FOURTEEN projects will receive national focus for this year's National Labour Day, which will be observed on May 24 under the theme 'Our children... Show them we care'. Speaking at a National Labour Day Planning Committee meeting at Jamaica House on Wednesday, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Olivia Grange said the decision to increase the number of projects came out of a commitment the Planning Committee made last year.

"We are now going to focus on a national parish project. In other words, each parish will have a main project that will be treated as part of the national programme," Minister Grange said. She pointed out that last year the number of national projects had increased to six by the Labour Day Secretariat in the ministry.

The National Planning Committee will work closely with Government agencies -- including those that offer services to children, parish councils, and parish committees -- to identify and decide on the project of national focus for each parish.

Given the limited resources available to fund projects, Minister Grange urged committee members to help generate support for Labour Day projects outside of Central Government and to encourage the spirit of voluntarism.

"What is good about it, is that we have a larger committee than we have ever had in the past... so we have more hands to try and generate more support outside of central government," she added. The minister explained that Labour Day, which falls on Sunday, May 23 this year, will be observed on Monday, May 24 in keeping with regulations regarding the observance of Public Holidays.

Over the past six weeks, a Labour Day core group has been working on the concept and activities for Labour Day 2010. This year's activities include the official launch, Workers' Week Thanksgiving Service in each parish, Labour Day activities and the Labour Day Concert.