The Department of Youth Affairs and Sports will be hosting its second Youth Forum on November 16 for young persons on Virgin Gorda.

Youth Programme Officer, Mrs. Desiree Flanders-Harrigan said that the first forum held for the year was extremely successful with a great turn out of representatives from different youth programmes.

Mrs. Flanders-Harrigan said several key topics affecting the youth were discussed at the forum which was based on the 2019 Caribbean Youth Day theme, “Confronting the Social Issues Impacting Education for an Economically Sustainable Region”.

These she said included self-esteem, drug and alcohol abuse, and depression. “We had students from the Elmore Stoutt High School, the Virgin Islands School of Technical Studies, M.A.L.E, Y.E.P and other youth from around the Virgin Islands.” Mrs. Flanders-Harrigan said.

Based on the turn out and response from youth on Tortola, the department held focus groups with young people on Virgin Gorda to better prepare and structure the forum, so that it is beneficial to those who will be attending.

The Youth Forum is open to all youth and will be held at the St. Mary’s Church Hall at 7:00 p.m.

To see the full interview with Desiree Flanders-Harrigan, visit the Government’s Facebook page @BVIGovernment.

The Department of Youth Affairs and Sports is committed to ensuring a comprehensive youth development characterized by quality, excellence, equitable access and full participation, in order to create a better life for all residents.