Resort volunteers refresh learning and healing spaces

SANDALS and Beaches resorts gathered their team members to participate in community enhancement projects across several parishes as the island marked Labour Day recently, reaffirming the organisation’s commitment to Jamaica’s development and the well-being of its people.

In St Ann, team members from Sandals Dunn’s River and Sandals Royal Plantation came together to revitalise Priory Primary and Infant School as part of ongoing recovery efforts following Hurricane Melissa.

Volunteers spent the day painting buildings, cleaning and beautifying the school grounds, and creating a brighter and more welcoming environment for students and teachers.

Principal of Priory Primary and Infant School, Collin Hall expressed gratitude for the continued support from the resorts.

“I can’t thank Sandals enough for all the hard work and care they have shown us since Hurricane Melissa. From helping us clean up after the storm to now repainting the infant department, their support has truly lifted our spirits. We know our children will be excited to return to a refreshed and beautiful environment,” said Hall.

Meanwhile, volunteers from •Sandals Ochi Beach Resort and Sandals Golf & Country Club carried out an extensive beautification project at the St Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital, transforming a peaceful outdoor space frequently used by patients and staff.

The project included widening the existing paved stone pathway, creating flower beds with fresh plants and top soil, repainting walls, restoring benches and tables, and enhancing the landscape with decorative white stones.

Christopher Mundle, landscaping manager, described the initiative as a rewarding undertaking for the team.

“It was a labour-intensive project and a full day’s work for the team but everyone remained committed because we understood the positive impact the space would have on the people who use it every day,” said Mundle while commending the strong support received from hospital staff throughout the project.

In Westmoreland, volunteers from Sandals Negril and Beaches Negril spent Labour Day enhancing Grange Hill Primary School, helping to breathe new life into classrooms and learning spaces.

With schools continuing to strengthen and restore their facilities following the effects of Hurricane Melissa, the initiative focused on creating a brighter and more comfortable environment for students and teachers.

Among the areas improved was a classroom shared by grade two and grade six students at the institution which currently operates on a shift system. Volunteers worked throughout the day to refresh and enhance the space, helping to create a more welcoming atmosphere for learning.

Principal Joan Johnson expressed gratitude for the continued support provided by both resorts through their long-standing community outreach efforts, noting that the improvements will have a meaningful impact on both students and teachers as they continue to rebuild and move forward.

Through every classroom restored, every hospital space refreshed, and volunteers who dedicated their time and effort, Sandals and Beaches resorts demonstrated a deep and unwavering commitment to Jamaica and its people.

More than a Labour Day initiative, the projects became a powerful reflection of national pride, community spirit, and the belief that meaningful change begins when people come together with a shared purpose. At a time when many communities continue to rebuild and regain a sense of normalcy, these acts of service served as a reminder that Jamaica’s greatest strength lies in its unity, resilience, and the willingness of its people to uplift one another in moments that matter most.

Labour Day 2026 was celebrated under the theme, ‘One People, One Purpose: In All Things Jamaica Wins’, with thousands of volunteers from all over the country coming together to make a meaningful impact across their communities as part of the islandwide initiative.

Spa Manager Nicola Llewellyn, of Sandals Dunn’s River, joins efforts to beautify Priory Primary and Infant School, helping to create a brighter and more inspiring space for students and staff.

St Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital CEO Dennis Morgan (right) lends a helping hand to Lyndsay Isaacs (left), Sandals Ochi public relations manager, and Karen Brown, regional environmental health officer, as they carefully paint the benches during the Labour Day project, bringing new life and beauty to the space for staff, patients and visitors to enjoy.