I have just been on a luxurious two-week college residential in St Lucia. This was part of the Turing Scheme, the government’s global programme that provides funding for international study, work and training placements for students to widen access to worldwide opportunities. Sports students had to apply for the trip, and I was fortunate enough to be shortlisted. It was a volunteering holiday, helping us sports students gain coaching experience. The charity we worked with was United Through Sport, a specialised charity working with participants from disadvantaged communities, aged 5-35, focusing on using the power of sport to help children and youths on their pathway to success.
For just £750 (it was heavily subsidised), we explored a mountainous Eastern Caribbean island in the Lesser Antilles, renowned for its dramatic volcanic scenery, lush rainforests and luxury tourism. The pints were also cheap, priced at around £2.50 and legal drinking age was 16 – a luxury in itself. Once a key British colony, transitioning from a heavily contested territory between Britain and France, St Lucia (home to approximately 180,000-184,000 residents, and featured in films such as Dr Doolite and The Pirates of The Caribbean series) gained independence in 1979.
The UK does provide support to St Lucia, but this is extremely limited – barely breaching £50k in the last financial year. It appears that the government has misplaced priorities as the education and sporting systems do not feature, and this is having a huge impact on the youth community. Over the two weeks, I was able to explore and discover the real issues which need addressing in this wonderful island, especially regarding youths – whilst enjoying the luxuries of the Caribbean, of course.
On the first coaching day, I found out about the issues young people face in St. Lucia. During the coaching workshops, delivering sport-themed classes to the children, there was a noticeable lack of parks or sports pitches outside of the schools, certainly by British standards. The existing sports pitches and arenas were run down, and nothing compared to what we have at home. The schools (especially primary schools) did not have sports halls or gyms. Coaching the students proved to be difficult; it was as if they had never had sports lessons before as many seemed disengaged and uninterested.
The trip included travelling around the island, which opened my eyes. Picturesque scenery, crystal-clear blue waters and beautiful landscapes. However, it was difficult to ignore the state of schools. It was clear that there is limited funding for schools and teacher training. The schools were small and the population was low. I entered some pre-schools and the classrooms are small, under-resourced and less vibrant. There was also a lack of universities, as there are only four on the entire island. Only 15% of students enrol into higher education, demonstrating a shortage of opportunities on offer in the education system.
We were able to explore the local area when we were not coaching, including shopping and touring. Shops and restaurants are not short of staff, but they were mostly adults. Unlike the UK, where youth employment is common in many industries, youth unemployment in St Lucia reached a staggering 51.6% during the covid restrictions and remains at 28%, directing them onto the streets instead. This was another problem.
Youth crime is a major concern, with males under 35 making up 60% of murder victims over the past decade. I was walking towards a shopping mall and there was a gang of young teenagers being kicked out for causing trouble. On the beaches young people were in groups smoking dope and flirting with the women walking past. St Lucia has an under-resourced police force and an overcrowded prison system, which struggle to cope with high levels of youth gang violence and gun crime – problems that are far more acute than in the UK. Armed robbery, homicide, and gang-related gun-violence are more common here than back home.
Although St Lucia offers magnificence, splendid beaches, and eye-catching landmarks and tourist sites, hidden beneath all this lies a real problem in the youth community across the island. The United Through Sport Charity is working hard to create a bigger sporting culture in St Lucia by creating partnerships with local schools and offering coaching sessions. Over the two decades they have been operating, they have helped the lives of over 150,000 young people through the programme. This is a start, but this alone is not going to be enough. The instinctive response is to call for more targeted funding and more programmes for young people to have better opportunities in life.
St Lucia was a wonderful host for two weeks, and the experiences I had will live with me forever. Visiting Pigeon Island, which you can read about in my article here, and coaching and interacting with the local youths were the highlights. But it could do better to address the issues that are masked, for many visitors, by its idyllic scenery.
Jack Watson is a 17 year-old student in Year 12 at Wyke College, Hull. You can read his Substack about following Hull City FC here. Follow him on X here.
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