Min. Norton examines multi-purpose centre for Albouystown

(Friday, April 12, 2019) – Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton, met with an Executive of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) to discuss the possibility of constructing an all-purpose centre in Albouystown.

The meeting with Kelvin Harris, which was held at Minister Norton’s Main Street Office, also included the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Melissa Tucker.

(From right) the Honourable Minister of Social Cohesion with Responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. George Norton; Executive of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), Mr. Kelvin Harris and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Ms. Melissa Tucker.

During the engagement, Harris explained that the YMCA’s presence in Albouystown was once very vibrant and recorded the desired impact.

“There is a building in that community that we used to use to train young athletes. It did wonders because some of the best athletes in our country were trained at that building in Albouystown,” Harris noted.

He said that over time, the wooden structure began to fall apart, and to date, remains in complete disrepair.

“The building can no longer be used. It has to be torn down,” Harris stressed.

Having listened to Harris’s concerns, Minister Norton, who also holds responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport, agreed that a multi-purpose building is needed in Albouystown to encourage recreational activities among the community’s youths.

“I would be glad if we can have a place with a library and a gym and so on where our young people can be constructively occupied,” Minister Norton said.

He informed Harris that efforts will be made to first determine ownership of the property, after which a community meeting will be set up to ascertain the needs of the residents.

Mr. Harris was asked to submit a project proposal for consideration.

“We want to help our young people in whatever way we can, so we are prepared to exhaust all avenues to ensure that they are well taken care of,” Minister Norton stressed.

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