Category: News

All schools on St Helena – Harford Primary, Pilling Primary, St Paul’s Primary, and Prince Andrew School – are joining the schools on Tristan da Cunha and the Falkland Islands to participate in the ‘Race Across The South Atlantic Challenge’.

The challenge, which will begin for St Helena today, Monday 27 May, will see participants try to collect miles to cover the distance between St Helena and Tristan da Cunha.

Initiated by Primary Education Advisor, Clare Ryan, of St Mary’s School on Tristan da Cunha, the challenge aims to encourage exercise and sports as part of a healthy lifestyle for children.

The challenge is open to both children and school staff, though no member of staff may compete on a children’s team and no child may compete on a staff team. Children’s teams need to include both boys and girls.

Each team will include up to five people who will have ten weeks to complete the challenge which covers two levels:

• Level One – Meet halfway between the Islands and cover a distance of 757 miles
• Level Two – Cover the full distance between the Islands of 1,514 miles

Miles can be collected by completing a wide range of activities. Guidance on these are as follows:

For walking, running, cycling, and scootering, one mile equals one mile.

For swimming, 48 lengths of a 33m pool equals one mile.

The following activities are worth the noted number of miles:

Activity	Duration	Miles Worth
Aerobics/Insanity/High Intensity Interval Training/Circuit Training	1 Hour	8 Miles
Football	1 Hour	6 Miles
Cricket	1 Hour	6 Miles
Rounders	1 Hour	6 Miles
Softball	1 Hour	6 Miles
Netball	1 Hour	6 Miles
Dancing	1 Hour	6 Miles

If using a Fitbit or other step counting device, 2,000 steps are equivalent to one mile.

Each participating team will need to fill in a Race Across The South Atlantic Record Sheet to record their miles, submitting a team total to their designated school representative every Friday.

The challenge will close on Friday, 2 August 2019.

#StHelena #Education #RaceAcrossTheSouthAtlanticChallenge #AltogetherHealthier

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SHG
27 May 2019

 

Yordie Constantine, of Jamestown, has recently become a newly trained Retained Firefighter within the St Helena Fire & Rescue Service (SHF&RS).

Yordie recently completed an intensive Fire Fighter Development Training Programme which began in February 2019 to become a Retained Firefighter. He then undertook a six-week course covering many aspects of firefighting including Road Traffic Collison training, Breathing Apparatus training, Water & Hydrant Supplies, and Ladder Drills, to name a few.

SHF&RS Watch Manager, Jason Lawrence, said:

“Yordie should be very proud of his achievement in becoming a Retained Firefighter. It is a real commitment, not only to the SHF&RS, but to the community as a whole.

“The service would like to wish Yordie all the very best in his new role and I hope that he enjoys the next stage of his development as he embarks on his new career as a Retained Firefighter within the SHF&RS.”

As a Retained Firefighter, Yordie will attend a range of incidents which could include anything from fires, road traffic collisions, and land searches, to community fire safety initiatives.

#StHelena #SHF&RS #NewRetainedFirefighter #SaintSuccess #AltogetherSafer

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SHG
24 May 2019

UPDATE

The Roads Section of the Infrastructure & Transport Directorate (ITD) has, over the past few weeks, conducted various different slurry trial mixes on the road from White Gate to Lemon Tree Gut (via Knollcombes), as they seek to find alternative patching/surfacing methods for the Island’s road network.

Slurry is a micro-surfacing method used to address certain road defects. It is not new to the Island, having already been used on the Grand Parade parking area in Jamestown, but not as a patching method on the Island’s roads.

In their quest to find a more cost-effective alternative to the current grit and tar method for fixing potholes and other road irregularities, the Roads Section has mixed different combinations of sea sand, crushed sand and grit, with anionic bitumen. Depending on the road defect, deeper holes were treated with a higher percentage of grit, whereas shallow scars were done with less grit and more sea sand.

Slurry layers do however take longer to cure than the grit and tar method and must be kept free of traffic until the layer has hardened sufficiently.

Knollcombes Road was chosen as it contained a bit of every road defect common on the Island. A section of this road also has a tree canopy that does not allow much sunshine to pass through and is normally wetter than the other sections. This allowed the Roads Section to test a slurry layer in damper conditions.

