Governor General, Her Excellency Dame Sandra Mason on Thursday presented the Commonwealth Points of Light Award to Barbadian couple, Trevor and Pamela Headley.
They were recognised in February by British Monarch Queen Elizabeth II for exceptional voluntary service by providing home-cooked meals to homeless people here in Barbados.
During the presentation at Government House, Dame Sandra said: “It makes me extremely happy to be party to something like this because quite frequently people do good deeds and they expect to see it emblazoned all over the newspaper, but your selfless act that you have been doing over 12 years, without an indication to anyone that you have been doing this, you had to have been discovered, which means that your selfless act to humanity is to be accorded something more touching than this reward this morning.”
Stating that it was “really a great pleasure” to meet them and know about their amazing work, she added: “It is truly a selfless act and I am proud of both of you. You don’t do things to be rewarded but it is always good to have something. So you can hang it in your house for your children and grandchildren and your family and everybody to see it.”
The Headleys, who were the 171st recipients of the Award, expressed gratitude to the Governor General for her kind words and noted that they were appreciative of the award from the Queen.
The two have been contributing to a local homeless shelter, donating home-cooked meals every week for the past 12 years. They purchase all the ingredients themselves and prepare the hot meals in their own home, something that has continued even throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Commonwealth Points of Light awards celebrate the inspirational acts of volunteers across the Commonwealth and help inspire others to make similar contributions towards tackling the myriad social challenges at this time. (BGIS)
