mayaro/Guayaguayare community makes them very worthy winners of the Social Responsibility award.