– new facilities to fill social needs

By Telesha Ramnarine
BORN and raised on the corner of Cooper and James streets, Albouystown, Councillor Malcolm Ferreira has always entertained the thought of bettering his impoverished community, especially as there had been no facilities that catered for his social needs as a youth.

Once elected a City Councillor following Local Government Elections held earlier this year, Ferreira spared no time and effort in informing fellow councillors of his plan to begin work on a sports facility and a play park in the Albouystown area.
Ferreira has since teamed up with Councillor Heston Bostwick to set up a play park opposite the clinic at James and Bel Air streets, Albouystown, and a sports facility on Independence Boulevard. Although families are welcome at the facilities, they cater primarily for the youths in these and surrounding areas.

The play park especially, in a bid to garner revenue for the cash-strapped City Council, will be equipped with electronic billboards to facilitate advertisements for companies. The boards will also be used to place notices for the community, for educational purposes, and even for a movie night.

Iron bars will be installed so that children may be able to swing across the park, thus serving as an exercise mechanism for them.
COST EFFECTIVE
The intention is to make the facilities as cost effective as possible, so that they will be completed within a short time and will require less maintenance.

“There are not many structures, and everything is being done in collaboration with the City Engineer’s Department,” Ferreira told the Chronicle in an invited comment recently.

As for the sports facility, the idea of the councillors is to create certain access points for residents on Independence Boulevard, so they do not have to traverse the facility to reach their houses.

“We’re looking at bringing non-traditional sports. The benabs will be a Wi-Fi zone that will hold Bar-B-Ques and so forth. Surrounding communities will be invited, and persons within the community will be able to hold their activities at these facilities,” Ferreira said.

He said the various sports associations will be involved, as the intention is to establish something that can be a model to the wider Georgetown.

“So our aim right now is to bring sports (lawn tennis, basketball, roller blades, cycling) that are well-loved in the community, and for families to be able to come together,” he added.

THREE YEARS
But Ferreira and Bostwick cannot see the completion of the projects for at least three years, unless the public steps up and generously provides what is needed.

“I intend to beg for everything needed for these facilities,” Ferreira explained. He recently took his draft proposals to the City Council, and walked councillors through the layout of the projects by means of a projector.

The Councillors already have some companies on board to help with funding, and they are in the process of approaching more firms for financial help.