Along with treating the road defects, the three hairpin bends at W-Road were also given a surface slurry coating over the full width of every turn. This was done to test how the slurry layer handles the strain of turning vehicles on an incline and in different weather conditions.

Over the coming months, the different slurry mixes and the different applications will be evaluated to ascertain if slurry can be used as an alternative method in addressing road defects as opposed to the existing methods.

The public is thanked for their cooperation and understanding during the time of the essential road closures. Any feedback from the public is also welcome.

#StHelena #InfrastructureAndTransport #RoadsSection #SlurryTrials

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SHG
24 May 2019

The Infrastructure & Transport Directorate (ITD) would like to advise the public that the Roads Section will be relocating the roadside traffic mirror currently situated at the top corner of W-road to Sunnyside Junction, St Paul’s.

This is due to the stolen traffic mirror from Sunnyside Junction still not being found and needing to be replaced.

The public is thanked for their continued support and cooperation.

SHG
24 May 2019

https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh

UPDATE

The final phase of the work programme – building the buttress wall near Sundale – to further secure the section of rock in the upper Jamestown area is nearing completion, with the masonry crew of the Roads Section, assisted by the Rock Guards, now in the final stages of construction on the wall.

Works carried out so far include:

• Excavation of over four cubic metres of loose rubble for foundation, digging down nearly one and a half metres before reaching solid rock using only small hand tools and electrical breakers
• Drilling holes and installing metal reinforcing starter bars and rebar cage to anchor the foundation to the solid rock base
• Pouring the concrete foundation and allowing to cure over seven days
• Construction of the wall itself using cavity blocks, with the spaces between the blocks and around the rebar being filled every two layers
• Construction of scaffolding around the buttress wall to allow for construction of the higher section

Due to the precarious location of the works, eight plus metres below the cliff top, the works team have had to install contraptions to allow for the transporting of material. These include constructing a zip line to assist in moving material from the cliff top to the works site, and constructing a metal chute to allow fresh concrete to be mixed at the top and transported down to the base foundation.

Roads Manager, Deon Robbertse, said:

“The biggest challenge from the outset was to ensure a safe working space for works to be carried out. This included installing mechanisms to allow material to be transported safely from the top to the bottom.

“A big thanks must go out to the guys, who, under very difficult conditions, are doing their best in constructing this buttress wall.”

The remaining works include completion of the buttress wall construction using cavity blocks, estimated to be finished by mid-June, and tying in the buttress wall to the cliff above.

Once completed, the works team will need to clean up the site by removing the zip line, scaffolding, and metal chute, and resetting the rock fall catchment fencing.

On successful completion of these works, the work programme will be concluded.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes to Editors

The Rock Guards, who carry out regular rock stability inspections, expressed concerns about a section of rock in the Upper Jamestown area on 21 June 2018. On 23 June, Geo-Tech Surveyor, Chad Douglas, visited the Island to carry out an inspection of the area. His assessments indicated that there is no imminent risk of a rock fall and an appropriate work programme was put in place to further secure the area.

#StHelena #InfrastructureAndTransport #RoadsSection #RockGuards #ButtressWallConstruction #AltogetherSafer

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SHG
24 May 2019

A welcome reception for Governor Dr Philip Rushbrook and Mrs Rushbrook was held at Plantation House on Friday evening, 17 May 2019.

The evening was well attended by invited guests from a selection of organisations and businesses across the Island. Guests were able to meet and greet the new Governor and Mrs Rushbrook.

Governor Rushbrook also took this opportunity to thank the organisers of the Inauguration Ceremony and everyone for a warm welcome to the Island.

#StHelena #Welcome #NewGovernor

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SHG
24 May 2019

The following is a Public Announcement from the Education & Employment Directorate:

The Primary Sector of the Education & Employment Directorate would like to advise the public that they are currently experiencing difficulties in sending and receiving emails on a regular basis.

This issue is currently being addressed, however, until fully resolved, the public might experience delays in emails being responded to by school staff.

The Education & Employment Directorate would therefore appreciate if matters of an urgent nature could be communicated to the relevant staff member by telephone so that they can receive immediate attention.

