Friday, June 26, 2020 – With efforts on the way for the re-opening of the Philip Goldson International Airport, the Government of Belize reached out to the Lord Ashcroft COVID-19 Relief Fund committee to seek financial assistance to purchases two X-ray machines. These machines will be used by the Belize Customs & Excise Department to scan incoming bags at the airport as a means to minimize human contact and baggage handling while at the same time carrying out the required processes under the law.

Today, Chairman of the Lord Ashcroft COVID-19 Relief Fund committee, Mr. Lyndon Guiseppi, met with Mr. Colin Griffith, Comptroller of Belize Customs & Excise Department, to hand over a cheque in the amount of BZ$214,000.00 to cover the cost of two X-ray machines, their installation and operator training. The machines are expected to be in the country within the next couple weeks just before the scheduled re-opening of the airport on August 15th, 2020.

Mr. Griffith expressed his sincere gratitude on behalf of the Government of Belize, stating that the donation of the X-ray machines will not only accelerate the process of Customs clearance but also ensure the safety and efficiency of Customs administration.

As the pandemic continues to impact individuals, families and communities across the world, the Lord Ashcroft COVID-19 Relief Fund committee continues to pledge their support to the efforts of the Government of Belize and urges all Belizeans to continue to follow social distancing guidelines set out by the Ministry of Health of Belize.

Thursday, June 11, 2020 – The Rotary Club of Belize along with its counterpart Kolbe Foundation, which now manages the Belize Central Prison, reached out to the Lord Ashcroft COVID-19 Relief Fund seeking financial assistance for the mass production of reusable face masks. A total of 20,000 face masks will be produced by the Tailoring Section of the Prison’s Rehabilitation Program which has been actively producing reusable face masks since March of this year. These masks will be distributed throughout Belize by the Rotary Club of Belize, free of cost, to the marginalized community in light of our country’s mandatory State of Emergency regulation to help in further preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Yesterday, Mr. Lyndon Guiseppi, Chairman of the Lord Ashcroft COVID-19 Relief Fund and Mrs. Denise Godfrey, Senior Marketing Officer of the Belize Bank Limited met with Mr. Felix Reyes, President of the Rotary Club of Belize and Mr. Francis Woods, Co-Chair Service Projects of the Rotary Club of Belize to hand over a donation in the amount of $60,000.00. Mr. Reyes expressed his appreciation to the Lord Ashcroft COVID-19 Relief Fund committee for taking an interest in helping not only our country to fight this latest pandemic but also for investing in the inmates at the Belize Central Prison in acquiring a trade through the Tailoring Program.

Thursday, May 28, 2020 – The Lord Ashcroft COVID-19 Relief Fund continues to work with the Ministry of Health in their ongoing efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in Belize. Further financial support was granted in the amount of $992,759.65 to aid in the procurement of additional equipment and supplies that were ordered by the Ministry and are currently pending payment. These supplies include:

• 1 Extraction Machine
• 1 Video Laryngoscope
• 1 Blood Gas Analyzer
• 12 Cartridges for Blood Gas Analyzer
• 300 Infrared Thermometers
• 50 Nebulizers Assorted Ventilator Supplies Oxygen Masks and Cannulas

Today, Mr. Lyndon Guiseppi, Chairman of the Lord Ashcroft COVID-19 Relief Fund, met with Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister of Belize to hand over the cheque.

Combined with the previous donation on May 12th, the Lord Ashcroft COVID-19 Relief Fund has expended $2,289,174.65 to the Ministry of Health, who extended its sincerest appreciation to Lord Ashcroft and his COVID-19 Relief Fund committee for their generous assistance and support to Belize’s national COVID-19 health response.

Friday, May 15th, 2020 – The Anglican Diocese of Belize has organized various initiatives aimed at demonstrating their care and concern for all Belizeans as they struggle to cope with the health and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of their initiatives is the “Mission Feed Belize” program which is a food pantry program that is currently feeding over 600 families. The program was developed and coordinated by the Diocesan Outreach Commission, who recently reached out to the Lord Ashcroft COVID-19 Relief Fund committee, requesting support. Whilst the program was able to sustain their efforts for the month of April, they anticipated that additional funding would be required to increase the food supplies for an extended period of at least three months.

Today, Mr. Lyndon Guiseppi, Chairman of the Lord Ashcroft COVID-19 Relief Fund and Mrs. Denise Godfrey, Senior Marketing Officer of the Belize Bank Limited met with Rt. Rev. Phillip Wright, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Belize and Mr. Jeffrey Locke, Chairman of the Anglican Cathedral College, to hand over a cheque in the amount BZ$60,000.00 to assist with funding for “Mission Feed Belize” and the other initiatives organized by the Diocese.

