West Haven Children’s Home in Hanover to be refurbished on Labour Day
May 5, 2010The Full Story
Plans are in high gear for the refurbishing of the West Haven Children’s Home for the Mentally Challenged in Copse, Hanover, which has been chosen as one of the 14 National Labour Day projects for this year.
Secretary/Manager of the Hanover Parish Council, Patricia Sinclair Stair, told JIS News that a fact-finding team, led by the Deputy Superintendent of Roads and Works, Bryce Grant, visited the facility recently and identified areas of deficiencies that would form the core of the work for Labour Day.
“The visit has indicated that there is much work to be done on the general structure as the security grills need replacement; clothes closets, cabinets and shelves need repairing; and general repair and replacements of doors, windows, tables and benches are urgently needed,” Mrs. Sinclair Stair said.
She indicated that attention would also be given to the reconditioning of upholstery in the dorms, covering of open drains, general repairs to the perimeter fence and beautification of the compound.
Public Relations Officer of the Council, Desmond Dorman, told JIS News that support in cash and kind would be solicited from the business community, while social groups and volunteers would be mobilised to assist with the work on Labour Day.
“We are happy to announce that the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) has come on board and would be providing a number of fruit trees such as guava, June plum, cherry, coconut and pomegranate, and they have pledged to prepare all the holes and mounds beforehand, so that these fruit trees can be planted on the day,” he informed.
He said that the fund-raising committee has committed to raising in excess of the estimated project cost of $350,000 for post-Labour Day work to ensure the sustainability of the project.
National Labour Day 2010 will be observed on Monday, May 24 under the theme: ‘Our children . show them we care’. Jamaicans are being encouraged to demonstrate care and support for children by complementing the usual physical works with activities that target their mental and social development.