CGB and EE/LL community centres get revamped
Two key community centres — in East End/Long Look (EE/LL) and in Cane Garden Bay (CGB) — have been fully restored and reopened, representing a critical step in the government’s ongoing efforts to rebuild public spaces damaged by the 2017 hurricanes.
The official dedication ceremonies for the East End/Long Look Community Centre and the Cane Garden Bay Community Centre were held on October 18, 2024, and October 15, 2024, respectively. Government officials, community members, and representatives from the construction companies responsible for the repairs attended both events.
Health and Social Development Minister Vincent Wheatley expressed delight at seeing the long-awaited projects come to fruition. During the EE/LL handover, Wheatley stated, “It is with great excitement that I stand before you today to celebrate the reopening of the East End/Long Look Community Centre.”
Repairs to the EE/LL centre began in June 2023 and were completed by Quality Construction Limited despite encountering some challenges along the way. The centre is the sixth in a series of community centres restored after the hurricanes. Other centres include the West End Community Centre, completed in 2021, and centres in Sea Cows Bay, Anegada, and Purcell Estate, which were officially handed over in early 2023.
Wheatley noted that the renovations align with the Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHO) SMART standards, ensuring the facilities are resilient to future disasters. “We have ensured that the East End/Long Look Community Centre was rehabilitated to a standard where it is resilient and environmentally sustainable, just like the other restored centres,” Wheatley said.
Similarly, the Cane Garden Bay Community Centre, which began repairs in January 2024, is now fully restored. No Limit Construction Services Limited undertook the project.
Wheatley praised the team for their dedication and professionalism in completing the centre. Both centres provide spaces for social gatherings, community meetings, and emergency shelters during natural disasters. Wheatley emphasised their importance, noting that these facilities have historically hosted various significant events, including birthday parties, weddings, and family reunions.
Addressing the residents of both areas, Wheatley encouraged them to take full advantage of the new facilities. “This is your asset — a place to connect, grow, and support each other,” he said during the Cane Garden Bay ceremony.
The restoration of these centres was made possible through the support of the European Union (EU) and PAHO, who worked in partnership with the Premier’s Office to ensure the projects’ success.
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In recent years, the aesthetics of Virgin Island architecture is sadly amiss.
what the reason for re running the story?
Years now we don’t have a community center.Vincent you know what we are dealing with when we need to gather.We have to apply to Catholic church or Anglican Church for space.The center we had the Government didn’t build it Virgin Gorda Mutual Society did.
Isn’t the administration building that we have to replace by paying rent much more a priority than these community centers?
These are never used appropriately,there is no value for money in these centers, theze are political buildings, building Schools or proper health center is more vaue, imagine that those two buildings were the health centers in each district, how beautiful that will be..