Earlier this year the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Heritage announced that it had procured consultancy firm, Leve Global to assist with the develop of new National Youth and Sports Policies. As part of the process, the Ministry held meetings with various stakeholders, officially launched the National Youth and Sports survey on 1st March and hosted workshops from 15th – 19th April, both in Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac. 

The primary objectives to the stakeholder meetings, the survey and the workshops were to gather the perspectives, opinions, and experiences of all involved with youth and sports development within the Cayman Islands and ensure that our young people especially had a voice in these Policies. The community’s response to date has been impressive and the workshops were well attended and facilitated lively and enthusiastic discussions on the topics of youth and sports.

Hon. Isaac Rankine, Minister for Youth, Sports and Heritage stated that, “As we move to finalise our Policies, we will ensure that we take a holistic approach to enhance and develop both youth and Sports in the Cayman Islands”.  He went on to emphasize that “All sports play a key and critical role in our Policies and throughout our Islands, therefore we will endeavour to partner with and support their development”. 

All information collected from the meetings, surveys and workshops will be utilize to draft two new national policies—one focusing on youth development and the other on sports. These policies will reflect the diverse insights and recommendations shared during the consultation process.

Once the initial draft policies are completed, they will be presented to Cabinet for review. Subsequently, the draft policies will undergo further public consultation to ensure transparency and inclusivity in the decision-making process. With both Polices being in draft form, no decision at this time has been made by the Ministry or Government on the selection or change in priority to any of the eight Focus Sports. Therefore, following the last phase of public consultation, the policies will return to Cabinet for final approval before being tabled in Parliament. 

The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Heritage remains committed to fostering the growth and development of youth and sports in the Cayman Islands. Chief Officer, Teresa Echenique stated, “The Ministry is grateful for the active participation and contributions of all stakeholders in this important process. We eagerly anticipate receiving the initial drafts of the two policies and sharing them with Cabinet and the public for further commentary.”