The Lord Ashcroft COVID-19 Relief Fund shares the Diocese’s vision on the positive impact these initiatives will have on already marginalized families of Belize and pledges its ongoing support.

Monday, May 11, 2020 – The Ministry of Health reached out to the Lord Ashcroft COVID-19 Relief Fund, soon after the committee was established, seeking assistance to procure much needed supplies to support the fight against the current COVID-19 pandemic. The committee immediately responded and after discussions with representatives from the Ministry of Health, committed to support the financing of critical medical supplies and protective equipment. To date the Fund has expended $1,296,415.00 towards the acquisition of the following items:

• 15,000 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Units
• 5,000 Medical Goggles
• 5,000 Medical Shield Masks
• 1 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) System
• 2 Housing Units
• 14 Ventilators.

Today, Mr. Lyndon Guiseppi, Chairman of the Lord Ashcroft COVID-19 Relief Fund and Mrs. Denise Godfrey, Senior Marketing Officer, Belize Bank Limited, met with Ms. Ana Bennett, Accountant General, Treasury Department of Belize, to hand over a cheque for payment of the ventilators which recently arrived into the country. The personal protective equipment (PPE), medical goggles and shield masks are also expected to arrive into the country in the coming weeks.

The donation of these items is a part of the Lord Ashcroft COVID-19 Relief Fund’s commitment to support the ongoing efforts of the Ministry of Health, the country and the people of Belize to ensure that we stay prepared for any impact from COVID-19.

The committee continues to liaise with the Ministry of Health on an ongoing basis towards providing further assistance for supplies and equipment.

Tuesday, April 21st, 2020 – When the Nurses Association of Belize reached out to the Lord Ashcroft COVID-19 Relief Fund for assistance on April 8, 2020, the Committee immediately responded by contacting the association’s President, Mr. Darrell Spencer.

After several rounds of discussions with the association and representatives of the Ministry of Health and Finance surrounding the specific request of the nurses, the Committee agreed to provide funding for the acquisition and furnishing of three new housing units which will be located in the areas of Dangriga and Punta Gorda. In addition to the structures themselves, the Lord Ashcroft COVID-19 Relief Fund agreed to provide additional assistance to fund furnishings for these quarters including beds, work desks, refrigerators, oxygen regulators and a number of other supply equipment. The total value of the support given by the Lord Ashcroft COVID-19 Relief Fund to the Nurses Association to date has been $170,000.

Today, Mr. Lyndon Guiseppi, Chairman of the Lord Ashcroft COVID-19 Relief Fund and Mrs. Celia Swan, Marketing Representative of the Belize Bank Limited, met with Mr. Darrell Spencer, President of the Nurses Association of Belize to hand over a cheque to assist with the ongoing relief effort. Mr. Spencer expressed his organization’s profound gratitude to Lord Ashcroft for his generosity during this difficult and challenging period.

Thursday, April 16th, 2020 – The Belize Red Cross Association today received a donation of $500,000.00 from the Lord Ashcroft COVID-19 Relief Fund. The donation was provided to assist with the Association’s mission to prevent and alleviate the suffering of the families most in need during this pandemic. Efforts have commenced to purchase food items and coordinate the distribution to the most affected communities throughout the country of Belize.

This donation was made in the memory of Lord Ashcroft’s mother, Rene Ashcroft who in September 1955 went to Corozal as a part of the Belize Red Cross volunteers to assist in the devastation caused by Hurricane Janet which made landfall as a category 5 hurricane.

The need for Belize Red Cross volunteers is constant and continues to increase as they navigate this crisis. The Association calls on Belizeans who are willing to volunteer during this time to contact them as we are all in this together.

Friday, April 9th, 2020 – The Belize Police Department received a donation from the Lord Ashcroft COVID-19 Relief Fund today. The donation was provided to assist Police Officers with much needed personal protective equipment as they continue to work on the frontline and serve our country during the current state of emergency.

We applaud the efforts of the Belize Police Department for their dedication as we continue to fight the spread of this pandemic.

Since it’s inception in 2012, the Belize Bank Ltd. has granted scholarship opportunities to over 100 students countrywide. To highlight the aspirations of our scholarship recipients, an Esteemed Scholarship Recipients Album was compiled.

We continue to encourage each recipient, both past and present, to continue to achieve and advance their educational and career goals.