Several community grounds to be transformed into mini-parks

– Success ground set for upgrade

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Hon. Charles Ramson says several community grounds will be transformed into mini-parks through the Ministry’s ground enhancement project. The Minister made this statement following an inspection of the Success community ground on the East Coast Demerara.

Minister Ramson said through Budget 2021, the Ministry would be rolling out a wide-reaching ground enhancement programme.

“We are changing the orientation of many of the grounds because the population is changing, their expectations are changing, so some of the grounds we are actually going to turn into parks. We have already started to engage with the Cornelia Ida community to turn that ground into a park, something equivalent to a smaller version of the National Park.

Some of the other grounds, they are going to be a bit more specialised in particular sports. So, some grounds are going to be designed and enhanced for particular sports. Like one ground would be focusing on cricket, another ground would be focused on football, you are going to have some multi-purpose facilities at other grounds, but we are changing the orientation,” he explained.

Minister Ramson added that the grounds would also be designed to cater for older residents to utilise for leisure and social purposes. He added the Success community ground will also be upgraded.

“The major thing that needs to be done immediately is the fence. We have some initial estimate on what we have to do and it is about $7 million, I am advised. I am going to review it to see if that is the best cost that we have. We are going to get that started and then the NDC, we are going to ask them to assist with getting the ground in a far better condition,” he said.

Budget 2021 has $200 million allocated for the establishment of mini-sport stadiums in Regions Two, Six and Ten, and the establishment of a Guyana-China Park in Region Three. Money has also been earmarked for the completion of the synthetic tracks in Regions Six and Ten. The National Track and Field Centre is also slated for an upgrade of a warm-up track and the addition of more stands.