The DOVE Centre has embarked on a fundraising drive to support its work of nurturing challenged children to give them an opportunity to live useful and independent lives as far as possible.
The Centre, established and overseen by the Ministry and Department of Education, is housed as an integral part of the Alwyn Allison Richardson Primary School at West End. The specially-trained teacher-in-charge there is Mrs. Violet Martin who is being assisted by a number of other teachers. With the support of the school, parents and other persons, they staged what they called a Family and Friends Gospel Concert on Saturday, June 6. It was held at the Orealia Kelly Primary School Auditorium. It was the Centre’s first fundraising effort.
“DOVE means Developing Our Vision for Education,” Mrs. Violet Martin explained. “The funds we need are to buy large pieces of equipment that would assist the children’s function on a daily basis. We would have liked more people to be at the concert but the response was really good in terms of the buying of tickets, and the audience was very appreciative of the concert.”
She continued: “This is the first fundraiser we have had. We were pleased that the East End Community Sports Club raised some funds for us. In addition to the equipment we need, we intend to expand the Centre because we have children who are twelve years old, and right now we are catering for children 5-12. Some of them will be making 12 this year and next year. The Ministry of Education is looking at that, and at expanding the Centre in the near future to provide DOVE Centre 2.” The roll of the current Centre is eight, but two of them are in transition so as of September we will have ten students.”
Mrs. Martin added: “The DOVE Centre is very important because these children would actually have been kept at home so they have been able to come out and socialise. They are able to develop life skills and communication. It is very important because we know that children can learn if given the opportunity. There was never an opportunity like this until September 2012 [when the DOVE Centre was opened].”
The concert was ably chaired by Mrs. Holly Hodge, a teacher at the Centre, who, along with three other teachers gave a quartet performance at the end of the event. The list of the other concert participants comprised Jihvell Martin, Romeiko Richards, Dresserie Hennis, the Martin family, the Hodge and Martin families, Chamika Richards, Timothy Hodge, Judith Guishard, Gizelle Hodge, Dr. Leroy Hill, Clemvio Hodge, Sandra Liddie, Mikael Mussington, Mavis Fleming-Drakes and Mrs. Anita Ruan.
In addition to the sale of tickets, refreshments were also sold following the concert as part of the fundraising effort.
