Despite it being two years since winning the court case brought against the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) for the Winnifred Beach in Portland to remain a public beach, the Free Winnifred Beach Benevolent Society (FWBBS) still faces numerous challenges to keep the well-loved beach as a viable entity.

Coordinator for the FWBBS, Maria Carla Gullotta, believes that while the decision made by the court in 2014 to keep the beach public was a big step, it is only part of the solution as there is still much to be done.

“I feel good but it’s only a little part of the road because now we still have to find out who’s going to run the beach. We made a proposal and we even went to a session of mediation and the idea was to create a committee comprising the UDC, the health department, the Tourist Board, the local community, the police and ourselves in a way that the community was running the beach,” Gullotta explained.

“It looks like we were reaching a final agreement and then when we got the document it was written that the committee is only a consultative committee, and the last word still goes to UDC. I don’t think it makes sense that the committee plans and then the UDC says no or yes, if the committee could have the power, I would have been happy to be even a minority part of it,” she continued.

She maintains that the benevolent society is made of community people such as vendors who work on the beach and people in the community who have been working hard for the past seven years in order to keep the beach in good condition.

Gullotta explained that all of the work done so far has been conducted by the society, such as the lobbying for months for a water pump for the bathrooms which previously didn’t have any running water due to a bill that was, according to her, left unpaid by the UDC.

“Everybody buys rakes and bleach and whatsoever is needed, we pay for the garbage service, which is not so easy because the road is bad so they want some serious money every time they come,” the coordinator highlighted.

The road to reach the popular beach is currently one of the biggest challenges for the society as beachgoers have to face a very bumpy, unpaved road after leaving the Fairy Hill District in east Portland in order to access the beach.

“There are a lot of complaints about the road, but the road was much worse three weeks ago and we got a volunteer who donated a Caterpillar heavy duty vehicle for some hours and so we did some work,” she informed.

She added that more work will be done on the road following a beach party slated to be held today, Easter Monday. The proceeds from these parties, which are usually kept every four months, are used to maintain the beach and its facilities.

Gullotta said the fund-raisers come with their own set of challenges as although certain plans are put in place; there are usually large amounts of garbage on the beach the following day.

However, she said the committee has taken certain steps to ensure the upkeep of the beach at all times.

As such, every vendor is required to have their food handler’s permit, keep their surroundings clean and have access to potable water. She added that there is also a lifeguard in place every day, likewise there is also someone maintaining the bathrooms on a daily basis.

“The money is very small and that is the reason we don’t go as far as we want. We have two plans, one to remove the bathrooms from where they are which is not the right place and put it at the back of the beach and make an eco-bathroom. Secondly, to develop some community activities for example with the schools, in order to use the beach the way it should be used, a place where the community can gather and learn,” Gullotta shared.

The second plan is currently underway with schools across the parish visiting the beach to learn about the importance of preserving the natural environment and marine life.

She added that while turtles have begun visiting the beach again steadily over the past three years, people are still trying to destroy the eggs. As a result, a task force of student volunteers as well as a paid guard keep watch when the turtle season comes around.

Despite the many challenges the Winnifred Beach Benevolent Society faces, assistant coordinator of the society as well as vendor on the beach, Cynthia Miller, said in the end it’s all worth it.

“When we started off it looked impossible, we didn’t know we would reach this far. Sometimes, when we went out there people were like ‘what are you people doing, its foolishness, it makes no sense,’ but then we said we are going to try something and we really didn’t regret trying it. Winnifred Beach is a very nice and lovely beach, one of the best beaches around Jamaica and in the Caribbean,” Miller said.