MONTHS after Hurricane Melissa damaged the vital community centre in Cascade, Hanover, residents of the quiet district have regained the critical hub for shelter, social activities, and skills training.

Through a restoration effort led by Red Stripe’s Desnoes & Geddes (D&G) Foundation, the refurbished Cascade Community Centre — upgraded ahead of the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season — now includes improved bathroom facilities, shower areas, kitchen infrastructure, and stronger emergency support capacity for vulnerable residents.

The centre has long served as a lifeline for community meetings, sporting activities, and emergency response, but Melissa left the facility compromised at a time when resilient community infrastructure remains essential across disaster-prone rural Jamaica.

Residents say roof damage and water intrusion forced parts of the facility out of use, disrupting care and support services.

The restoration highlights the increasing importance of public-private collaboration in Jamaica’s recovery and development agenda, particularly in communities where access to safe, functional shared spaces can directly influence disaster readiness, social engagement of young adults, and community stability.

Through the partnership with Member of Parliament for Hanover Eastern, the People’s National Party’s Andrea Purkiss, the initiative was designed to both restore what was lost and strengthen the community’s capacity to recover and move forward.

“This centre has always been at the heart of this community, a place where people gather, learn, seek shelter, and build connections,” said Purkiss.

“Restoring it is about giving the people of Cascade and surrounding communities a safe and reliable space they can once again depend on,” added Purkiss.

That future vision may extend even further. Discussions are now underway to explore partnerships with HEART/NSTA Trust and the D&G Foundation’s Learning for Life programme to expand skills training and personal development opportunities for residents across Cascade, Patty Hill, Pondside, Great Valley, and Jericho, potentially transforming the centre into a broader hub for community development.

Red Stripe Managing Director Daaf van Tilburg said the company believes meaningful national development requires sustained investment in the everyday spaces and institutions that help communities function, connect, and thrive.

“Strong communities are essential to a strong Jamaica,” van Tilburg said.

“At Red Stripe, we believe businesses have a responsibility to contribute to the long-term strength and stability of the communities connected to them. Community spaces like Cascade are part of the social foundation that helps people stay connected, supported, and engaged. When those spaces are lost or weakened, communities feel the impact far beyond the physical damage. Supporting their restoration is one way we can help protect the social fabric that communities depend on every day,” added van Tilburg.

He pointed out that Cascade’s restored community centre stands as a practical example of how recovery can move beyond immediate repairs to create a stronger foundation for preparedness, empowerment, and national progress.

Contractor and Cascade, Hanover, resident Clyde Mattison carries a newly painted door toward the community centre’s upgraded shower area during restoration works.

D&G Foundation volunteers and representatives of the Office of the Member of Parliament for Hanover Eastern pose for a group photo outside the Cascade Community Centre in Hanover after joining forces to refurbish the facility.