Acting in accordance with section 5(2) of the Public Holidays Ordinance, 1945, His
Excellency the Governor, has directed that Friday, 17 November 2023, shall be observed as a Public Holiday to mark the occasion of the birthday of His Majesty
King Charles III.
A Public Notice was issued to this effect on 20 July 2023.
StHelena #PublicHoliday
SHG
26 July 2023
Today, Tuesday 25 July 2023, is World Drowning Prevention Day. On this day the World Health Organization (WHO) reminds people that drowning is a public health problem and that anyone can drown, but no one should. For St Helena, this is an important issue. As an Island nation swimming, fishing and other water based activities are strong traditional and cultural practices, with safety advice (rough seas, dangerous areas to avoid, etc.) passed down from generation to generation.
This year the WHO is raising awareness of six evidence-based, low-cost drowning prevention interventions that countries and organisations can implement to significantly reduce the risk of drowning. These are:
For St Helena, only five of the six risks apply (as one relates to flooding). So how do these risks apply to us locally?
St Helena Sea Rescue Service are competent in Sea Survival and are qualified in Immediate Life Support (ILS) and First Response Emergency Care Level 3. Seafarers are required to attend a sea survival course to have a good knowledge of the safety equipment carried on small boats and the techniques needed to survive at sea in heavy weather.
Wearing a lifejacket or personal flotation device is strongly recommended for recreational boating and activities in or near water.
Boat owners, including fishers, are asked to ensure that their safety equipment includes lifejackets, particularly if they are carrying passengers. All St Helena vessels are encouraged to ensure their safety equipment is fit for purpose. In the interest of safety, consideration is being given to making this a legal requirement as part of a licencing system in the near future. Fishers travelling to the seamounts are required to have life jackets, a life raft and sea survival training.
Instructions on Safe Use of Personal Water Craft has been made available by Port Control. You can access this through https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/2020/news/safe-use-of-personal-water-craft-2/?highlight=Safe+Use+of+Personal+Water+Craft.
Age-appropriate ocean safety advice is given by the Sea Rescue Service each November before the summer school holidays to educate children in safe practices and some of the local threats. They also give general safety advice before events that attracts more people to the sea, such as boat fishing days, fishing on the rocks, etc.
Swimming is also integrated into the school curriculum so that every child on the Island has the opportunity to learn to swim. The programme focuses on key aspects of learning to swim, such as mastering basic techniques and being around water.
Lifebuoys are located at the Jamestown Wharf, Rupert’s Jetty and beach, and Lemon Valley. This is vital survival equipment and should be treated with respect, so should not be removed unless there is an emergency. Please report any defects to the Sea Rescue Service or Port Control. Instructions on how to use this equipment can be found here or below:
There is a watercourse which runs through Jamestown known as ‘The Run’. The Run experiences fast-flowing water during or just after heavy rainfall as well as when the Run is ‘flushed’, which normally occurs on Friday mornings between 6am-6.30am, but is carried out as and when required. Everyone is reminded to use caution when walking alongside the Run. Parents are also asked to discourage their children from playing in it and to educate their children of the potential dangers in and around the Run.
It should be noted that all the reservoirs are under the control of the Connect Saint Helena Ltd as the utilities company. Connect restricts access to these to prevent unintended injuries. The dams are equipped with lifebuoys and escape ropes in case a lone worker falls in.
The port of St Helena has designated swimming areas in Rupert’s and James Bay. It is important that all vessels avoid these areas or obtain permission from the Harbour Master before entering them. There are also “No Wake Zones”, whereby vessel operators are required to reduce speed when manoeuvring in these zones. To find out more about the safe area to swim, please refer to the two images below:
It is also important to remember that St Helena is a tourist destination. We have many visitors, both short and long term, who swim in the waters around the Island. As there are no lifeguards on the coast, visitors are asked to take advice from locals on safe areas to swim and the local threats the ocean can present.
Let’s all make sure we do our bit to ensure that these safety tips are not forgotten and that everyone who wants to, can feel comfortable in the water.
