26 BARBADOS PUBLIC WORKERS’ CO-OPERATIVE CREDIT UNION LIMITED Board of Directors’ Report (Continued) particularly as it related to the member experience during the reporting period, we made a commitment to work with management to bring about the needed improvements. Coming out of the commitment made to you, enhancing the member service experience across the Credit Union has been a key focus over the past year. To measure our success in this area, we consistently track our member satisfaction scores. As at the end of this reporting period the recorded score for the period was 83 against a benchmark objective of 80. Admittedly even with the benchmark score having been met, we are not yet where we want to be in terms of delivery of a consistent level of exceptional and personalised service and support to you, our valued members, but we are definitely pleased with the improvements made over the past year. We are grateful for the support and involvement of our members and as we continue to work on improving our performance in this area. We remain committed to building on the successes of the past year and to continuing to prioritise your needs so you have a memorable experience each time you interact with us. We commit to continued work with management to realise this mutually desirable objective. Youth Engagement - Thrift Club Membership During the reporting period, we continued our efforts to make our Thrift Club enrolment process easier for our young members. This is in line with the member approved changes to By-laws 2(2) & 21 and 13-1 which removed the age restriction required for Credit Union membership and allowed the implementation of a separate qualifying share for members under 16 years. We anticipate this change will yield significant growth across our general Thrift Club membership and our School Savers programmes. Our educational partnerships expanded during the period as the Bay Primary School was launched on November 6, 2023. The Thrift Club Advisory Committee The members of the outgoing 2021/2023 Thrift Club Advisory Committee continue to serve in their role as advocates for youth services at the Credit Union and liaisons for youth members in our schools and communities. The selection of a new Committee is scheduled for the coming fiscal at which point there will be seven seats available to our 14 to 18 years old members, who can serve for a period of two (2) years with the opportunity for reappointment. Thrift Club Events During the reporting period, the following activities were hosted for our members and children within our community: • December 9, 2024 – Annual Thrift Club Christmas Party • December 21, 2024 – Brunch with Santa Claus Having suspended our annual Thrift Club Summer Camp during the COVID-19 period, we anticipate resuming the hosting of this much anticipated youth camp in the new financial year. Annual Academic Awards, Scholarships & Educational Grants As a Credit Union we believe in empowering our members to achieve their dreams, and that includes supporting the educational aspirations of the next generation. We understand that education is the foundation of success, and are proud to have invested in our communities’ success through the various scholarships, grants, and awards distributed over the past year. This not only showcases our commitment to fostering academic excellence but also creates opportunities for our student members to succeed. The Credit Union remains steadfast in our promise to provide the following opportunities for members’ educational development at all stages. Academic Awards Academic Awards are presented for: • outstanding achievements in the Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examinations (11+) • outstanding achievements in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Examinations (CSEC) • outstanding achievements in the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) • attainment of Barbados Government Exhibitions • attainment of Barbados Government Scholarships Fifty-five promising young Credit Union members were recognised for their outstanding achievements during the reporting period and were recognised at the Annual Thrift Club Academic Awards Ceremony in September 2023. These achievements were in the following examination categories:
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