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Heartline Magazine April - June 2006
Making a difference
 When
in November 1983 Lion Darnley Vaughn, then President, invited Dru Symmonds SCM, J.P. to
become a member of the Lions Club of Barbados South, little did he know that he
would be setting him on a path of singular service to the community through the
service club, and at the same time with one of Barbados and the Caribbean’s most
respected health care institutions.
Mr. Symmonds accepted in March of the following year, and
immediately capitalized on the opportunity given "to serve" and make a
difference, and has had a distinguished record of service to his former Lions
club, Lionism within the region, and to the wider community.
In July 1984, at the commencement of the new Lionistic year
he was made Chairman of the Health and Social Services Committee for the year
1984 to 1985 and through the club he co-founded the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Barbados
and became its Vice President.
In 1985 - 1986 he became Chairman of the Fundraising
Committee of the Lions Club of Barbados South, and subsequently held the
positions of Director in 1987 - 1988, Assistant secretary 1989 - 1990, Club
Secretary 1990 – 1991 and Tail twister 1991 - 1992. That year he was also
Bulletin editor. Mr. Symmonds served as 3rd, 2nd and 1st Vice President of Lions
Club of Barbados South during the years 1992 to 1995 and became President in
1995.
His service to Lionism has earned him several awards,
including Rookie of the Year 1984 to 1985, and Lion of the Year 1990 - 1991. He
has also received five President Appreciation Awards, and the 100% Secretary
award. Mr, Symmonds resigned from the Club in 2001 owing to insufficient time to
actively dedicate to the club.
In his contribution to regional Lionism Mr. Symmonds was
secretary of the Multiple District 60 Convention Committee in 1986, and in 1993
– 1994 was Cabinet Secretary/Treasurer of District 60B. He also held the
position of Council Secretary/Treasurer of Multiple District 60 in 1994 - 1995.
On leaving school Dru Symmonds SCM, J.P. first worked with British
West Indian Airways, before leaving Barbados on 25th April 1962 having enrolled
in the British Army’s Royal Corps of Signals. He became a telegraphist, and over
five and a half years experienced assignments, first with the 'Far East Land
Forces' in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and then in Borneo where he earned the
‘General Service Medal’ for active service; before returning to the UK; after
which he served as a trainer in Germany. Upon his discharge he returned to
Barbados and over the years has been engaged in various commercial and civic
activities.
Mr. Symmonds first worked with Esso Standard Oil as a
Terminal Supervisor upon their move to direct marketing, and was responsible for
producing a five year development plan for the company, before going back to
Aviation, this time in the Sales department of BOAC for a number of years. He
later was appointed Regional Sales and Marketing Manager with AHI (Caribbean)
Ltd., manufactures of the Decramastic roofing system. Mr, Symmonds afterwards
joined DaCostas and became the Marketing Co-ordinator for Texaco’s retail
operation in Barbados, following which he became the Human Resources Officer of
the company, then manager of the Commissions and Building Supplies department.
He subsequently opened and operated his own business.
It is his quest to serve and make a difference that gave
rise to his motivation, which in large measure saw the conceptualization, birth
and growth of the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Barbados Inc., which has now evolved into
the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Barbados Inc.
It was as Chairman of the Health and Social Services
Committee of the Lions Club of Barbados South for the year 1984 – 1985 that he
shared his feeling among club members of wanting to “do something different over
and above the usual activities of the Service club, which focused on the aged,
the challenged, the dispossessed and similar areas,” he said, “and it was while
I was on a business visit to Trinidad that I learnt that heart disease was a
major problem in that country, and that there was a Lions Club there which was
actively involved in doing something about it. On returning to Barbados I
immediately consulted with Trevor Hassell, who was at the time Head of the
Department of Medicine and of the Cardiac Unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (Q.E.H),
and found out that the problem was exactly the same in Barbados.”
Mr. Symmonds continued, “We set about examining what could
constructively be done to assist in meeting the immediate challenges presented
by the high incidence of Heart Disease, and how my Lions Club could contribute.
At first a small group comprising persons form the Cardiac Unit of the QEH and a
couple of key senior members of my Lions club met at my home, and Trevor’s, and
charted a way forward. Among those early strategists were Carl Browne, Ken
DeSuze of the Lions Club, and Ms. Therese Gloumeau of the Cardiac Unit. We
developed a proposal and the Lions Club endorsed it and became our sponsors, and
the Foundation was launched”.
The Heart & Stroke Foundation of Barbados was first located in
premises in Haggatt Hall, facilitated by the late Jeremy Whitton, and from there
moved to George Street, Belleville in 1993. The Foundation finally settled in
its present premises in Jemmotts Lane, St. Michael in 1999 on lands generously
leased by the Government, and established its headquarters in a building well
appointed with offices, a fully outfitted gym and a training room in 2002, with
the significant assistance of the Barbados National Bank.
The early focus was on education, stated Mr. Symmonds. Using
posters, the press and other visual means, every effort was made to promote the
awareness of the benefits of exercise and of a healthy diet and lifestyle, as
well as the dangers of smoking.
