This week, Barbados’ only electricity provider, Barbados Light and Power Company (BL&P), is pausing to look back on 115 years of powering the island nation’s growth and development. To launch its week of milestone commemorations, BL&P employees gathered alongside congregants at Dalkeith Methodist Church on Sunday for a heartfelt thanksgiving service. The choice of location was far from arbitrary: Dalkeith Methodist holds a unique place in Barbados’ energy history as the first church on the island to be connected to electrical power.
Speaking at the service under the anniversary theme ‘Blueprints of Excellence’, BL&P Human Resources Business Partner Sonia Haynes-Collymore explained that the theme was chosen to highlight shared values between the utility company and the historic church. Both institutions, she noted, are rooted in priorities including nurturing strong community bonds, prioritizing the welfare of individuals, centering collective well-being, and maintaining an unwavering commitment to outstanding service.
Antoine Williams, a representative of Dalkeith Methodist Church, opened the service by welcoming the BL&P delegation and extending recognition for the company’s decades-long impact across Barbados. Williams emphasized that BL&P has long stood as a trusted social partner, contributing to progress in local communities and across the entire island for generations.
The opening church service is just the first of a full slate of anniversary events planned for the week. Upcoming activities include an Employee Appreciation Day to honor the teams that have kept the company running over the decades, a ceremonial time capsule burial to preserve memories for future generations of BL&P staff, a company-wide football tournament to foster team camaraderie, and a formal awards gala. The awards ceremony will recognize long-serving employees and individuals who have made exceptional contributions to BL&P’s 115-year legacy of reliable service to Barbados.