MONTEGO BAY, St James

HUNDREDS of volunteers from across western Jamaica are expected to undertake a raft of community-based projects tomorrow, Labour Day, which is being celebrated this year under the theme: ‘Take a Stand: Beautify Our Land.’

In St James, the parish’s infirmary will be the main focus of the Labour Day activities.

The scope of works at the St James Parish Council-operated infirmary, which houses 52 residents, will focus mainly on the construction of a perimeter wall.

“A country is known by how you treat your elderly, children and the less fortunate and we don’t know who or when one of us will end up here, so we want to ensure that we make the surroundings secure so that the residents will feel at ease,” said Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Glendon Harris.

“Preparatory work has already begun, and I am heartened to see the support from the corporate community as well as the residents living in the environs of the infirmary.”

According to Mayor Harris, volunteers will erect a 300-foot perimeter wall, as well as effect works to improve the aesthetics of the facility, which is sited on lands in the Albion area.

He noted that Flow Jamaica was the first corporate company to pledge monetary support towards the St James Labour Day Parish Project for the third consecutive year. Flow also enlisted the help of Kier Group, which will donate supplies towards the project.

“Partnerships have played an important role in our community development initiatives over the past few years. Sometimes it’s not about being in the spotlight but coming together for a greater cause to make an even bigger impact,” added Gail Abrahams, Flow’s director of Corporate Communications.

The other corporate partners for the St James Infirmary wall project are Jamaica Pre-Mix Limited, Tankweld Metals Limited, Better Homes Hardware, Nepaul Hardware, Odel Allen Construction, John’s Hall Aggregates, the Montego Bay Indian Community and Jamaica National Building Society.

Additionally, 45 other projects have been registered by groups across the parish for implementation on

Labour Day.

Up to yesterday, 25 projects were registered in the neighbouring parish of Trelawny.

Mayor of Falmouth Garth Wilkinson told the Observer West that a decision has been taken not to register more that 30 projects in the parish.

“What we have decided is that instead of naming over 150 projects as in previous years, this year we will not be doing more than about 30, because we want to concentrate on those projects and make sure that we complete them, instead of starting a lot and don’t finish them,” he explained.

He pointed out that the refurbishing of a building to house the Ulster Spring branch library will be the main project to be undertaken tomorrow.

“The library is well needed. The citizens have been working on this project for the past three years and so this year the parish council has decided to finish it and hand it over to the Library Service,” said Wikinson.

He said work will also be undertaken at the Clark’s Town Police Station, sections of the Duanvale roadway, the Bounty Hall Community Centre and the Falmouth General Hospital.

Over in Hanover, some 20 projects have been registered.

There, the main focus will be on the rehabilitation of the Ramble Police Station, which has fallen into a state of disrepair.

Other projects to be undertaken in the parish will include a major draining exercise in sections of the community of Sandy Bay, which is prone to flooding.

And Mayor of Savanna-la-Mar Bertel Moore told the Observer West that that the refurbishing of the Bethel Town Community Centre has been designated the parish project for Westmoreland.

There, scores of volunteers are expected to repair the roof of the building and construct a play area.

“Other projects to be undertaken will include the completion of a bus shed in Sheffield and repairs to the Darliston and Whithorn police stations,” said Moore.