Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce Resource Centre gets face lift

Calling the residents of Waterhouse her biggest fans, double Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is hoping that the Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Resource Centre will offer upliftment for persons in the community.

"They are always cheering for me, no matter what. I have known them from I was three years old and it is just really exciting to be able to be a part of a community that continues to uplift you in your career and your endeavour, so why not associate with them and get them to excel at anything they do and offer your assistance in any way possible," she told THE STAR.

The athlete was speaking at the opening of the facility that will benefit at least 400 young people by offering them training in cake baking, pastry making, information technology and sewing.

"We are hoping to offer more courses and just to get more help in terms of funding for the facility so that we can take in more persons, because the more persons that we take in is the more persons that we will be taking off the streets," Fraser-Pryce said.

The sprinter is optimistic that the facility, which was refurbished at a cost of $5.7 million, courtesy of the Digicel Foundation, will lead to the community boasting countless number of trained persons.

"We hope to push out more persons in cake baking and our computer literacy class, and we are also hoping to offer more courses for members of our community. So hopefully, in the next couple of years, we can have a big graduation here of persons who are coming out from HEART," she said.

Meanwhile, community member Patrick Taylor is upbeat about the improvements done to the resource centre, which has a baking room, computer room, training room as well as an administrative office. The centre has a multipurpose court which is used by the residents to play sports.

"The upgrade is a good facelift and then the honouring of Shelly is very good because Shelly-Ann is an inspiration to this community and it will encourage a lot of residents," he said.

Taylor, 40, told THE STAR that he has done numerous courses that have helped him in life.

"I did almost every course that tek place there. I did the cake baking and decorating as well as other courses, and the knowledge that I gather, it help me around a lot," he said.

Situated at the intersection of Penwood Crescent and Drumalie Avenue in Waterhouse, Kingston, the centre was named for Fraser-Pryce in 2012. Taylor said the centre has been beneficial to the community, especially students.

"It have a homework centre, so in the evening a lot the children come here and get help to do them homework. A lot of them who did not have computer access at their homes would come and do them homework here," he said.