#StHelena #SafeSeas
SHG
25 July 2023
For the second quarter of 2023 (April to June) the Retail Price Index (RPI) has been measured at 115.3, compared to 112.8 for the same quarter a year ago. This means that retail prices have, on average, increased by 2.2% over the 12 month period, even though the annual rate has slowed compared to the rate in the previous quarter (5.4%) (Chart 1).
Chart 1. Annual inflation rate, Q2 2016 to Q2 2023
The RPI uses 203 representative items to measure price changes in nine different categories of household spending; since a year ago, 81 of these items increased in price, 31 items decreased in price, and the price of 91 items remained unchanged.
The most notable change in prices over the past three months was in petrol and diesel, whose price fell from £1.90 and £2.01 a litre in Q1 2023, to £1.88 and £1.86 in Q2 2023. This was also a fall from Q2 2022, a year ago, when the price of petrol and diesel had increased to £1.98 and £2.22 from their previous price of £1.37 and £1.45 a litre. This fall over the year in the price of fuel is the main reason why the annual inflation rate has decreased to 2.2%, from 5.4% last quarter.
Even though the price of fuel has fallen, prices in four other categories of expenditure all increased, on average, by 4% or more compared to a year ago. This includes Alcohol and Tobacco, Household Goods and Services, Food, and Clothing. In particular, annual Food price inflation has been measured at 5.6%. This is slightly lower than the 6.1% rate measured last quarter, but it is otherwise still the highest annual rate measured for the Food category since 2017.
Food is also the largest category in the RPI basket of goods and services, covering roughly a third of the items measured. To update this basket and maintain the accuracy of the RPI and measures of price inflation, the Statistics Office is planning to conduct a new Household Expenditure Survey between August and October (the current basket is derived from a Household Expenditure Survey conducted in 2017).
A full Statistical Bulletin and a link to a detailed data file can be accessed through the St Helena Government website, at www.sainthelena.gov.sh/2023/statistics/statistical-bulletin-6-2023-price-inflation/.
#StHelena #Statistics #Prices #Inflation #Economy #StatsNews
SHG
19 July 2023
On 6 June 2022, funding of £380,000 was approved from the Economic Development Investment Programme (EDIP) to deliver the Increased Agricultural Production (IAP) Project.
The purpose of the project is to undertake infrastructure improvements on the SHG Agricultural Estate. This is being done to ensure the land and building resources are of a standard to allow the estate to significantly contribute to increase commercial and smallholder agricultural production activities. The project is being delivered over two financial years, 2022/23 and 2023/24.
Eight activities were identified to contribute to these improvements. These were:
Over the next three weeks, releases will be published that focus on the progress made on delivering the eight activities listed above. This is an update on the construction of the storage units and animal shelters.
Construction of storage units on pastures
Of SHG held pastures, only two had storage units constructed on site. It was therefore identified that more pastures required adequate storage units to store resources such as tools, equipment, etc. for those using the pasture. By having storage on site, tenants have better access to the required resources. This allows for efficient management of the pastureland, and enables them to respond towards the husbandry needs of the animals in a timely manner, contributing to overall increased production.
The following four pastures therefore had a storage unit constructed on site:
| PASTURE | CONTRACTOR | TOTAL | COMPLETED |
| Thompsons Wood | Fowler’s Construction | £7,277.50 | March 2023 |
| Loma Cowen | Fowler’s Construction | £7,277.50 | March 2023 |
| Lemon Valley Head | Henry’s Building Construction | £6,848.80 | March 2023 |
| Deadwood | S.Doy Construction | £6,183.05 | February 2023 |
Construction of animal shelters on pastures
There were only five pastures that had animal shelters located on site. It was identified that more pastures required adequate shelters for stock to be protected from inclement weather conditions. Evidence suggests that animals tend to thrive better when they are housed in suitable conditions, becoming more productive. The shelters also provide adequate protection for animals when they are unwell, and allow for better management and administration of treatments, again contributing to increased productivity
Therefore, the following three pastures had an animal shelter constructed on site:
| PASTURE | CONTRACTOR | SHELTER TYPE | TOTAL | COMPLETED |
| High Banks | Henry’s Building Construction | Sheep | £5,694.50 | February 2023 |
| Churchyard/Ball Alley | Fowler’s Construction | Sheep | £5,958.00 | March 2023 |
| Deadwood | S.Doy Construction | Cow | £12,415.90 | February 2023 |
All of these works will help to increase economic activities and productivity on the SHG agricultural estate.
