Public Relations Officer of the Virgin Gorda Festival Committee, Jerrell George, expressed that special attention is being paid to spending with this year’s committee to ensure that they ‘end up in the green’ at this year’s festival. Photo: VINO

Speaking during an exclusive interview with Virgin Islands News Online, George revealed that in relation to the various committees and events, “we have been getting actual calls, so we’re budgeting across the board, so we’re making sure at the end of the year that everyone is paid out on time and we end up in the green this year.”

He further stated that there was now a brand new committee in place and it was important to ensure that the team was very accountable in its transactions.

The VG Festival Committee is working with a budget of $100,000 as handed down from the Ministry of Education and Culture.

Specific measures are being taken to ensure that the committee remains accountable and with this in mind, George said, “Before we actually send out any checks or any payments, everything needs an invoice and everything needs to be looked at. We look at the competitors, look at the rate and [determine] how we can bring [costs] down…”

“Whatever is the best deal, whatever is the best package, that’s what the committee is looking for,” the Public Relations representative assured.

According to George, the twenty-member committee, which was formed at the end of December 2012, has been taking special interest in getting the community involved along the way. There have been many fundraising events that have been put on that seek to get members of the community involved while many members that comprise the committee are active within the community as well.

“We’re trying to make sure we reach out to everybody,” George said, “I mean this is our first year, so even if we don’t achieve our goal this year, we know we’re better off for next year as we go forward.”

Persons in the community, according to the PR representative, have expressed pride that the committee has taken an early start in reaching out and getting members of the community involved.

There has been encouragement for the committee to keep pushing and also requests for more cultural events and a greater volume of advertising going into the Virgin Gorda Easter Festival.

George stated, however, that with everything the newly formed committee is doing, they have to make sure everything is intact before going forward.

He expressed that there is a desire to ensure requests made by the community are met in accordance with their budget this time around but added, “we tried this year, but we know this is our first attempt, so if we’re not as successful, we’re going to push for what we’re going to do next year.”

The committee, he stated, would not ‘close up’ once this year’s festival has been completed, but rather will continue to have meetings that facilitate an honest assessment of what has transpired and initiatives to better this at the following year’s festival.

“We’re looking forward to [planning] our first event [for 2014] in August [or] September… as Festival finishes in Road Town, [determine] how we can go ahead pushing for VG for next year.”

Even though the committee is in place for one year and elections and various other factors determine the final component and make-up of the VG Festival committees that are formed, George was hopeful that the same members will comprise the new committee for the following year.

“What we’re looking forward to, is sticking to the team [currently in place] and we’re putting down ground rules and profiles [so if there are changes] they know what to do and what to expect for next year.”