ST JAMES, Jamaica — Western Jamaica was abuzz with activities earlier today, as volunteers across the parishes of St James, Hanover, Trelawny, St Ann, St Elizabeth and Westmoreland, turned out to participate in several community development projects.

The scope of work is in line with the Labour Day theme ‘Child Safety…it’s you, it’s me, it’s all ah we’, and includes the painting of pedestrian crossings; erecting road signs and fencing around schools and playfields; constructing bus stops, retaining walls and drains; and general clean-up of communities.

In St James, the Municipal Corporation embarked on three parish projects, while 59 additional projects were registered with the corporation.

The parish projects include the refencing of the Farm Primary and Junior High School; rehabilitation of the Mafoota Community Centre; and construction of a sidewalk and bush shed at the Bickersteth Primary School and repainting of the pedestrian crossing at the school entrance.

Over in St Ann, a number of persons participated in the parish project at the Turnberry Primary and Infant School in Moneague, which involved erecting a covering for the walkway leading from the main building to the restrooms.

Cutting of overgrown vegetation, whitewashing of walls and landscaping works are also being undertaken at the institution.

Chief Executive Officer of the St Ann Municipal Corporation, Rovel Morris, expressed satisfaction with the level of support for the project.

“It is a pleasure to be here for our Labour Day project. When you look at Jamaica and what has been happening with the children, it is a positive message on this Labour Day. It uplifts the community; it gives the community drive and community spirit,” Morris told JIS News.

Eighteen additional projects were registered with the St Ann Municipal Corporation.

Meanwhile, in Trelawny, a number of volunteers turned out at the Bounty Hall Primary and Infant School to carry out improvement works aimed at creating a safer environment for students.

“We are making sure that the boundary wall is cemented and concreted,” said Mayor of Falmouth and Chairman of the Trelawny Municipal Corporation, Councillor Colin Gager.

“We are doing some painting of the main building where the principal’s office is located. We will be installing some speed bumps along the roadway [to the school] to make sure that the young learners here are well protected from any type of accident and their surrounding is very safe,” he told JIS News.

The parish project in St Elizabeth involved the paving of the Balaclava Primary Schoolyard, painting of a pedestrian crossing in the vicinity of the institution and construction of a bus shed outside the school.

There were 71 projects registered with the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation.

In Hanover, more than 40 volunteers turned out to undertake repairs to the Sandy Bay Community Centre, while over in Westmoreland, activities were focused on the Llandilo School of Special Education, where a pedestrian crossing was repainted and a garbage receptacle constructed.

JIS