December Newsletter - 10th December 2004
Bonnie has written her eagerly awaited latest newsletter.

Casuarina launches Thanks Barbados! package

As a very big thank you to everyone in Barbados and to celebrate our continuing success, we have put together a "Thanks Barbados!" package. This is our way of letting you know how very much we appreciate your continued support and encouragement as we continue to explore ways of contributing to environmental good health. To this end and to mark the completion of your stay with us, we not only promise you a fun vacation, but also an educational one, and we'll even give you a gift which will become your contribution to the environment.

Casuarina wins more awards

- The 2004 Responsible Tourism Award in the category of Best Hotel. Casuarina was selected for its employment of disabled people, initiatives to benefit the poor and outstanding environmental performance. This is the first time these awards have been given and they cover worldwide tourism.

- Casuarina was the first hotel in Barbados to be inducted into the BHTA Hall of Fame.

- Virgin Holidays 2004 Responsible Tourism Gold Award presented at the World Travel Market in London, England.

National Geographic Traveler Award Winner!

National Geographic Traveler & Conservation International 2004 World Legacy Award. Casuarina wins in the General Purpose Hotels and Resorts Category.

BARBADOS. A poem by Samantha Buxton, Age 11

Barbados is beautiful, like an emerald in the sea,
Beaches are gold, like glimmering jewelry, fit for a queen,
Palm trees are like umbrellas shading us from the parching sun,
Oh how lucky we are to be in the beautiful seas of Barbados.

Samantha Buxton
Age 11
England
Thank you for a lovely holiday.

And thank you Samantha for your beautiful poem, we are so glad you enjoyed yourself and look forward to seeing you again. God bless.

Eric & Emmanuelle Brooks
See the great website Eric and Emmanuelle made after enjoying their holiday at Casuarina. There are pictures of the beach, the hotel, the island and our monkeys - such a wonderful way for them to remember their holiday and share it with others.

Stanley Greaves - 17. 4 . 2003
Our latest featured artist is Stanley Greaves whose work can be seen at Casuarina. Read more about him and see some of his paintings. Stanley will be exhibiting 14 political paintings in London. The show will open on the 2nd of May at the Islington Arts Factory, 2 Parkhurst Road, London, N7 0SF. Tel: 020 7607 0561. It will be well worth a visit.

Casuarina Wins Sustainable Tourism Award
Casuarina Beach Club of Barbados has been named the winner of the CTO/Islands Magazine Sustainable Tourism Award. The property's name was submitted as a nominee by the Barbados Tourism Authority.

Casuarina Welcomes new Environmental Manager
A very warm welcome to Loreto Duffy-Mayers our new Environmental Manager. Loreto brings with her lots of experience and enthusiasm for green concerns and has already gained Casuarina more awards. Loreto takes over from Gill Whitley who left Barbados to live overseas. A great many thanks to Gill for all the good work she did at Casuarina, the environment and for environmental awareness. We wish Gill every happiness.

Awards
Casuarina has won more Environmental Awards.

Packages
Casuarina offers 5 exciting packages:
Thanks Barbados!
How we show our appreciation.
Casuarina Wedding Package
For couples planning to tie the knot.
Casuarina Honeymoon Package
For couples having just tied the knot.
Casuarina Renewal of Vows Package
For couples repeating their wedding vows.
Casuarina Surprised by Joy Package
For the simple and beautiful things in life.
Casuarina Golf Package
For a complete golfing holiday.

Tribute to Obadele by Richard Cole, age 8.
Richard writes an enthusiastic commentary on the 100 metre final at the Sydney Olympics. His drawing is of the medals being received.

Other News
Casuarina is as busy as ever as our average occupancy rate of 95% shows. Our very nature means that we are always involved with improving ourselves and extending our abilities.

On November 11th 1999, Casuarina launched the ‘Community Outreach Program’ which has proven to be very successful. A number of Barbadian business and private donors have donated materials, skills or money to this worthy cause. The program is dedicated to improving living conditions for our islands most needy. There have been heart warming situations where vast improvements in the quality of peoples lives have been made.

Our objectives for the Community Outreach Program are:

• To encourage business in Barbados to get involved with their communities.
• To actively look into our communities to determine where help is most needed.
• To determine ways in which people may find a starting point from which to build.
• Making members of the community aware of their neighbours in need and encourage them to help.
• Improving the standard of living wherever possible.
• Building an up to date database of people in need and keeping the projects ongoing.

It is encouraging to know that persons who are in need do try to help themselves but are also confident enough to ask for help when it is truly required. We thank our sponsors for their assistance and donations and look forward to their continuing support in the future. Because of all involved, the Community Outreach Program has so far been a success.