Pupils of Port Maria Infant School in St Mary anxiously wait to try out the new slide which is a feature of the new playground donated by telecommunications firm FLOW. Gail Abrahams, director of communications and stakeholder relationships (right) shares in the happy moment as principal Merlene Clarke-Mckoy cuts the ribbon officially commemorating the donation.

The project — which included the playground and painting of sections of the school — cost approximately $800,000 and marked the first community project to be undertaken by the new company which is a merger of Lime and Flow.

Clarke-Mckoy said the effort has lifted the spirits of teachers, pupils and the wider community. “We are very grateful for this gift. Not only has it boosted the appearance and aesthetics of our school but the children are also excited and we are happy to see the all-round development of our pupils taking shape, thanks to FLOW,” she said.

The 54-year-old early childhood institution currently serves 173 pupils and has nine teachers on staff. It is located in a flood-prone area and the playground was previously rendered unusable following regular heavy rain which is commonplace in the parish.