Ground broken to rebuild Clifton Boys’ Home

TWO YEARS after a devastating fire destroyed the Clifton Boys’ Home in Darliston, Westmoreland, ground was broken yesterday for the rebuilding of the home at the same site. Construction is set to begin within the next two weeks.

On January 15, 2017, the nation woke up to the news that the home was burnt to the ground, leaving the 28 wards homeless. They were subsequently relocated to the nearby Caledonia Assemblies of Holiness Church.

“The Clifton Boys’ Home is here to build a solid foundation for the boys who come under its care and protection, and a brighter future for Jamaica, land we love,” said Reverend Hartley Perrin, custos of Westmoreland and chairman of the institution’s board of directors, while speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony.

“What we’re doing this morning may seem like a single step for a man, but it is a giant step for the future of our country. It is for a long time that we have waited for today, and we intend to make possible what appeared to be impossible.” The new building is expected to be completed in 12 months at a cost of approximately J$60 million. It will have the capacity to house 40 wards, with facilities for a sickbay and a multipurpose room, which will serve as a homework centre.

Reverend Howard Gregory, head of the Anglican Church of Jamaica and the Caymans Islands, which operates the home, expressed gratitude for the support which has been given for the home’s restoration. “The outpouring of support in cash and kind, which we have received from persons and organisations near and far, and your presence here today, indicate how much the Clifton Boys’ Home has embedded itself in your hearts,” said Gregory.