Belladrum among communities to benefit from new recreational park initiative

Belladrum and several surrounding West Coast Berbice (WCB) communities are expected to benefit from a new recreational park under the First Lady’s national beautification and community enhancement initiative. The announcement was made on Thursday by Chairman of Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) Ricardo Phillips during the region’s statutory meeting, where discussions centred on community development, infrastructure and public services. According to Phillips, the proposed recreational facility will serve residents of Belladrum, El Dorado, Profit and nearby villages, while promoting greater social interaction and recreation for families and children. “The First Lady will also be constructing one at Belladrum and surrounding communities, which will benefit Belladrum, Profit, El Dorado and all of these surrounding communities benefit from this,” Phillips told the meeting.
He explained that the parks are intended to serve multiple communities rather than individual villages and pointed to recently commissioned facilities in other parts of the region. Phillips noted that a recently opened recreational park at Bush Lot serves residents from Hopetown, Lovely Lass, Armadale, Number 28 and surrounding communities. He also referenced the recreational park at Bath, which he said attracts visitors from across the region. “These parks are not for one village. It’s for everyone,” the chairman stated.
During the discussions, Regional Councillor Emerson Benjamin raised concerns that more communities across the region should benefit from similar initiatives. He suggested that the land in front of the Hugo Chavez Centre could also be transformed into a recreational facility capable of serving several nearby villages.
Benjamin also called for the area opposite the Fort Wellington Hospital to be cleaned and properly maintained, noting that overgrown vegetation and accumulated waste had become an eyesore despite recent cleanup efforts across the region. Responding, Phillips said the recreational park initiative reflects Government’s wider “One Guyana” vision of promoting cohesion and community development.
“I would like to thank Her Excellency again for bringing these initiatives to Region Five. They are meaningful, and the people of Region Five are thankful for these initiatives,” he said. Several modern recreational parks have been opened across the country in recent months under First Lady Arya Ali’s National Beautification Project. The initiative focuses on transforming public spaces through environmental enhancement, recreational development and community engagement.