Minister of Sports Olivia Grange has indicated that the Government will deploy an engineer and a quantity surveyor to conduct a full assessment of the Sunshine Girls Netball House, which was recently renamed the Marva Bernard Netball Chalet.

The house, which serves as the official base for Jamaica’s netball teams, was gifted to Netball Jamaica (NJ) by the Government in 2010 and is located in Barbican, St Andrew. The facility recently underwent a significant facelift, with Bernard, a former president of NJ, assisted by several sponsors completing phase one of a two-part renovation.

Grange stated that her ministry would follow up on a promise made by Prime Minister Andrew Holness, to fully restoring Netball House.

“The ministry will be engaging a structural engineer and a quantity surveyor to carry out a complete assessment of the building. We need to determine the scope and quality of the repairs required as we move forward,” she said.

“We must achieve the goal of returning the Marva Bernard Netball Chalet to a state of repair that is acceptable to all stakeholders, particularly to Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls, one of our national treasures,” Grange noted.

She also mentioned that the Government would be providing financial assistance to Netball Jamaica to support the national Under-21 team, which is preparing for next year’s Youth Netball World Cup in Gibraltar.

“The ministry will also be providing funding support to Netball Jamaica for the Netball Youth World Cup in Gibraltar in 2025,” Grange added.

Karen Rosen Baugh, the organisation’s director of marketing and sponsorship since 2021, highlighted the pivotal role the Netball House plays in the sport’s development and expressed gratitude for the Government’s support.

“The acquisition of the house about 14 years ago was a game-changer for the programme run by Netball Jamaica. We give full credit to Marva Bernard and other pioneers like Mrs Molly Rhone for this vision,” said Rosen Baugh.

“We are now reaping the rewards of off-court team building and attention to player welfare. As for the impact on our sponsorship and marketing outreach, the renovation of the house is a great asset for us.”

“Our sponsors are not just interested in the fact that the team is high-performing and winning, but they also want to be assured that we are providing for the players in the best possible way. Accommodation, meals, and transportation are major expenses,” Rosen Baugh stated.

She emphasised that she is urging other corporate companies to support the Sunshine Girls on their journey to becoming the number one netball team in the world.

“Without the proper support in these areas, the programme would face significant challenges. We sincerely thank Minister Grange and the prime minister for their commitment to completing the refurbishment of the Marva Bernard Netball Chalet, and we welcome corporate Jamaica to invest in other ways as we strive to reach the top,” she underscored.

Meanwhile, Bernard, who was the president of Netball Jamaica when the house was handed over to the association by then Prime Minister Bruce Golding in 2010, said the Government’s contribution would be a massive boost for the national programmes as the girls use the facility for camps whenever they are preparing for overseas assignments.

“The minister of sport announced on Saturday that, with the support and encouragement of the prime minister, the Government will continue the additional refurbishments needed for the Netball House,” she said.

“We have raised enough funds to complete phase one, but there are other big-ticket items that are desperately needed to make the house more comfortable and secure for the ladies.”

“We welcome the continued support from the Ministry of Sport and the Government and we are grateful for the promise to complete phase two,” Bernard added.