French Park Community Club in need of repair

Owner of French Park Community Club, Cassius Burton, is seeking to get the facility back to its best after the cricket ground located in Manchester was damaged last month by Hurricane Beryl. Burton says the impact has been widely felt around the parish and has significantly affected the sport.

“Everyone feels bad because we always get commendation for the ground, and within two hours the facility went back to square one. All who use the ground are now asking, how long will it take to get back the ground to where it once was? It has affected everyone because they know where we’re coming from and how long it took to reach there. The majority of the damage was done to the main pavilion, the changing room, and the kitchen. The playing area, however, is still in excellent condition,” he stated.

Burton explained that while cricket is still being played at the ground, the players are severely affected by the damage to facilities. Burton has called for patience from the players in order to restore the facility.

“Manchester Cricket Association uses the facility as their home ground, and while cricket was played last weekend, and will be played this upcoming weekend, we don’t have the convenience of the pavilion, and the players, for the time, just have to work with it and understand that it was due to a natural disaster why we’re in this situation.

The ground, which hosts the biggest matches at both the schoolboy and parish cricket level, will require some financial assistance. According to Burton, while community members are still saddened by the damage done, they have expressed their desire to work to get the ground back to its best.

“All the Social Development Commission (SDC) matches from the parish level are played at French Park. Once you mention Manchester and cricket, it’s French Park as it is the home for SDC’s feature matches. We are definitely looking for the help because without it, it will take me a while to get it back up and running. The community members are willing to assist in the repair, but we’re in need of financial help,” Burton said

orane.buchanan@gleanerjm.com