Rebuilding fund launched for Clifton Boys’ Home
THE REVEREND Hartley Perrin, chairman of the Clifton Boys’ Home board of directors, said he was hoping to tap into the generosity of Jamaicans, both at home and in the diaspora, to generate the funding required to rebuild the facility, which was gutted by fire on Sunday.
“We are looking at having the Clifton Boys’ Home rebuilt as quickly as possible, so we are now seeking to get all the financial assistance we can,” said Perrin, who is also custos rotulorum of Westmoreland.
“We have established two accounts for the Clifton Boys’ Home Rebuilding Fund at the National Commercial Bank in Savanna-la-Mar. The account numbers are: 611-098-561 (Jamaican dollars) and 614-525-185 (United States dollars).
“We have been getting a lot of calls from persons pledging assistance, and for that we are very thankful. We want to rebuild the home quickly so that we can have the boys resettled back at a place they can call home.” On Monday, a Westmoreland-based businessman offered a facility as a temporary home for the 28 dislocated boys. However, it is unclear whether the Clifton Boys’ Home board will be able to take up the offer based on the conditions associated with it.
“We have toured and looked at the location, but we have not formalised an arrangement with the owner,” said Perrin. “There are conditions associated with the offer which we are looking at ... so you could say we are still looking for other options in case the place we have identified does not work out.”
The renowned boys’ home, which served as the residence for youngsters aged six to 18 years, was destroyed by fire of unknown origin some time after 4 p.m. on Sunday. None of the boys was injured, but they lost all of their belongings to the flames. They are currently being housed at the St John’s Anglican Church Hall in the parish.