FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE
JUNE 19, 2026
SYGNUS MARKS 10TH ANNIVERSARY WITH LAUNCH OF FOUNDATION AND J$16M INVESTMENT IN BARBARY HALL PRIMARY AND INFANT SCHOOL
DONATION SUPPORTS CRITICAL REPAIRS AND LONG-TERM RECOVERY EFFORTS FOLLOWING HURRICANE MELISSA
(St. Elizabeth, Jamaica) – Marking a major milestone in its 10th anniversary year, Sygnus officially launched the Sygnus Foundation while commemorating the completion of a J$16 million roof restoration project at Barbary Hall Primary and Infant School in St. Elizabeth, reinforcing the company’s commitment to supporting Jamaica’s recovery and resilience following Hurricane Melissa.
The milestone was commemorated during a special plaque handover ceremony attended by Berisford Grey, President and CEO of Sygnus; The Honourable Floyd Green, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining and Member of Parliament for St. Elizabeth South Western; Elizabeth James, Vice President and Head of Wealth and Client Strategy at Sygnus; and Danielle Drummond, Donor Projects Coordinator at the National Education Trust (NET) and members of the Sygnus team. The investment funded the restoration of the school’s roof, helping to create a safer and more secure environment for teaching and learning. The completed works have enabled students to return to their classrooms for the first time since Hurricane Melissa impacted the institution in October 2025.
As part of the day’s activities, Sygnus team members also helped to repaint the school’s playground, bringing new colour and life back into a space. The repainting formed part of the wider effort to refresh and restore the school environment.
The project represents the latest phase of Sygnus’ Hurricane Rebuild Initiative, launched in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa in October 2025. With support from several local, regional and international partners, including significant contributions from Bahamas Striping Company and CrossBoundary, the initiative was designed to move beyond emergency relief and invest in the long-term recovery of communities impacted by the storm.
Berisford Grey, President and CEO of Sygnus, said the launch of the Foundation reflects the company’s desire to create sustainable impact beyond its business operations. “As we celebrate 10 years of Sygnus, we are proud to formally launch the Sygnus Foundation, an initiative that reflects the values that have guided our journey from the beginning: partnership, purpose and nation-building. Following Hurricane Melissa, we committed not only to helping communities recover, but to supporting their long-term rebuilding and resilience. Today, as we stand at Barbary Hall Primary and Infant School and see students once again learning in restored classrooms, we are witnessing the fulfilment of that promise. This marks not just a milestone for Sygnus, but the beginning of a deeper and more structured approach to social impact across Jamaica.”
The launch of the Foundation comes during Sygnus’ 10th anniversary month and signals a strategic expansion of the company’s corporate social responsibility efforts through a dedicated platform focused on creating meaningful and lasting change in communities across Jamaica.
Minister Green commended the partnership and the focus on rebuilding educational infrastructure. “Firstly, let me commend Sygnus. I want to thank the company for their strong corporate social responsibility and for stepping forward at such a critical time to help our communities and to help our children,” Minister Green continued. “I can’t think of a better way to mark 10 years of innovation, 10 years of creativity and 10 years of growth than to contribute to a fine educational institution like Barbary Hall. I think this is a brilliant way to start the work of your foundation. It already signals what you are about: driving development, driving growth, helping rural communities to do well, and also stepping forward in times of crisis, to ensure that the government, community and private sector can work together to shorten the time that we take to recover from these disastrous affairs. Schools are the heartbeat of rural communities, and the outcomes of our children are really based on the strength of the educational institution. Barbary Hall has trained some of the best and brightest across the world. So you are allowing some of the best and brightest to flourish.”
Acting Principal Mariann Chambers-Smith welcomed the support, noting that the investment will have a transformative impact on the school and its students. “It is with deep gratitude and a sense of renewed hope that we, the Barbary Hall Primary and Infant School, extend heartfelt thanks to the Sygnus Foundation for their generous support in re-roofing our primary department. Of course, our children this week were privileged to go into their classrooms for the first time after Hurricane Melissa. Because of your support and partnership, our students and teachers now have a place of safety and security, and teaching and learning can continue. You have not only repaired our roof, but you have also helped us to rebuild our confidence and a sense of stability within our school community. Your contribution will have a lasting impact on this institution.”
The Barbary Hall Primary and Infant School project forms part of the broader vision of the Sygnus Foundation, which will focus on initiatives that strengthen communities, expand opportunities and contribute to sustainable development across the region.
As Sygnus enters its second decade of growth, the Foundation’s launch serves as a tangible reflection of the company’s belief that long-term success is measured not only by financial performance but also by the positive impact created in the lives of people and communities.
