A Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) Christmas Tree decorating competition, conceptualised to foster teamwork and collaboration across its 24 departments, offices, and units, also brought cheer to members of the community surrounding its Wildey, St Michael headquarters.

More than 500 cans of tinned food, used to construct Christmas Trees were later distributed to Barbados’s National HIV/AIDS Food Bank, the Pinelands Seventh Day Adventist Church, and other individual beneficiaries.

The CDB project planning team comprised Lavern Louard-Greaves, Melissa Felician, Christine Mohammed, Dana Williams, Kemberley Gittens, and Karen Ramsey.  

Team lead, CDB Social Analyst, Mrs. Lavern Louard-Greaves, said the strong sentiment among staff was to be innovative and embrace what is often at the heart of the season: spread goodwill and generosity.

“We opted to use an approach called "canstruction” which allowed us to meet the festive decorating requirements but in a manner that embraced the gift of giving. We thought of neighbourhoods close to the Bank that were considered highly vulnerable as well as those groups that were themselves servicing vulnerable categories of persons and these were our choice beneficiaries,” Mrs. Louard-Greaves explained.

The in-house competition for “best tree” prize was fierce with trees being judged on originality, creativity, festive spirit, aesthetic appeal, theme, and use of space. The tree that emerged on top was the result of collaboration between the Bank’s Human Resources, Information Technology, and Internal Audit departments. Second place went to the tree decorated by the team led by the Office of the President.