ACCESS Financial Services (AFS) is moving to improve conditions in several of Jamaica’s underserved communities with a $6.25-million community initiative dubbed Access Hope, launched as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations.

The initiative, unveiled on Wednesday, will fund 25 community-based projects across Jamaica, including investments in school infrastructure, literacy and numeracy programmes, community centres, and facilities supporting children in State care.

As part of the programme, the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) received a donation of $2.25 million to support children living in nine State-run residential homes.

More than 10 other groups, including schools and community-based organisations, have also been selected to receive grants of $250,000 each.

Among them are the Mayfield Primary and Infant School in Southfield, St Elizabeth; Town Head Primary and Infant School in Westmoreland; Sturge Town Community Centre in St Ann; and the Orangefield and Jericho Community Centre in St Catherine.

Director of policy, planning and evaluation at the CPFSA Newton Douglas welcomed the contribution.

“Access Financial Services donation to support the education of our children in nine of our residential child-care homes is a gift that will make a huge difference in their lives. Most of our children have been through a lot and every opportunity they get to grow, to shine, to learn, and to realise dreams means the world to them,” he said.

He commended the company for its long-standing commitment to national development.

“What is especially heartening is that this support comes from a company which has spent at least 25 years doing its best to uplift communities right across Jamaica. Through Access Hope, you are not just giving back, you are investing in the future of our country and investing in our children now, and that’s something we are truly grateful for and we value immensely,” added Douglas.

In the meantime, AFS Chief Executive Officer Hugh Campbell said the donation to the CPFSA fits the company’s focus on national development.

“We have partnered with the CPFSA in the past, so we know first-hand the amazing work they do in this country for our children who need it the most. It was, therefore, an easy decision, and we are confident that this grant will help the agency to advance its work on behalf of wards of the State, specifically around education. It is our hope that this donation will help to offset some of those costs, allowing the agency to divert limited resources elsewhere,” said Campbell.

Access Hope also includes $250,000 earmarked for training and capacity-building for small business clients through a partnership with the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC).

Acting CEO at JBDC, Harold Davis, said the donation is part of a broader memorandum of understanding between the two organisations to develop Jamaica’s micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

“I am pleased to acknowledge and celebrate the strong and growing partnership between our two organisations,” said Davis.

He noted that last year, JBDC and Access formalised a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaboratively support the development of MSMEs across Jamaica and argued that was not simply a symbolic gesture but a living agreement that has already yielded tangible benefits.

Davis pointed to the importance of pairing financial support with capacity-building to ensure the long-term success of Jamaican entrepreneurs.

“This investment is a clear signal that Access Financial understands what we at JBDC have long known, access to finance must be accompanied by access to knowledge. It is not enough to provide a loan or financial support; our entrepreneurs must also be equipped with skills to manage those resources effectively,” added Davis.

AFS has provided financing solutions to underserved individuals and MSMEs since its inception in 2000, and Campbell told the launch that Access Hope is a continuation of the company’s mandate to foster economic and social development across Jamaica.