Dover residents push to revive St Catherine community centre

People in Dover, close to Kitson Town in St Catherine, have started a community effort to bring their local centre back into use. The plan is to make the idle building serve the area again through recreation, sports, public functions and training programmes.

On Labour Day 2026, dozens of residents went to the property to cut away bush, tidy the grounds, wash sections of the structure and apply paint. Rohan Bullock, a Dover resident and businessman who is leading the drive, told JIS News the goal is to restore life to the facility. He said he had seen its value for a long time and chose to get neighbours involved in the project.

The Labour Day work included the use of heavy-duty equipment and workers to clear dense growth from the land and open back access roads leading to the site. Bullock said more assistance is still needed to fix and protect the building, among them the installation of seven outside doors.

“This facility, as far as I see, is one of the best community centres with the most potential in this area, in terms of the space and the facilities. I see this as a place where we can keep several functions, health fairs, farmers’ meetings and maybe start back a farmers’ group,” he said.

“We can maybe put an Internet café inside the building for children in the area and start back sporting events,” he added.

Bullock also spoke about the centre’s place in Dover’s past, remembering that, during his childhood, it was used for Independence and Christmas dances, sports days and other gatherings.

Jean Spencer, who operates the nearby Dover Basic School, said she wants the refurbished centre to support homework programmes, provide Internet access and host activities for children and young people. She praised the volunteer effort on Labour Day, saying residents showed unity and worked with energy.

Spencer also expressed appreciation to Bullock for taking charge of the restoration and for his ongoing help to Dover Basic School and the wider community. “He has been with us for the past two years, working with us. When we have sports day, he gets the field ready for us... and we are grateful for that,” she said.