The development of several facilities is currently taking place or is expected to soon take place in various parts of Anguilla.
Memorandums Of Understanding (MOUs) for specific projects have been signed and works in progress are moving along steadily on the airport cargo building; and the extension of the Vivien Vanterpool Primary School, partly undertaken by Annie Villas and the Government of Anguilla.
In Blowing Point, that District’s Representative, the Honourable Haydn Hughes, is satisfied with the progress of the work on the Blowing Point Sports Facility.
The Anguillian Newspaper hosted him for a brief discourse recently, and he freely shared his ambitious outlook for bringing the sporting outlet to completion before the middle of this year, 2024.
“As the elected Representative for District Six, Road South,” he said, “I had promised in 2020 that if elected, I would do all I could to develop a sporting facility in the district. I had envisioned this facility to be much more than a mere basketball court.
“This follows from the vision of long-standing elected Representative, the Honourable Hubert Hughes, and promises made by the then Representative, the Honourable Curtis Richardson.”
“Since gaining the favour of the Road South constituency in the elections,” he said, “I realized that the onus was now upon me to deliver that promise that was made by both myself and Lenard ‘Charlamagne the God’ McKelvey, the ‘Hall of Fame’ Radio Host. To that end, I sought funding and was fortunate enough to be introduced by Mr. Jere-lee Buddle to philanthropist and a lover of Anguilla, Mr. Robert Shaymis.
“Mr. Shaymis granted us startup funds for the project in the amount of EC$800,000. Together, in partnership with Greig’s trucking which gifted both heavy equipment and labour, we got underway with this important project.”
“The facility will feature an attractive array of indoor sports,” the District Six representative said. “Besides, we plan to have a small community meeting space, and the President of the AFA (Anguilla Football Association) has promised to develop a soccer field in the area.
“We will also have family spaces, and discussions are in progress to enhance the area further within an appreciable time frame. Besides, a new road will be developed, linking all the main roads in the area to this facility.”
As work continues on the project in the middle of the Blowing Point neighbourhood, the Road South Representative continues to feel proud that his promise of the long-awaited sporting facility is gradually coming to fruition. He said he is hopeful that the sports complex would serve to meet the sporting needs of many of the young people in the area.
Mr. Hughes said that the official name for the facility will be ‘The Blowing Point Multipurpose Sports Pavilion’. He said that work on the project having begun in October of last year, is scheduled to be completed by May of 2024.
