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NCB gives churches big bucks

Published:Friday | August 24, 2012 | 12:00 AM
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Some members of the National Commercial Bank (NCB) family who worshipped at the St James Parish Church last Sunday focus their eyes at the camera lens for a photo opportunity. They were attending NCB's 175th anniversary celebration. - Contributed
Carleen Love (right), a representative of the National Commercial Bank (NCB), presents a cheque to Reverend Marcia Forbes, of the St James Parish Church in Montego Bay, during worship on Sunday, August 19. Participating in the presentation is NCB's region two manager, Norman Reid. The bank is celebrating its 175th anniversary. - Contributed
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Two churches based in Kingston and Montego Bay received a shot in the arm with a combined donation of $175,000 from the National Commercial Bank (NCB), during its worship service on Sunday, August 19.

The recipients were the Swallowfield Chapel in St Andrew and the St James Parish Church. The funds are geared towards assisting with the church halls' development and their outreach programmes.

The donation was equally significant as NCB is celebrating its 175th anniversary of operations in Jamaica - first operating on King and Harbour streets as the Colonial Bank of England in 1837. Following the closure of Barclays Bank, NCB was established in 1977.

In an address to the congregation at the St James Parish Church, Kelvin Hall, NCB's Lucea, Hanover branch manager, observed that the past 175 years for NCB (Jamaica) have been a fulfilling journey. Hall said that NCB has stood at the centre of Jamaica's financial industry for decades and was the first to issue Jamaica's banknotes payable in British, Spanish, or local currency.

"We can now say that we have dedicated our business to delivering a wide range of financial products and services to the Jamaican people. As the times have changed, we have grown and evolved to meet the changing needs of our customers," he said.

He continued: "This year, it means a lot to us to be able to stop, celebrate and commemorate 175 years of service to Jamaica, even alongside the nation's celebration of our Golden Jubilee."

And as NCB activates its vision plans, Hall said, they remain committed to helping more Jamaicans realise their financial goals, with NCB recently launching its new corporate campaign - 'Put Your Best Life Forward' to achieve this feat.

This campaign is designed to support and encourage financial well-being among Jamaicans, and is aimed at empowering customers, employees and the nation at large.

"In support of this, we have launched a micro-site: www.ncb175ways.com, that provides 175 financial tips under six categories: budgeting, saving, investing, insuring, borrowing and spending," he stated.

Meanwhile, Reverend Marcia Forbes, who delivered the sermon, stressed the need to have a personal relationship with God, which will translate into a better treatment for fellow human beings.