Play Park for Welchman Hall donated by The Maria Holder Memorial Trust

CHILDREN in a St. Thomas community have a spanking new play area.

The Welchman Hall Play Park, which is part of The Maria Holder Memorial Trust “Eleven Play Parks” Project was officially handed over to Prime Minister the Honourable Mia Amor Mottley by Chairman and Co-Founder of The Trust, Christopher Holder.

This is the second of eleven play parks, Wotton being the first, which The Maria Holder Memorial Trust donated as their gift to Barbados on its 50th Anniversary of Independence, celebrated in 2016. Each park is well fenced for the safety and security of children using it and includes play slides, see-saws, a playhouse and stone tunnels, as well as brightly coloured benches for the comfort of adults accompanying children to the area.

An appreciative Mottley lauded the Trust’s philanthropic efforts, revealing that the charity donated some $50 million “over the last few years” towards development projects across the island. “I want to thank persons, like Mr. Holder, who have come to call Barbados home. Barbadians are not only those who are born here, or those whose parents have been born here or those who are married to Barbadians – but those who by choice, choose to be Barbadians. Those who have embraced this country with a love, commitment and care. We do not take it for granted and we thank you,” she expressed.

The process of cleaning and beautifying the country, according to the PM, must be one that engages not just the government but each and every Barbadian.

“We are doing all that we are doing because we believe that the Barbados that our children live in, can be a much better and brighter place than even the one that we had the good fortune of growing up in. That is entirely possible. It is possible not because the government is magical, or the people alone are magical – it is possible because we embrace the values of partnership, working together and identifying common purpose,” she stated.

Member of Parliament for St. Thomas, Cynthia Forde also took the opportunity to thank the Trust for reaching out to the community. She also urged her constituents to take care of the play park, which is located adjacent to Welchman Hall Post Office. “I implore our young people, their parents and guardians to care of this play park. At the end of the day it belongs to us. It has been given to us and when you get something you take care of it. Therefore, I encourage everyone to let us keep this play park the best that there is on the island,” Forde said.

Holder, a recent recipient of the Silver Crown of Merit Award confessed to being the brainchild behind the initiative, which saw some parks easily refurbished, while others required more work.

“The kids are our future and they need green spaces – areas for recreation, areas where their parents can take them and watch them play safely within the community… I know you are going to look after it and make very good use of it.” He also assured that The Maria Holder Memorial Trust will continue to identify worthwhile projects, and revealed, “There is a lot in the pipeline, from work with the geriatric hospital to play parks and nursery schools. We want to cover – and do cover – the spectrum of what is needed in Barbados.”

The National Conversation Commission (NCC) led the team responsible for the play parks. (TL)

Article taken from The Barbados Advocate – Monday, 24 December 2018