Finding alternative revenue streams to the sale of alcohol at Bailey’s Bay Cricket Club was a hot topic at Tuesday evening’s symposium on tackling violence and gang activity at the Hamilton Parish premises.

Ideas such as hiring out docks and moorings, opening a reverse osmosis plant to supply water to nearby residents and even the establishment of a rowing or sailing club were floated at the club during the open and frank discussion.

A seven-person panel, made up of representatives from the political, sporting and religious arenas, answered numerous probing questions before the discussion was opened up to the audience of about 40 people.

The main aim of the symposium, organised by club secretary LaToya Outerbridge and past president Stephen Outerbridge, was to share ideas on how to facilitate a safe environment at the premises, which have been dogged by numerous antisocial incidents including a shooting in 2015.

The panel was made up of Bailey’s Bay Cricket Club president Aaron Perinchief; Minister for Social Development and Sport Nandi Outerbridge; pastor at Mount Zion AME Church Jahkimmo Smith; Opposition leader David Burt; MP for St George’s South Suzann Roberts-Holshouser; head coach at Bailey’s Bay Cricket Club Irving Romaine; and Shadow Minister for Social Development and Sports Michael Weeks. Missing from the panel were Garita Coddington, principal at Francis Patton Primary School and inspector Troy Glasgow of the Bermuda Police Service.

The issue of alcohol sales propping up the club so it could implement sporting programmes and pay the bills was one of the main focuses of the evening with Mr Perinchief revealing that while many options had been explored, the problem was “the expense of setting up those alternative revenue streams in the first place”.

He said: “We have to open our doors to the general public because without that financial input into the club it is very difficult for us to maintain. We have to open our doors to some undesirables but we do have to find a way around that.”

Mr Smith said that there would be a “transitional period” for any investment but that sacrifices must be made to make improvements in the future.

Mr Weeks suggested creating a “roll call” of all past and present successful members to help the club through donating and engaging with the youth.

Ms Roberts-Holshouser said the government’s Cash Back for Communities programme — where “bad money” recouped from criminal activity is put to good causes — could be used for Bailey’s Bay Cricket Club and other clubs.

Ms Outerbridge said it could attract more sponsorship and try to reduce costs with measures such as installing solar panels to cut electricity bills.

Mr Romaine spoke of his desire to “pull away” from the governing body the Bermuda Cricket Board and have the individual clubs set up their own academy to try to reap some of the funds that would usually go its way.

Asked whether the Bermuda Police Service was playing its part in helping the club to stamp out antisocial behaviour, Mr Perinchief said while the police paid visits during bigger events, “more could be done”.

He said: “When we do have events they do make their visits, they do pop by, but those days when we have those incidents they are nowhere to be found.

“They could definitely do more and we could use their help. The parish constable does contact us quite frequently and tries to keep up with what events we are having and we try to keep them informed. We haven’t had any bad incidents with the police. We could do with more — everyone could do with more.”

During the open questions one audience member, the president of a Bermuda football club that has endured its share of criminal and antisocial behaviour, took to his feet to explain that police were trying tackle criminal behaviour by having the clubs ban those associated with gangs. However, it is an approach that is not without fault, he said.

“The police have taken the liberty of banning anyone involved in antisocial behaviour from playing at Police Field. They have also written to all the clubs who they know, telling them that this particular individual is involved.

“They came and said if we sent them a list of all the players in our club they would tell us which ones are involved in activity and all that with the proviso that we ask them not to be a part of our club. I don’t subscribe to that mentality because if I say to a guy who may be involved in that particular lifestyle but, from the perspective of out there and [him] not committing anything, he could be guilty by association.”

Mr Perinchief spoke of one man who had just come out of jail and started attending the cricket training. “Maybe this is what he is doing to change that behaviour. I can’t chase him away if he is trying to move in the right direction.”

Perinchief added: “We have a good group of players here; we don’t have any gang members, we don’t have any issues with any of our players,” explaining bad behaviour came during events opened up to the general public.