ANCHOVY, St James — President of the People’s National Party (PNP) Mark Golding has congratulated the party’s caretaker/candidate for St James Southern Nekeisha Burchell for scaling down her constituency conference to save money.

Burchell has announced that the money saved by not staging a public session of the annual conference be used to assist people in the area who were impacted by the passage of Hurricane Beryl in July.

At Anchovy High School in the parish on Sunday only a private session was staged unlike the usual method of having a public session that involves the bussing in of party supporters.

Golding said the approach was not only commendable but worthy of being replicated.

“Comrade, I am very impressed by the decision you took that — given the level of suffering out there from this Beryl and the amount of people’s lives that have not yet come back to what they were — you decided not to keep a public session but use some of those resources to help out those who have a need,” he stated.

“I feel that as a leader of the party and a Member of Parliament for South Andrew, I should follow that sterling example this year and I have decided to do the same thing. I am not going to have any big public sessions this year. I am going to use resources that are available to provide some support to those in dire need as a result of Beryl,” added Golding.

Burchell, who was selected as constituency chairman, explained that she was unhappy with the idea of packing people on a bus to attend the public session of conference only for them to return to houses damaged by the hurricane.

“If we call ourselves the party that puts people first, we are not supposed to be mouth-talk; we are supposed to see action. What the executive and I decided is that this year we are going to keep a private session and make sure say we deal with the business of the PNP and any little thing we can save from keeping the private session, we are going to come into your division [and] identify one project; one person affected by Beryl,” explained Burchell.

“That is putting people first!” she added.

During the meeting, money was collected to kick-start the process.

“I am told that we need $450 more to make up to $50,000 what was collected tonight. I am telling you that I am going to make up $450 and I am going to match that $50,000 with another $50,000 because it is a worthy cause,” declared Golding.

“Comrades, we must live good together and care for one another and we must wise up. Sometimes it is a time for less of the hype and more of the substance and we are going to deal with the thing in a manner that South St James has given us the inspiration for,” added Golding.

Burchell later told the Jamaica Observer that they were preparing for approximately 50 group members to attend the scaled-back conference. However, more than 200 people showed up.

She said the constituency was able to save more than 50 per cent of the funds spent on last year’s event for the transporting of people, providing food, and decoration of the auditorium among other logistics.

According to Burchell, Iran Stewart from the Welcome Hall Division, who lost his house to fire following the storm, will be the first recipient. She added that suggestions are being collected for three projects in the other three divisions of the constituency.