More than three decades ago, Michael Barratt made Saint Lucia his home, marrying a Laborie woman with whom he has a beautiful little girl. His older son’s mother is also of Saint Lucian heritage, deepening his ties to the island. But the engineer, solution architect, and youth advocate continues to add to those ties with his ongoing charity initiatives, including the provision of sporting equipment and mentoring for young athletes.
Already honoured in the United Kingdom as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), Barratt’s work could well put him in line for recognition in his adopted homeland as well. His focus for the past half-decade has been mainly on football, sourcing new and lightly used boots and uniforms in the UK and shipping barrels to clubs across Saint Lucia.
“I was very fortunate to be back on the island and progressing work with local people that aims to supply a better environment for all,” he said of his latest visit over the summer. “Big Players and Flames FC in Marchand were the first port of call to discuss continued support and agree a programme for professional development within the clubs.”
Former Saint Lucia international footballer Alvin Xavier and Marlon Desir of G4S have been two of Barratt’s principal collaborators in Marchand. Albert, the owner of Keebees Sports Bar in Rodney Bay, has stepped up as well. He has set up a barrel at the bar for donations, which will go directly to the community.
Additionally, Barratt handed over boots and kit to Alexia Alcindor, a Soufriere football administrator, as well as Daniel Cassius of Laborie, and Shamalyn Albert of Choiseul. Those will go to the Black Panthers FC girls’ team in Soufriere, Pascal Joseph FC in Laborie, and the Choiseul Girls’ football league.
Given that Laborie is where his wife is from, Barratt has taken a special interest in the village. Distressed at the state of the beach on his most recent visits, he also undertook training for young people in the community to help improve the conditions there. His efforts culminated in a clean-up campaign, with follow-up activities to come.
“As part of educating Laborie youth on microplastic pollution, we ran a litter campaign,” he explained. “Litter removal equipment was supplied for the players to undertake regular litter sweeps. We ran a morning session followed by a clean-up campaign with chicken and bakes for lunch.
“Jordan Barratt designed a poster which was kindly printed by Ruth Trant, DGP plc. These have been attached to bins located along the beach to remind those using the facilities to do their part.”
Barratt’s day job is as a safety professional. A chartered fellow of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation, he works towards emission-free transport, promoting disability equality and environmental protection. A Worldly Wise ambassador, and a White Ribbon Ambassador for addressing violence against women and girls, one of the final stops on his last visit out on the island was a meeting with Cyril Mangal, president of the local cycling association.
Along with talented young cyclist Denver Alphonse Jr, Barratt and Mangal discussed increased access to cycling for local kids, including getting more equipment into the communities. They also spoke about cycling safety, and the prospect of creating dedicated spaces for cyclists to exercise safely, sharing the road with motorists. In 2022, he did cycling training with young people on the island, and donated tyre repair kits as well. It’s an area in which his professional training dovetailed perfectly with his desire to help build a better Saint Lucia, and his prominent charitable streak.
Barratt realised the power of sport to make a difference when he lived here in the late eighties. At the time, he was teaching karate, and helping with the administration of the sports. More recently, he has expanded into formal training in youth development. And he is not confining his work to Saint Lucia, either. Barratt has also worked with coaches and young people in Kenya, facilitating training in helping stop self-harm, suicide, bullying, harassment, and violence against women and girls.
Back in England, Barratt is once again seeking donations of equipment for clubs and leagues here in Saint Lucia. He has always insisted that the work he does would not be possible without the support of local coaches and parents. His network in England is growing, and doing more to help up-and-coming youngsters here in Saint Lucia. The next time he visits, he will have more barrels of boots in tow, and more ideas on how to positively impact local communities, and especially the nation’s sporting youth.
