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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, July 22, 2019 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – The momentum of the Ministry of National Security’s highly successful social intervention programme, the Explorers Youth Club initiative, continues to gain traction as another club, the Newtown Explorers group, was officially launched on Sunday, July 21.

The Newtown Explorers became the ninth club to be launched across St. Kitts under the social intervention programme, which falls under the umbrella of the ministry’s broader community policing initiative.

The club was launched during a ceremony at the Newtown Playing Field, which was attended by a wide-cross section of persons including top government officials such as Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris; Parliamentary Representative for East Basseterre, the Honourable Ian Patches Liburd; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Mr. Osmond Petty; National Security Adviser, (ret.) Major General Stewart Saunders; members of the High Command of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force, as well as parents, guardians and other residents of the community.

The initiative received the full endorsement of the Principal of the Tucker Clarke Primary School, Mr. Leslie Richardson. Majority of the near one hundred participants of the Newtown Explorers are students of that institution.

“The large sign up of so many of our students is attributed to the youthful curiosity and desire to engage in something positive, age appropriate and interesting,” Mr. Richardson said.

He added, “Let the Prime Minister and the Ministry of National Security be applauded this day for what will go down on the records as one of its greatest student-centered arsenals poised towards the development and strengthening of positive mindsets, positive attitudes and positive behaviour display to the end to produce positive results and solutions among and for our young people.”

Meanwhile, the Honourable Ian Patches Liburd singled out the community policing team of the police force and applauded them for their efforts and work with the Explorers Club initiative.

The minister added, “I believe that community policing can only be successful if there’s input from parents, residents and [wider] community and I believe what we continue to see unfolding before our very eyes is what community policing ought to be about.”

The launch of the Newtown Explorers came just a week after the introduction of the Trinity Explorers on July 14, 2019.