Through a collaborative effort between the Sandals Foundation and a group of social and health work students from Chichester College in the UK, the Willikies community has received some much needed assistance.

The volunteers, over a period of one week, worked on several projects to include renovating the Willikies Pre-School, where the group repainted buildings and engaged students in academic lessons.

Debbie Mason, founder of the early childhood centre, said, “We are very grateful for what the Sandals Foundation and the UK group have done for us. We are celebrating our 16th anniversary and had the facelift as one of the projects to complete and now this gift has been given to the students. All of us including teachers and parents are truly elated.”

Willikies Primary School also benefitted from the outreach programme, which involved a clean-up of the campus and surrounding areas, tree planting, and environmental lessons among other activities.

Principal Denmore Roberts said the group’s visit and assistance has made a huge impact.

“The children here have always been driven but [Chichester College] really made a difference and you could see that in how eager the students were to participate in all the work carried out. We will miss them, but we take comfort in knowing Sandals Foundation and Grand Pineapple will continue to be here for us”.

The group of UK volunteers also took the opportunity to visit a few institutions supported by the Sandals Foundation which include the CARE Project, the Boys Training School and the Good Shepherd Home for Girls.