$11m community centre opens in Chickland

TO WHOM much is given, much is expected. The community of Chickland did a lot without a proper community centre and one looks forward to see what will be done in the future.

This was the view of Community Development, Culture and the Arts Minister, Nyan Gadsy-Dolly, who cut the ribbon to open the $11 million Chickland Community Community Centre in Mission Road, Freeport on Saturday afternoon.

She urged the community Council to be all embracing. “lf anyone feels marginalised, if anyone feels that this centre is not for them to use then we would have failed in our responsibilities.”

The Culture Ministry will ensure the centre is well-kept and will last 50 years and more the minister said. She praised members of the community council for working hard towards keeping the community of Chickland together.

“From a 20 by 25 foot Bamboo structure with a galvanise roof, you now have a beautifully designed modern facility,” she said.

The centre is outfitted with a training kitchen, computer room, auditorium, stage, male and female dressing rooms and office. With the opening of the centre, Gadsby-Dolly said, her ministry will offer the people of Chickland and other communities various programmes in skill-training.

She thanked the Urban Development Corporation (Udecott) and her team from the Culture Ministry for the work done in completing the Community Centre.

“Each week we look forward to crossing off another project completed under the Culture Ministry,” she said. Since 2015, the minister said, her government has opened 37 community centres with 13 more to be completed. Caroni Central MP Bhoe Tewarie welcomed Gadsby-Dolly for the centre and made two recommendations to the community council. His first recommendation is that the centre is used to bring the community together, to allow community members to express themselves and their talent, to help members of the community engage each other in things that matter to the community and the larger nation.

Secondly, he asked that they manage and run the centre in a spirit of democracy and to encourage participation and involvement.

“Don’t let the centre be run by a small group with the vast majority not knowing what is going on, not having access to the facility and not being involved,” Tiwarie said.

He urged the Chickland residents to protect the Centre and use it regularly for worthwhile community purposes.