Wed | Sep 10, 2025

Hanover Police Youth Clubs make donation to schools

Published:Friday | May 23, 2025 | 12:06 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
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From left; Deputy Superintendent of Police Angela McIntosh-Gayle; Principal of the Pondside Primary and Infant School, Rogene McLeod-Henry; Hanover PYC Divisional Council executive, Fania Davis; children from the Woodlands Primary school on visit to the Po
Bryan Miller
From left; Deputy Superintendent of Police Angela McIntosh-Gayle; Principal of the Pondside Primary and Infant School, Rogene McLeod-Henry; Hanover PYC Divisional Council executive, Fania Davis; children from the Woodlands Primary school on visit to the Pondside school; Inspector Nadine Murray-Brown, manager at the Hopewell Police Station and Zone 1 Commander; President of the PYC National body, Ricardo Fairman; all gathered for the presentation of the water tank to the Infant department of the Pondside Primary and Infant School in Hanover.
Police officers, along with teachers and students pose, for the camera at the presentation of a Smart television by the Hanover PYC Divisional Council to the Infant department of the Cacoon Castle Primary and Infant School.
Bryan Miller
Police officers, along with teachers and students pose, for the camera at the presentation of a Smart television by the Hanover PYC Divisional Council to the Infant department of the Cacoon Castle Primary and Infant School.
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WESTERN BUREAU:

The divisional council of the Hanover Police Youth Clubs, through an initiative dubbed “Kindness Connect School Care,” has presented two primary and infant schools in the parish with gifts that will greatly improve their teaching/learning environment.

The Pondside Primary and Infant School, infant department was given a 600-gallon black water tank, while the Infant department of the Cacoon Castle Primary and Infant School received a 40-inch smart television set.

Ricardo Fairman, the national chairman of the Police Youth Club (PYC) organisation, who was present in the two deep rural Hanover districts for the presentations, told The Gleaner that both primary schools were previously visited by members of the Hanover divisional council, and it was discovered that both infant departments were in dire need of the items.

“What we discovered was that both institutions had Early Childhood Commission (ECC) inspections/assessments coming up, and the items were needed for them to be successful in their respective inspections,” said Fairman. He said that the Hanover divisional council decided to show some love to the schools by donating both items.

Fairman said further that the gifts form part of a thrust to regenerate the PYC movement in the schools across the parish, with the hope that it will help in building concrete relationships, with and among the youngsters.

“Doing these small gestures, will lead towards the success of starting more PYC clubs in schools within the parish,” he emphasised.

“As national president of the PYC movement, I want to commend the Hanover divisional council for the tremendous work that they are doing, bearing in mind that the first PYC was started in this parish,” said Fairman.

He said that the activities of the PYC movement in Hanover at present, show that, “the youths in the parish are taking charge once more for the upliftment of the parish”.

The gift was

well timed

Both principals; Rogene McLeod-Henry, of Pondside and Adrion McIntosh, of Cacoon Castle, expressed their gratitude.

“The gift was well timed as we have a certification coming up now and we were short on funds to get ourselves a tank, and one of the priorities is to ensure that we have enough water to supply the students. We have some (water) but you know, (especially with the smaller children) more is better,” McLeod-Henry told The Gleaner.

Principal McIntosh, said that the gift item aligned with the long-term plans for the school.

“As a matter of fact, part of our thrust for this year and the upcoming academic year is to do a massive upgrade of the infant department, so that it will have the effect of a 21st century classroom, which obviously would include a wide array of technology to include items like the television set and other equipment,” he said.

Constable Monique Bartley, coordinator of the PYC programme in the Hanover police division, told The Gleaner, that the “Kindness Connect School Care” project, is a Child’s month initiative of the Hanover PYC.

“It (the initiative) is made up of all our planned activities for Child’s Month (May), which involves us connecting even more with the schools,” she stated.

Bartley said that during the month, several schools were visited and their needs documented. She said the divisional council will be seeking to fulfil the needs as best as possible. There are currently four active PYC groups in Hanover, with plans afoot for more before the end of 2026.