The Christiana and Gertrude Warner Community Centre in Purcell Estate was handed over to the community on Monday along with the centre in Sea Cows Bay. Anegada’s was handed over on Tuesday. (Photo: ALVA SOLOMON)

More than five years after they were badly damaged by hurricanes Irma and Maria, three newly refurbished community centres were handed over this week following repairs funded by a European Union grant.

The Valerie O. Thomas Community Centre in Sea Cows Bay and the Christiana and Gertrude Warner Centre in Purcell Estate were handed over on Monday, the Emile E. Dunlop Community Centre in Anegada on Tuesday. Like the West End Community Centre — which was handed over in November 2021 — the three facilities were renovated with the help of a $2.2 million EU grant awarded in October 2019.

Tariss Hill and Associates was contracted to undertake the project in Sea Cows Bay in January 2021, while the Purcell contract was awarded to DE Property Development, which commenced work in November 2021.

The same month, work also started at the Anegada centre through a joint venture of Lawrence Wheatley Construction and Accurate Construction.

Technical oversight for the projects was provided by the Pan American Health Organisation, acting Premier’s Office Permanent Secretary Elvia Smith Maduro said on Monday morning during a ceremony commissioning the centre in Sea Cows Bay.

Resilience

Malgorzata Wasilewska, head of the EU Delegation to Barbados and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, spoke at the same ceremony. Climate change, she said, is taking “a very real toll on the people and the government of the British Virgin Islands.”

She added that the funding provided by the EU was aimed at refurbishing the facilities as safe hurricane shelters. Ms. Wasilewska also praised PAHO, which she said has been a “forerunner” in highlighting links between climate change and human health. “Their vast experience and long-standing work in the Caribbean ensure actions are targeted,” she added.

Dr. Amalia Del Riego, the PAHO representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, described the purpose of the centres as two-fold. “One, of course, is resilience, and for you to be better prepared for when the upcoming hurricane seasons start; to have peace of mind; to make sure that if needed that you would have the appropriate shelter facilities,” she said.

Outside the hurricane season, she added, the centres provide “safe and adequate spaces for the community.” PAHO, she said, does not usually engage in infrastructural development, but this project accorded with its mandate to support capacity building and to bolster resilience within the region.

Namesake remembered

Health and Social Development Minister Marlon Penn also spoke, mentioning the Sea Cows Bay centre’s namesake. “I am told that Mrs. Thomas was actively involved in the organisation and execution of various church and community events, and that she ran a library out of her home and taught crafts at schools,” he said.

“Mrs. Thomas represented what it means to be a community-oriented person who lived out her faith and sought to better the lives of others.”

The centre, he said, has served as a space for public meetings and social events as well as accommodating the Senior Citizen’s Programme, a community health clinic, and a gym. As of December, it has also housed the Eslyn Henley Richiez Learning Centre temporarily.

“The importance of this facility to the community cannot be overstated, and for that reason I am grateful to the team at the Ministry of Health and Social Development for carrying out the initial emergency repairs to protect the building from deterioration following the storms,” he said.

Purcell Estate

At the Purcell Estate ceremony, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley described the commissioning of the facilities as significant milestones in the recovery from hurricanes Irma and Maria.

He added that the three facilities are equipped with “SMART” features “to make them energy efficient as part of the government of the Virgin Islands’ commitment to sustainable development and environmental conservation.” Dr. Wheatley also highlighted the “essential and intrinsic” role the centres play in the territory.

“They are places where many of our golden citizens meet for their cultural activities and to socialise, where we hold community meetings, where non-profit organisations come together to support different community members, and where we have some of our most important events such as birthday parties, wedding receptions, and other social gatherings,” he said.

Anegada ceremony

During a similar ceremony on Tuesday on Anegada, Mr. Penn said the island’s community centre was originally built by the Anegada Progressive League, a group of Anegadians who resided in New York.

Emile Dunlop

The facility’s namesake, Mr. Dunlop, served as the organisation’s president for several years, he added. “It therefore stands as a testament to Anegadians’ determination to come together and pool resources to achieve their goals for this community,” Mr. Penn said.

Past EU projects

Over the years, the EU has also helped fund other VI projects, including the terminal at the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport as well as the library and auditorium at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College. The EU also helped fund repairs to the Copper Mine in Virgin Gorda and assisted with the completion of a visitors centre at Sage Mountain.

Long Trench

In April 2019, the Long Trench Community Centre was refurbished and handed over to the community through funding provided by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency.