SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

West Indies Petroleum Limited has sought out initiatives and programmes that we believe fill a gap or a need that moves us all towards a better Jamaica. Financial donations have been gifted to medical facilities, and community enhancement programmes, as well as fuel for community driven initiatives. WIP commits to support UHWI Burn Unit Care Facility In 2023, Petrojam headed an initiative to establish the first proper burn care unit in Jamaica. WIPL committed to be a part of the solution. West Indies Petroleum Limited (WIPL) pledged J$5 million to help construct and maintain a fit-for-purpose Burn Unit at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI). The commitment was made by senior vice-president of WIPL, Danville Walker. Petrojam has committed to donating J$10 million for the first year of the project, with additional support annually for an undetermined amount of time. In endorsing the local oil refinery’s contributions, WIPL would donate 50 per cent of Petrojam’s contributions, as long as Petrojam continues its donations to the burn facility. Currently, the UHWI and the Bustamante Hospital for Children have isolated areas for burn care. However, there are no comprehensive burn care facility in Jamaica, leading to longer wait and recovery times for patients. West Indies Petroleum Limited signs on as a donor for Project STAR

Initiated in 2023, Project STAR is a five year multi-faceted social and economic development initiative programme.

As a donor, WIPL is contributing to a wide variety of community welfare initiatives supported by Project STAR.

Project STAR (Social Transformation and Renewal) is a social and economic development initiative created by the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) in partnership with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and driven by communities to bring about societal transformation through targeted interventions in under-resourced areas of Jamaica. Project Star is an undertaking of the Social Transformation and Renewal (STAR) Foundation- a registered charity in Jamaica.

Project STAR believes that, working together, Jamaica can be transformed into a place where everyone is valued and can thrive through opportunity.

Collaboration and consultation are at the heart of STAR’s approach, which ensures that needs as well as solutions are identified and implemented by the communities themselves. In turn, Project STAR works with partners – communities, government agencies, NGOs, CBOs and private sector entities and individuals at home and in the diaspora – to connect communities with the services and resources that were agreed during the consultation process.

Project STAR is measured by social outcomes such as human capital development, local economic development, social inclusion and resilience, reduced violence and the risk of violence and community-led action. This covers elements like increasing school attendance and graduation rates, creating job skills and training programmes, increased employment, financial education and access to systems, citizens receiving psychosocial services and community youth programme engagement, a decrease in crime and a beter relationship with the police, and community pride and engagement overall.

Project STAR is also measured by economic outcomes such as helping developing entrepreneurs, helping newly employed persons to thrive, financial planning assistance and access, and developing pipelines for investments and ownership from within communities, for the community to grow and thrive economically.
@projectstarja Projectstarja.com

West Indies Petroleum supports Boot Gas Station’s vaccination drive-thru

In 2021 the world was in the grips of a global pandemic.

In the push to get us all vaccinated and moving forward again, WIPL fueled an initiative of a drive-thru programme spearheaded by Wayne Boothe, the owner of Boot Gas Station, by donating 1,000 gallons of fuel. With a vested interest in seeing the nation return to normal, West Indies Petroleum (WIPL) donated 1,000 gallons of fuel to Boot Gas Station, in contribution to their initiative. This donation came as an added bonus, and a deciding factor for some, helping to urge people to receive the vaccine.

WIPL CEO Charles Chambers stated, “WIPL is dedicated to doing what we can with what we have to contribute to getting Jamaicans vaccinated. We’re grateful to the co-sponsors who joined this initiative and to Boot Service Station for providing the much-needed space and the requisite logistical planning to organize the blitz.” Chairman, Gordon Shirley added, “If we all join together for the mutual goal of getting everyone vaccinated, we can get through this pandemic together. Today was one positive step in that right direction. We at WIPL hope to continue contributing in whatever way that we can.”

WIPL sponsors Port Antonio Canoe Tournament

In 2022, The longest-running local canoe competition, the Port Antonio Canoe Tournament had not taken place for two years. WIPL agreed to be a main sponsor of the 38th staging of the Port Antonio Local Canoe Tournament which saw an enthusiastic response, with over 180 fisherfolk participating from across the island. West Indies Petroleum contributed $250,000 to purchase trophies and provided 300 gallons of outboard mixed gasoline (E-10-87) with required additives for 60 canoes, along with presenting a trophy for the biggest fish caught. Competitors usually come from six main parishes, St Thomas, Portland, St Mary, St Ann, St James and Trelawny. "The Oracabessa fishermen always play a strong part in the tournament. They are usually in the top three every year. We have strong support for the tournament this year and that type of sponsorship allows you to push the competition a little bit further and make things more competitive," said Daney-Ann Thomas, president and CEO Portland Chamber of Commerce. WIPL Chief Executive Officer Charles Chambers said, “As a Jamaica-based regional fuel supplier, we are willing to play our part in supporting an initiative that will not only bring good cheer to the community and a host of fisherfolk across the country, but we recognise that support is important because many people look to the tournament as an opportunity to enhance their livelihood and sustenance.”

WIPL Senior Vice President Danville Walker said, “Indeed, when possible, West Indies Petroleum is happy to support these activities because we appreciate that tournaments such as these are designed to promote sport fishing and crucially have the potential of enhancing the tourism product to the benefit of surrounding communities and the wider tourism enterprise in Jamaica, So we must do what we can[sic].”