Next week, focus will be on pastures cleared of invasive and non-native species and pastures secured with appropriate fencing.
It should be noted that all contracts advertised under this project went out for open procurement and were only advertised locally. This ensured that the tenders reached a wide range of the private-sector businesses.
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SHG
13 July 2023
St Helena and FINN Partners, SHG’s UK-based marketing and communications agency, won the award for ‘PR Campaign up to £50,000 spend’ on Monday night (3 July) at the annual Travel Marketing Awards in London.
The award recognised the innovation and excellence of the Jonathan’s 190th Birthday activities that took place in December 2022, meeting the Travel Marketing Awards ‘Gold Standard’ criteria.
The PR Campaign gained worldwide media coverage of Jonathan’s celebrations, reaching more than 474 million people worldwide. This included TV appearances on The Drew Barrymore Show in the USA, a Sky News interview between presenter Kay Burley and Governor Philips, and Teeny Lucy featuring on both BBC News and BBC 24. Multimedia coverage ranged from CNN to The Independent and People, among others.
Just £2,000 was spent, within the local economy, to celebrate Jonathan’s birthday. SHG and FINN Partners then worked together under their normal contract to gain international coverage of the event, generating £4.8 million pounds of international Advertising Value Equivalency (AVE). AVE is the amount that St Helena would have had to spend on Jonathan’s birthday coverage, if these activities had been paid for rather than secured for free.
The awards were presented by actor/comedian Ed Byrne. St Helena and FINN’s award was collected by SHG Marketing Manager Emma Weaver, who is currently in the UK, and representatives from FINN Partners.
SHG’s Marketing Manager commented:
“Jonathan is a national treasure and we’re so happy the rest of the world celebrated his 190th birthday alongside our local community. Thanks so much to everyone in St Helena and at FINN for creating such a memorable and successful event. It’s wonderful to be recognised with such a prestigious award, amongst such incredible competition.”
Minister for Treasury, Infrastructure and Sustainable Development Mark Brooks said:
“It’s fantastic to see St Helena recognised on the world stage again, first during the birthday celebrations themselves and now with this award. I said during my recent Budget speech that we want to see a change of mindset in how we approach our work. This is a great example of how to work creatively on a limited budget to deliver incredible results. I commend the SHG team and FINN Partners for what they were able to achieve.”
Notes to Editor
The Travel Marketing Awards, which are organised by the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s Travel Group (CIM TG), are one of the most prestigious events in the travel and tourism marketing calendar, with the industry’s most sought-after accolades.
This year’s awards were celebrated at a glittering ceremony, held on 3 July 2023 in London, and celebrated brilliance in travel marketing, rewarding the originality, creativity, innovation and relevancy delivered by brands, teams and individuals across a wide range of disciplines within Advertising, Marketing, Digital and PR. Winners in other categories this year included ABTA, TUI and Butlins.
On Wednesday last week, FINN and St Helena were also recognised with an Honourable Mention at the Silver Marketing Awards, again for Jonathan’s 190th Birthday activities.
SHG
11 July 2023
Side Path
In December 2022 Side Path reopened to vehicular traffic following significant rehabilitation works. Since this time further minor works have been ongoing. SHG is pleased to confirm that of these, works to The Brow drainage, designed to protect Napoleon Street, have now been completed. Sealing of construction joints remains ongoing and will be completed as the weather permits.
The remaining length of concrete road pavement at the top of Side Path will be constructed at the same time as wider Side Path/Field Road junction improvements, under the Field Road rehabilitation elements of the R2 Project.
Field Road
The tender evaluation process for the Field Road elements of the R2 Project is now completed and a preferred contractor has been identified. SHG anticipates signing a construction contract in July, with construction commencing soon after.
