East End boasts one of the best community sports facilities in Anguilla. Now beautifully refurbished, the basketball and tennis facility was officially opened on Sunday, November 25, by the Elected Representative for District 2 and Minister of Home Affairs, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge.
The refurbishing work was funded by the Social Security Board which originally financed the dual purpose facility in 2001. Mrs. Richardson-Hodge has been an ardent agitator for the restoration effort.
Speaking at the event, Ms. Josette Duncan, Manager of the HOPE (Helping Our People Excel) Centre, said in part: “I would like thank all who have been involved in the refurbishing of this community’s sporting facility: the Ministry of Social Development, the Social Security Board, the Hon. Representative for the District, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge, the Sports Department, the contractors, sub-contractors and the Basketball Association. They all worked diligently and hard to ensure its completion and opening today.”
Ms. Duncan continued: “We often hear that there are not enough sporting facilities on the island, or in the community, for our youths to keep themselves out of trouble. The HOPE Centre values our children and hopes that this facility goes much further than just keeping them out of trouble – but by helping them to develop themselves as well-rounded individuals and to be leaders, not just followers.
“The HOPE Centre is much more than an afternoon school learning centre. It is involved in the community in many ways in partnering with the Morris Vanterpool Primary School in many areas, the Rosewood Senior Citizens’ Home, other community projects and in the operation of this sporting facility.”
Director of Social Security, Mr. Timothy Hodge, said the facility was being improved to a very high standard. “It fits into the Social Security’s theme for this year which is ‘Supporting a culture of national resilience’, he observed. “Social Security constructed the tennis court, then the basketball court, and it was incumbent on us to refurbish and bring them up to standard. The facility is truly a wonderful sight.”
Mr. Hodge, who was grateful to all who were involved in the refurbishing work, was pleased to be associated with the facility and to have the support of the Chairman of the Social Security Board, Mr. Sean Richard, as well. He also recognized “the guidance, commitment forceful efforts of the Elected Representative, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge, to see this facility come to fruition.”
Mrs. Richardson-Hodge noted that the basketball/tennis court facility had deteriorated over the years and that the HOPE Group – the outreach arm of the HOPE Centre – was concerned about the matter. “The HOPE Group and I identified this project, very shortly after I was elected in 2015, as one of the projects we wanted to continue for our community,” she reported. “In March 2016 we prepared a proposal and spoke to the Ministry of Social Development and Sports, and we explained that we wanted to refurbish this facility for use by the people in our community. The idea was accepted, and we approached the Social Security Board to fund the refurbishment in as much as it had initially done the construction. The Board agreed and a few months later the proposal was approved.”
The Minister went on: “A committee was thereafter formed involving the Ministry of Social Development, the Sports Department, the HOPE Centre and members of the community (whom she named). We worked very hard, between 2016 and now, to ensure what we have here today.”
Other speakers were Mr. Cardigan Connor, Parliamentary Secretary, Sports, and Mr. Andre Collins, Director of Sports, two of the committee members. Both of them spoke at length about the refurbishing of the sports facility – and the positive role it will play in the community particularly in the lives of the young people in East End.
The opening ceremony was chaired by Ms. Lisa Countess Rey, President of the Anguilla Basketball Association, who stressed the importance of sports in youth development. Other participants in the programme were Akira Rogers and Demari Gumbs, of Morlems School of Music, who played the National Song and Marlon Halley (The Mighty Trail Blazer), a 4th grade student at the Morris Vanterpool School, who sang a calypso in connection with the Anguilla Revolution.
A game show involving Mr. Cardigan Connor, Mrs. Cora Richardson- Hodge and Mr. Timothy Hodge, and a match between two young teams – the Raptors from East End vs. a team from North Hill – climaxed the event.
