 Coming to you from RGIS Studios, I am Anicia Antoine and this is your Midday News Brief. The Global Environment Facility Chef Small Grants has been providing financial and technical support to projects that conserve and restore the environment while enhancing people's well-being and livelihoods. The Small Grants program demonstrates that community action can maintain the fine balance between human needs and environmental imperatives. Globally within the UN, the program has invested some US$1.76 billion in 124 countries with 23,000 projects. The program has invested US$5.7 million since October of 2012. The program's national coordinator Jazz Romulus stated that the absorption rate of funding in St. Lucia is not good. In 2017, the program approved 17 projects but declined only 10 projects in 2018. Romulus says one of the reasons for the decline is the pace at which grantees move from planning grants to full grants. While some regions of the country are struggling to approve projects, others are doing exceptionally well. Souffre, for example, is absorbing a significant amount of funds. Romulus believes that significant changes will occur in that community over the next few years. Side preparation for the construction of the new cricket ground in Souffre got underway on Monday, May 13th, 2019 with the clearing of the Ruby Cricket Grounds. Parliamentary representative for Souffre, Hon. Herod Stanislaus says he is looking forward to this project to have a home for the cricketers in his constituency. The St. Lucia Solid Waste Management Authority continued efforts to ensure that St. Lucia's benefit from a cleaner environment with major clean-up activities, which took place on Saturday, April 27th, 2019 in the communities of Mont-A-Vin, Audlemne City, Concrete Hill, Black Stars, Forgotten Boundaries, Roundy Island, and Sierra Flood Park. Residents are again encouraged to play their part, take up their responsibility, and do what is required in order to maintain the cleanliness of their community after the completion of the works. All solid waste should be placed out in communities only on scheduled collection, regular and bulk waste collection days. The St. Lucia Tourism Authority has launched its new website designed especially for the Caribbean market. The website features a fusion of video and images, and captures iconic sites and properties around the island. www.carapcation.org will ideally complement the Carapcation brand, which was rolled out as a summer promotion in 2017, welcoming 76,349 visitors, which grew into a standalone brand with 77,548 visitors by 2018. Visitors to the site will be able to search for tourism operators, view upcoming events on the island via an interactive calendar, and benefit from special offers of hotels, restaurants and sites around the island. The St. Lucia Tourism Authority anticipates that the new website will substantially improve internet visibility. This has been your media news brief. Thank you for watching.