Sports complex is a dream come true for Standpipe

The official opening of the Church of St Margaret Standpipe Sports Complex has brought joy to the community of Standpipe.

Thirteen-year-old Shaquan Duffus could not hide his excitement and said this was a dream come true. “I feel happy because it is open and I can play ball,” he said. “I would like to see persons outside of our community come to play sports, do competitions and a lot more things.”

Anthony Simpson, who was three years old when he first started playing in the yard of the Father of the Church of St Margaret in 1965, told The Gleaner, “While attending basic school, we would go across and play at that front portion of the lawn. Eventually we were playing there so much that it became a playground for the kids of the community.”

In the following decade, the playground became a popular location where girls played netball while boys showed their ball-tackling skills. With funding from the USAID Peace and Prosperity programme, a basketball court was established in 2004, which served as the home court for the newly established Liguanea Lions.

Simpson, who now serves as the head of the Standpipe Community Development Committee, recalled seeing the young people compete against fellow teams such as Majesty Gardens and Tivoli Gardens. He explained, however, that after eight years, the team collapsed as funding became difficult. The once state-of-the-art facilities decayed with the passage of time.

TAKING ACTION

By 2019, former United States Ambassador to Jamaica Donald Tapia took an interest in the basketball court after unveiling a mural at the front of the now disused facilities. “Right away off the bat, he said he will do something about it because he came from a community like ours. In less than a month, we got a response that they will do some major renovations ... . This is the legacy Donald Tapia has left with us. We are very proud of that,” Simpson said.

Tapia launched the fundraising process with a donation $1 million. He also approached the Musson Foundation to manage the project and engage with stakeholders, including the Church of St Margaret, USAID and the Sports Development Foundation (SDF). The complex houses a basketball court, netball court, refurbished bleachers and restrooms.

Sports Minister Olivia Grange said SDF was eager to donate $1 million to the project, as she believed that this public-private partnership is a model for community development. This view was shared by resident Egell Powell, who said, “It is a nice little project for the community. I hope it can keep up and help the youth and help hold the peace in the community.”

Chairperson of Musson Foundation, Melanie Subratie, said the organisation’s engagement will continue with a $600,000 donation for basketball and netball lessons for residents.

PARTNERSHIP

This public-private partnership represents the culmination of a growing relationship between the US Embassy and the Standpipe community. Member of Parliament Fayval Williams informed that this rapprochement began after residents voiced their concern at a 2018 US embassy advisory that warned their citizens to avoid certain communities such as Standpipe.

She said, “When word got around in the community, there was a lot of anger but I said to them don’t be angry but see this as an opportunity to engage with the embassy and I did just that ... and the engagement started then and has continued now.”

Williams stressed the importance of the project’s sustainability. “A lot of times, when we put facilities likes these in communities, there are no persons who come together to manage it. So, we ensured that there is a management team to oversee ... and to ensure the continued sustenance of the community.”