The Aubrey Grant Pavilion at Gullyville, Carrington Village, St Michael will undergo renovations throughout the next two weeks.
The renovations include re-painting the pavilion, restoring the bleachers damaged through wear and tear, upgrading the gym space and de-bushing the nearby playground.
The restoration is being overseen by St Michael South Central MP Marsha Caddle with the support of Harris Paints. The community of Carrington Village volunteered to return what was once a thriving hub of activity in their district.
“We want to bring back this Gullyville pavilion as a place where a lot of community activities happen and we didn’t want to do it under these conditions.
“The (National) Sports Council is stretched very thin in terms of personnel and artisans so having run out of patience, I had some conversations with some people in the community and we decided that we would try and bring the private sector and the community together… whether we have five people or 50, we’re going to make this happen,” Caddle said during a Community Independence Service Day last Saturday.
Caddle also announced plans for an after-school programme in January along with an arts programme to encourage activities in the communities. These renovations are also in the cards for the community of Valery in Brittons Hill.
“We have lots of active communities in Valery. We’ve just been able to with the help of a coach in the community start to bring back the Brittons Hill Youth football.
“You can’t ask people to come and to send their children to a place that doesn’t feel nice so we’re going to take this project to Valery in January and hopefully we can keep this going. While the sports council and the state can do their part, we’re also grateful to have community-minded people who are also going to come out and lend a hand.”
Logistics inventory and retail services manager at Harris Paints Barbados Donette Wharton said they were eager to be a part of the renovations which were in line with their community project ideals.
“We have actually rallied and supported any community project that’s out there so for us this was fantastic. When Marsha actually contacted us we were super excited. We are all about enriching the lives of communities with colour,” she said.
Wharton added that Harris would offer as much paint as necessary, and the same support would be lent to the renovations at Valery.
“In terms of value, you cannot put a value to what was contributed because at the end of the day, it’s about empowerment, it’s about bringing the community together, it’s about making sure that everyone, youth, elderly, young people they have access to this pavilion and they can actually use the whole playing field to keep on moving and lead healthier lives so I really can’t put a value on it,” she said. (JRN)