Once construction commences, Field Road will be closed to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic, including emergency vehicles, until the works are completed. The detailed construction programme will be part of the contractual negotiations with the preferred contractor, but SHG anticipates a total construction period of approximately nine months.
A further notice will be issued once the Field Road closure date can be confirmed.
SHG
04 July 2023
In November 2022, SHG announced St Helena would receive funding from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s bespoke 2022/2023: Improving Essential Equipment in Overseas Territories programme.
St Helena spent £1,735,482 on purchasing equipment of critical importance to the Island, in areas including health care, emergency services, port operations, road maintenance and the airport. The purpose is to improve the resilience and well-being of our community.
Focus on Health and Social Care
£778,316 was spent on equipment for Health and Social Care. Eight devices in total were ordered. Three have arrived and SHG will be installing and testing the equipment before it can be put into use.
These new tools will allow medical staff to better manage illnesses on-Island and reduce the need for off-Island referrals. Doing so will improve the turnaround time for assessments and results, delivering better and more timely care to patients, without needing them to travel abroad.
The infographic below provides further details and updates on how these funds have been used for St Helena:
Further details and updates on the equipment procured by St Helena Airport, the Safety Security and Home Affairs Portfolio and the Treasury, Infrastructure and Development Portfolio will be provided in due course.
#StHelena #FCDO #ImprovingEssentialInfrastructure
Pride month is marked every year in June across the world. It is a vibrant and inclusive celebration which honours the LGBTQ+ community, its history, its achievements and its ongoing fight for equality.
This international annual event is a powerful reminder of the importance of acceptance, diversity and love. It brings together individuals, organisations and communities in defence of the rights of LGBTQ+ people and in celebration of progress towards a more inclusive society.
During this year’s International Pride Month, the rainbow flag has been proudly flown at Plantation House and the Police Station. The Rainbow Pride Flag features all the colours of the rainbow, and is widely recognised as the symbol of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) communities. Other variations also include a chevron of black and brown stripes to represent people of colour, and blue, pink and white for transgender people.
The St Helena Government is proud to support the LGBTQ+ community and, just as it is for every person within our community, is committed to upholding their rights. The St Helena Constitution protects individuals from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and since 1 January 2017, same-sex marriage has been recognised throughout the territory.
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#StHelena #PrideMonth #RainbowFlag #LGBTQ+
Following yesterday’s tabling of the Appropriation Bill 2023 in the Legislative Council and the delivery of the budget speech by Minister for Treasury, Infrastructure and Sustainable Development, Mark Brooks, the Budget Book 2023/24 has now been published online.
The Budget Book can be found at www.sainthelena.gov.sh/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/SHG-Estimates-of-recurrent-and-capital-expenditure-and-revenue.pdf
The Budget Book, formally titled Estimates of Recurrent and Capital Expenditure and Revenue 2023/24, covers the government’s forecasted revenue and expenditure for the 2023/24 financial year.
It covers how much money the government expects to receive and how it intends to spend this. It also explains the assumptions and methodologies applied where the government has costed policy decisions.
Within it, you will find details about overall government finances as well as portfolio-specific finances.
#StHelena #Budget2023 #AltogetherWealthier
Works are nearing completion on the construction of the Port Control, Customs and Biosecurity (PCB) Main Container Yard, and the erection of the two new steel frame buildings in Lower Rupert’s.
Isaac’s Contractors have completed approximately 75% of the PCB Main Yard, 95% of the erection of the new steel frame PCB Building, and 40% of the erection of the new steel frame Container Freight Station (CFS) Building. These contracts are programmed to be completed in August 2023 in readiness for the contract for the internal fit-out of the buildings to be undertaken.
For more information on these projects and/or other ongoing or planned Economic Development Investment Programme (EDIP) projects, members of the public are encouraged to attend the quarterly EDIP information meetings. The next round of public meetings are due to be held in July 2023, and specific dates and times for these will be published shortly.
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#StHelena #EDIP #AltogetherWealthier