Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Professor Sir Kenneth Hall, has commended the work of the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, which is providing critical support services for young people, including Jamaican students.
The Governor-General was speaking following a meeting with trustee Doreen Lawrence and a tour of the new Stephen Lawrence Centre at Deptford in South East London on Thursday (May 29). He was accompanied by his wife Lady Hall.
The Governor-General said he was impressed with scope of the work of the Trust and the programmes to provide outreach services that are so critical for many young people. “It is important for young people to see a future for themselves and this is what this centre offers. I am sure that they are energized as it is conducive to bringing out their creativeness and leading them to viable futures,” he stated.
Sir Kenneth told Mrs. Lawrence that he was struck by her ability to bring together a diverse number of people and organizations to support the Trust.
During the meeting, Mrs. Lawrence gave the Governor-General and Lady Hall a background to the setting up of the charitable Trust and the building of the centre, which was officially opened in February.
Both the Trust and centre are named for a young black teen, who was killed in an unprovoked racial attack 15 years ago. An official enquiry into his death and the subsequent police investigation lead to the landmark ruling on institutionalized racism within the police force and many changes in the operations of the force.
Mrs. Lawrence, who is Stephen’s mother, said the Trust has provided support and scholarships for students studying architecture and so far, seven students from the University of Technology in Kingston have benefited.
She discussed with Sir Kenneth and Lady Hall, possibilities of working with Jamaican companies to expand the support to Jamaican students.