A memorable achievement was the publishing of a nutritional
booklet in 1988, with the support of Pine Hill Dairy. The booklet was widely
distributed to all secondary schools in Barbados. The movement to larger and
improved accommodation, and consequent increases in staffing and resources saw
development and expansion of activities and programmes, also in the levels of
training offered.
As he looks back over the Heart Foundation’s history as it
celebrates its 21st anniversary, Mr. Symmonds recalls that one high point was
the launch of the CDP&R Unit. “This was a significant development,” he said,
“for it brought a new and meaningful dimension to the service that we were
meaning to provide.” The programme provides rehabilitation or prevention through
regular, prescribed and monitored exercise, dietary and psychological counseling
and the education of persons who have had heart surgery, a heart attack, heart
failure or who are at risk of these conditions. Each year between 60 to 100
persons are referred to the programme by their physicians.
Mr. Symmonds also considers the ECC programme to be an
important development and notes: “I was in fact one of the first to learn CPR
with the Foundation’s ECC course and was an instructor for a short period
thereafter, until demands on my time didn’t permit me to continue.”
He said, “We were particularly proud and privileged to host,
in association with the American Heart Association and the InterAmerican Heart
Foundation the first and the fourth Annual Conferences on Emergency Cardiac Care
for the Region. This event brought together doctors, nurses, paramedics, medical
and nursing students and other emergency care practitioners from throughout the
Caribbean in an initiative aimed at improving training and practice of health
care in the field of resuscitation and intensive care.” Mr. Symmonds noted that
the first conference was held at The Accra Hotel in 2002, and the fourth at
Grand Barbados Hotel in June 2005. The second and third conferences were held in
Jamaica and Trinidad.
Another event that Mr. Symmonds holds as outstanding was the
ECC’s Care For Life course, which was a mass training exercise held at the
Barbados Defence Force [BDF] headquarters in November 2004. This event saw the
training of almost two hundred persons in intensive sessions over two days in
the management of medical and trauma led injuries, as well as an introduction to
CPR. “This was said to be the largest mass training exercise of its kind ever to
be held in the Caribbean,” stated Mr. Symmonds, “and it was testament to the
exceptional levels of dedication and commitment of our instructors and staff
that the programme was said by all to be a success.”
In 2004 the Board made the decision to hire a Chief
Executive Officer, as well as an HR and Administration Manager. Mr. Adrian
Randall and Mrs. Stephanie Catling-Birmingham were subsequently recruited for
these positions. Earlier this year another senior position was created as well,
when Mrs. Gina Pitts was engaged as ECC Manager.
“This aspect of our development is most pleasing to me“ said
Mr. Symmonds, “for it has taken the Heart Foundation to a level, from that of a
charity and essentially a volunteer based institution, to a more structured and
professional organization. We have seen growth in our staff from one to now 10,
with a large cadre of volunteers, and a good association with doctors and other
health care professionals. We have also been able to form critical partnerships
with several businesses, who have given assistance and funding to our programmes
and projects.”
“Still” he continued, “I would like to see more people come
on board and make a contribution, not only at the level of the Board, but also
in terms of our staff and volunteers; to bring fresh ideas, fresh energy to the
cause.”
“The embracing of stroke is seen as adding a new dimension
to the Foundation, and I expect that we will see a rapid and spontaneous growth
and enhancement of the services which we can provide to those persons who are
victims of heart disease and stroke, and to give assistance in bringing
education to those who are predisposed to these illnesses. This is a big
challenge. Finance is also a major challenge. But I am confident that with the
enthusiasm and dedication that has been the hallmark of the movement over the
years, we will meet and overcome those challenges. In addition, there have been
certain initiatives on the ground for a while now and I would also like to
anticipate the earliest realization of greater opportunities arising from these
for the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Barbados to interact with Government in the
provision of relative services to health care in general for the Nation and
Heart & Stroke requirements in particular, and look forward to the enhanced
support of corporate Barbados.
Mr. Symmonds has given laureate service to the Foundation
and to the community. By his vision, commitment and leadership he has, as a
“layman”, made an outstanding contribution to health care in Barbados. He has
been the Foundation’s Vice President for its first 10 years, and, after taking
over from Professor Trevor Hassell in 1995, has led it over the last 11 years.
He now becomes the first President of the new entity, the Heart & Stroke
Foundation of Barbados.
Mr. Symmonds is a former Deputy Chairman of the Barbados
Agricultural and Marketing Corporation, and also of the Child Care Board, and
has served as an Executive Member and Director of several trade and statutory
Boards, past and present, including one of the Nation’s newer secondary schools,
Deighton Griffith Secondary School, where he is the current chairman.
He acknowledges the tremendous support of his wife Margôt,
who has been a tower of strength and a constant source of inspiration and who
has shared valued family time with his several public service pursuits. They
celebrated their 41st. wedding anniversary on May 1st. this year, and are the
proud parents of three sons, Attorney-at-law Kerrie Symmonds, M.P. (Minister of
Government), Reverend André Symmonds of the People’s Cathedral, and Christopher
Symmonds, Sales and Marketing Manager of Warrens Motors. They have two
grandchildren, Caitlyn and Calum Symmonds.
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