Bucknor Community Centre Takes Centre Stage

The investment by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) in the Bucknor Multipurpose Centre in Clarendon is proof of sustainability nine years later.

The recent opening of the Homework Centre by the Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen on October 31, 2023, highlights the unwavering commitment of the residents to the development of their community.

The JSIF’s entry in Bucknor in 2006, under the Inner-City Basic Services Project (ICBSP) revealed a lack of road and water infrastructure, community social spaces and regularised electricity services.

While the community spirit remained strong, the negative aspects of crime, gangs, youth truancy, lack of economic opportunities and community stigmatisation were pervasive.

The intervention called for a holistic design that addressed the weakness in infrastructure and access to basic services as well gaps in human capital and social development.

The centre was conceived, developed, and funded through an investment of $53.5 million by the JSIF under the World Bank funded the Inner-City Basic Services Project (ICBSP).

The design of the multipurpose centre facilitated the adaptation of the building to multiple uses, including skills training, specialised spaces for shops and offices and adjoining sports field and netball basketball courts in the parking lot.

The recently opened Homework Centre is housed in one of the specialised spaces.

The residents in Bucknor are familiar with mobilising resources to address their needs.

In 2004, spearheaded by their Citizen Association, the residents contributed $3 million in kind towards the building of their multipurpose centre – an idea more than 20 years old – that demonstrated the resolve of the community.

Fast forward to 2023, their continued efforts have resulted in the establishment of their Homework Centre, supported by $3.5 million in resources, mobilised from various sources, including the private sector, elected representatives, local businesses, residents, members of the Diaspora, and Government partners.

In the years since the development of the centre, it has been used to host a range of community events including summer camps, community meetings, religious and social events, skills training for water monitors, and training for Zika and environmental wardens, to name a few.

The development of the Bucknor Community Centre followed an integrated development model that resulted in simultaneous investments in both infrastructure and human capital development.

In August 2007, the Citizen Association became a legally registered entity with the Department of Cooperatives and Friendly Societies and was renamed the Bucknor Concerned Citizens Benevolent Society (BCCBS), demonstrating the benefits of capacity building.

The utilisation of the Community Based Contracting (CBC) methodology by the JSIF, provided an avenue to transfer important skills, such as project management, financial management, record keeping, asset management and maintenance to the Benevolent Society.

“Where you come from should not determine your future”, a sentiment expressed recently by Michael Thomas, a community leader and resident for 23 years, is echoed by other citizens.

Bucknor is a model in community transformation and sustainability.

Certainly, at JSIF, we consider them a great success story that should be modeled, studied and appreciated.