The telephone numbers for the Primary Schools are as follows:

Harford:  24719

Pilling:  22540

St Paul’s:  24737

The Education & Employment Directorate will advise when this problem has been resolved, and would like to thank the public in advance for their support and patience.

SHG
23 May 2019

https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh

 

St Helena Government’s (SHG) new Senior Economist, Amanda Curry Brown, (photo attached), took up her post on St Helena on Monday, 20 May 2019.

Amanda has been appointed on a two-year contract and will work alongside the Chief Economist Nicole Shamier. Amanda’s main duties will include developing a revised Labour Market Strategy and providing analytical support to the Economic Development Investment Programme.

Amanda said:

“I am excited to be joining the team at SHG and am deeply appreciative of the warm welcome my husband and I have received. I’m looking forward to working with my new colleagues and stakeholders across the Island to help advance the important work that is already happening.”

Nicole added:

“I’m really pleased Amanda has come to join us from North Carolina; she will assist the Project Management Unit who will be making recommendations on how the Economic Development Investment Programme budget should be spent, and will also be leading on the development of a Labour Market Strategy. So lots of work to do, lots of people to meet and consult with. Amanda and her husband Dave have mentioned the very warm welcome they have received since they arrived on 18 May and I’m very thankful to the community for helping them to settle into their home away from home.”

 Before taking up her post on St Helena, Amanda lived in Durham, North Carolina, USA. Amanda has 14 years’ experience with the US Government as both a contractor and civil servant. Amanda comes to St Helena from the US Environmental Protection Agency where she led a variety of international air quality and climate programmes. She has a Master of Public Policy (MPP) Degree from the College of William & Mary and recently completed a Certificate in Development Studies at the University of Melbourne.

#StHelena #NewAppointment #SeniorEconomist

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SHG

23 May 2019

In the Social & Community Development Committee (SCDC) meeting summary of 26 April 2019 it was reported that employment of up to 15 overseas staff for the Safeguarding Directorate would be going ahead.

Following feedback from Elected Members and the public, St Helena Government (SHG) advises the public that this recruitment will no longer proceed. Instead, the directorate will look to locally increase staffing through a recruitment drive and overall review of terms and conditions across the directorate.

This would also enable existing staff within the Community Care Centre (CCC) the opportunity to progress in their profession alongside increased flexibility in shift patterns and leave requirements.

SHG has considered all options and reached what is hoped to be the most appropriate decision to support the most vulnerable members of society residing within the CCC.

The Safeguarding Director and the SCDC Chairman, Councillor Tony Green, will be on radio today providing further details on this decision.

#StHelena #Safeguarding #AltogetherSafer

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SHG
23 May 2019

• St Helena is currently experiencing a Moderate Water Shortage
• The raw water stock at the current consumption and replenishment rate will last for 36 days
• Reservoir levels currently at 40% and getting lower by the day
• SHG are aware of the situation and with Connect Saint Helena are monitoring water levels on a weekly basis
• Residents should look to reduce water consumption and use water responsibly

As a result of exceptionally dry weather conditions, St Helena is currently experiencing a moderate water shortage with around 36 days of raw water level stock available on the Island and reservoir levels at 40% capacity.

The St Helena Resilience Forum (SHRF) has been made aware of the situation and Connect Saint Helena Ltd (CSH) will continue to provide the SHRF with weekly data to monitor the shortage.

At the moment, reservoir levels are getting lower. This is because we are consuming more water than we are collecting coupled with the lack of consistent rainfall which is needed to recover the reservoir levels.

On average we are consuming 280,000 litres more than we are collecting from our raw water stocks each day. St Helena residents are reminded that we are experiencing an Island-wide water shortage and it is everyone’s responsibility to take great care in using this precious resource. Consumers are urged to reduce consumption wherever possible.

To replenish water stocks, at Hutts Gate CSH are continuing to pump water from Fishers Valley pump main to Willow Bank and at Red Hill pumping water from the Chubbs Spring water system.

CSH monitors water and collection daily and will continue to keep the public updated of the situation on a regular basis.

#StHelena #ModerateWaterShortage 

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SHG
23 May 2019