The Barbados Association of Retired Persons (BARP) is celebrating 15 years of working towards improving the lives of persons aged 50 and over in Barbados. With over 22,000 members, it represents around 25% of its age cohort and approximately 8% of the entire population.

BARP is the largest NGO of its kind and is now recognised as a National Organisation. For the last 15 years, all the executive functions within BARP have been performed by a small team of dedicated volunteers and whilst this is an admirable achievement, the time has come for the Association to recruit full time experienced and qualified professionals to certain key positions within the organisation so that it can maximise its aims and objectives and better serve its membership and the wider community in the future.

This week, for the first time since its inception, BARP is using the media to recruit paid personnel, with a press advert inviting applications for the position of an Executive Manager to work collaboratively with the President and the various BARP committees and to develop plans and strategies to implement the Board’s decisions.

While continuing to acknowledge the invaluable contribution of its legion of faithful volunteers, BARP recognises the need to take appropriate action to rise to the challenges of running a successful operation of ever increasing size, and improving the range of vital services it wishes to provide for persons aged 50 and over in Barbados.