JAMAICA Labour Party (JLP) standard-bearer for St Andrew North Central Delano Seiveright is spearheading a wave of community-focused transformation projects and initiatives across the constituency as part of his quest to convince voters going into the next general election.

According to Seiveright, who has been picked by the JLP to replace veteran Member of Parliament Karl Samuda as its representative in the constituency, he is collaborating with civil society stakeholders, residents, the Social Development Commission (SDC), and private donors, Seiveright to re-energise local development with an emphasis on youth, education, small business support, and social services.

“We are simply building on the community-focused legacy of Mr Karl Samuda, who has served the constituency with distinction for 45 years,” said Seiveright.

He added that rather than replacing the old with the new, his approach respects the past while responding to today’s realities, bringing new energy, new partnerships, and new ideas to the task of community-building.

Seiveright pointed to one standout initiative which is the renovation and revitalisation of the Donmair Community Centre in the underserved community known as ‘Common’ off Red Hills Road.

“With the support of private sector donors and the newly formed Donmair–CS Upliftment Club, the shuttered centre has been transformed in the space of two week into a vibrant hub for residents,” said Seiveright.

He added that he is, “impressed at how quickly the centre was renovated by residents who worked as a team on everything from plumbing, through to electrical work, to painting, window installation and so much more. It was beyond efficient, they just need vision and resources that’s all”.

Last Friday the centre was officially reopened with the staging of a Donmair Community Expo 2025. This featured a business expo, children’s activities, drug abuse prevention education, health screenings, police-community engagement, and small business advisory services.

The club’s youth leadership presented a plaque to Seiveright in what they said was recognition of his unwavering dedication and support to the youths and the overall community of Donmair.

Seiveright also provided increased support for the Whitehall Gardens Community Development Committee (CDC) Social Service and Wellness Fair, held last Friday at Swallowfield Primary and Infant School.

Residents accessed free medical and dental services, tax guidance from Tax Administration Jamaica, HEART/NSTA Trust skills training consultations, and other critical services, reflecting a strong commitment to community well-being.

“The approach is simple. We are working with people that have done or are interested in doing good. Many just need financial and technical support to enhance their engagements, and we are also building from scratch new social groupings at youth and other levels to work on community and people development.

“Already we are seeing positive results through beautification projects, resuscitation of community engagement, more focused youth development initiatives and a raft of other developments. We find that many of the citizens are full of potential but just need to be guided and supported. And I want to encourage the more well-heeled citizens in the constituency to come on board and give support to these initiatives, especially in the realms of mentorship, professional support, sponsorships, and just giving a helping hand,” said Seiveright.