Meet Your St. Lucia Team Leader: Sue Beckwith

When I left the UK and moved to St Lucia in 2007, I had no idea what the future held. I worked in Europe and North America as an electronics engineer, promoting components from large Japanese companies to large corporations. But my then husband and I were fed up with that stressful lifestyle and wanted a change. We took a chance and spent our savings on a small house in Marigot Bay and moved to St Lucia to sell real estate. Our families thought we were mad, giving up good jobs and our own company to move to a small dot on the map, nestled in the Caribbean Sea. But we thought they were silly too – not to try new things and take a risk in life to see where that takes you.

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By Sue Beckwith

Living in St Lucia has given me ample opportunities to indulge in my hobbies which are centered around nature. I love hiking ( not too far or too steep though!!) and snorkeling. St Lucia has beautiful reefs and beaches, and the sea is so lovely and warm here that I have taken up swimming as a form of keeping fit, something I didn’t have the opportunity to do in my home country. Reading is still my passion and I also enjoy writing articles for local publications. And I help my husband run our little restaurant – Roots 2 – in Marigot Bay. We were recently featured on Netflix, which bowled me over. I am often stopped in the street and asked, are you the lady on that Netflix program! (Restaurants on the Edge – season 1, episode 6, in case you want to check it out)

I first started working with Global Volunteers on a part-time basis in 2015, assisting the then Country Manager with various tasks. I was also a manager at JJs Paradise Hotel, where the volunteers stay during each service program, so it was easy to assist. I learned a lot from the many volunteers that served in St Lucia, and I remain friends with a lot of them to this day. I was impressed with the work Global Volunteers was doing in the community, and I often got feedback from the local people about how the volunteers were making a difference in a lot of people’s lives.

I was very excited to be offered the position of Team Leader and Volunteer Preparation Coordinator in April 2023 and from that date, it’s just been amazing! I have enjoyed every single day. They say if you find a job that you enjoy you will never work again in your life, well that’s me. I have made many friends and new connections both in my community and abroad. Some of the volunteers I met over ten years ago still keep in touch with me.

I love my job because there is a lot of diversity. One minute I can be working in my office answering queries and writing emails; next I can be meeting with a community partner organizing a class or community work project; then I can be interacting with community members learning new words in patois and sharing an anecdote or advising on the best way to cook cassava bread. But the main thing for me is the smiles on the faces of the people Global Volunteers helps, the children especially. They are so friendly and grateful for everything we do with them. For me, this is worth everything. I count myself extremely lucky.

I encourage everyone thinking about volunteering in St. Lucia to sign up and come see for yourself the warmth and love of the St. Lucia people, the glorious natural beauty of the country, and the knowledge that your contribution is needed and always truly appreciated.

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