A Haynesville community organiser has raised concerns that the promise of a community centre for the St James district remains unfulfilled, as he argued that the area deserves to be a sports and cultural hub.
Despite previous assurances and identified locations for the construction of the centre, the promised facility remains absent, leaving the community without a crucial space, the founder of the Haynesville Youth Club told Barbados TODAY.
Skeete recalled the initial commitment made by former minister for social transformation Hamilton Lashley. The earmarked location near the Melbourne pavilion was identified as the site.
But Skeete expressed disappointment that the promises made have not been fulfilled: “Ever since then, we’ve been promised a community centre, and it pains me.”
Speaking at Kwanzaa celebrations in the community on Wednesday, Skeete emphasised the inadequacy of the current space at the Haynesville Police Outpost, where more than 300 young people are engaged in activities.
He conveyed the community’s need for a larger facility to cater to their cultural and recreational requirements.
Skeete, who is also a youth commissioner, acknowledged the parliamentary representation received by the St James South area under successive administrations but felt that promises made for a facility had fallen short, especially given Haynesville’s cultural significance.
“If there’s one place that should have a community centre, if there is one centre that caters to culture it is Haynesville,” he said.
“Since 2006, we have participated in every NIFCA [National Independence Festival of Creative Arts] to the present. We have not missed one and we’ve been to the finals in all, and we have won numerous awards.
“Haynesville Youth Club . . . continues to preserve what is distinctively Barbadian. You will see from the performances that we do, that we are rooted in Barbarian culture, whether it be Landship, traditional African dance, traditional African drumming, or tuk band drumming. We are one of probably three community-based organisations that continue to preserve Barbadian culture and heritage.”
Expressing his vision for a larger facility, Skeete highlighted the potential for diverse activities, including music, sports, and games. He argued that such a space could expose young people to a variety of interests and provide constructive alternatives to negative influences.
“More importantly, if we can have a community centre that is large enough, we can expose our young people to more things,” Skeete suggested.
“When 20 or more are here learning to drum, we can have others playing table tennis. You can have some playing other sports like darts or dominoes. There can be a lot more constructive activity to engage our youth because, at the end of the day, all we can do is provide meaningful alternatives for them to show them that there’s another view of life as opposed to the negative things that they have to battle with, and then allow them to make their own informed choice.”
Skeete also questioned the government’s allocation of mini-stadia across the island and advocated for the inclusion of Haynesville, citing the district’s notable history of producing outstanding sports personalities.
He emphasised the area’s contribution to international sports and urged recognition of Haynesville’s sporting legacy through improved facilities.
“I believe that one of them should be in St James South because of the outstanding sports persons that we have produced,” the community leader said.
“I can reference eight West Indies players that came from the area, and the evidence will show that we have produced more intentional international players per capita than any country in the world, from Clairmont DePeiza to Shamarh Brooks.”
Skeete emphasised the need for a community centre not only for cultural preservation but also to address the broader requirements of the community, providing constructive alternatives for the youth.
(RG)
