MISSION:
To satisfy members needs through creativity and foresight by providing competitive financial and other products and services
VISION:
RHAND is the model Credit Union and leading provider of financial and other services in the Caribbean.
In keeping with our Credit Union’s philosophy of people helping people, RHAND Credit Union hosts on a yearly basis the following Social and Educational Events:
Calypso Competition
This is an annual event hosted by the Credit Union that is open to members.
Credit Union Week
Credit Union Week is open to members and usually takes place in the third week in October.
Happy Evenings
These are events which are open to Members and the General Public. The Happy Evening is set to occur at least three times per year.
Children’s Christmas Party
This event is hosted annually and is open to the children of members.
Vacation Camps
This programme is offered to the children of members between the ages of seven (7) and thirteen (13) years.
Orientation to Secondary School
This programme is open to children of members who are entering secondary school. Students from surrounding schools are also invited to attend these sessions.
Community Outreach Programmes
These usually take the form of panel discussions, symposiums or seminars. These programmes are designed to keep members informed of developments at the Credit Union, such as the RHAND on D Road programme.
University Bursaries
The University Scholarship Awards was introduced in 1997. Forms may be obtained from the Credit Union office or downloaded and must be returned by the stipulated deadline date, which is usually in June of each year.
Secondary Education Awards
The scholarship award system was introduced in 1991. Ten are based on merit- i.e. how well your child performs at the exams and ten are based on need- depending on your financial need, and your child’s performance in the examination. Forms may be obtained from the Credit Union office or downloaded. They must be returned by the stipulated deadline date, which is usually in June of each year.
SEA AWARDS
This is a scholarship programme for the children of members who have sat the SEA exam. Twenty (20) awards are given based on merit, need and disability.
MEMBERSHIP SKILLS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
This programme was first introduced in 1989. It has two main objectives:
- Skills improvement
- Additional income
Each module runs for fourteen weeks, and classes are usually held once per week from 5.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. Courses are offered twice per year, in March/April, and in July/August. Courses are advertised in the media and forms are available at the Credit Union office. Participants are accepted on a first come, first served basis.
COURSES OFFERED:
| Ballroom Dancing
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Ham Curing, Liqueurs and Preserves
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| Basic Garment Construction
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Home Nursing and CPR
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| Beauty Culture
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Interior Design
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| Bread Cakes & Pastries
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Know Your Car and Tune Up
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| Cake Icing
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Linens and Home Furnishings
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| Ceramics
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Lingerie
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| Children’s Garments
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Tailoring
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| Communication Skills
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Establishing to Business
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| Drapery and Valances
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Introduction to Credit Union Management
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| Floral Arrangement
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Management Money
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| Fabric Design
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COMPUTER LITERACY CLASSES
This programme caters to all members who are eighteen years and over and is interested in becoming Computer literate. Training is conducted at the Port of Spain Cyber Cafe for one or two Saturdays.
RETIREES GROUP
The Group caters to the needs of retirees in the following areas spiritual, emotional, financial, educational, cultural and social. Activities may take the form of lectures, discussions, group activities, workshops, outings and games.
Annual activities include:
- Lenten Services
- Fund-raisers
- Travel (tours and cruises)
- Christmas Dinner/Dance
- All Inclusive Carnival Fete
RHAND is BCP Ready. What is BCP?
There is a saying that goes always expect the best, and be prepared for the worst. This falls right in the vein of the Business Continuity Planning (BCP) guiding principles. That is particularly the be prepared for the worst part of it. But let’s face it; safety, security and preparedness aren’t always a focus in our lives. For most of us that is, and more particularly before 9/11. However, the recent events of 7/7 (London) and 7/11 (Trinidad) would certainly rearrange our personal frames of reference.
Furthermore, the proven adage that everything abides by the law of cause and effect is the basis or foundation of this BCP discipline. By way of examples, let’s look at some generalized cases of cause and effect:
- Hurricanes cause the effects of flooding, loss of electricity, etc
- Fires cause the effects of loss of electricity, communication, etc
BCP seeks to determine the potential causes likely to occur to an organization, as a result of its location, environment and culture. These are considered the risks which the business faces. The potential effects are then categorized and prioritized for action that may take various forms.
Before we look at these forms of action, we must note that the primary focus of BCP is to protect lives. So that, the main focus of BCP is to secure the lives of staff and members, as well as to cater for the welfare of their families. But back to the cause and effect relationship
In layman’s terms, through the determination of the threats (causes) to the organization and understanding the associated risks (effects), then procedures can be put in place in order to:
- Eliminate those threats that can be removed.
- Mitigate (that is reduce) the impact of those threats for which controls can be put in place.
- Anticipate and prepare for the worst those threats over which we have no control.
So, the plan must address these ates described above. However, in particular for small companies, the plan must carry certain characteristics. It must be simple, easy to follow under difficult conditions, complete and be understood by everyone. All stakeholders must know their roles if and when a situation arises. According to one of our leading BCP practitioners (Jim Burtle), business continuity is not rocket science, indeed it is better described as structured common sense.
For all who intend to engage in Business Continuity Planning, efforts should be regarded as value added instead of added work (although for our standing committee, it is extremely difficult to think so). We can look at BCP as our bullet proof vest for all potential disruptions. In addition to this, teamwork is the key to the success of such a plan. Together Everyone Accomplishes
More, never had greater meaning and relevance.