Harold Minors embodies everything positive that The Centre stands for.

He is not only a standout product of the community safe haven, he has devoted more than 40 years of his life to help the youngsters that have gone through the Hamilton youth centre.

Last night, hundreds gathered at the Angle Street premises to salute his tremendous efforts in the community in the wake of his decision to retire at the age of 58.

“The Centre has provided me with a wealth of experience,” Mr Minors said. “I have seen generations pass through this building. The grandchildren of the guys that I worked with when I first came here are now coming here. It’s always been a community-oriented place that provides the youth with all sorts of sports and activities to keep them off the streets and I am sure it will continue to be that.”

As a teenager, Mr Minors would often head to Pembroke Youth Centre (PYC) — the forerunner to The Centre before a name change in the 1990s — in his free time to make the most of the array of sports and activities that were on offer.

But at 15 the wheels began to fall off: he left home and school and for a time lived rough around the city.

Two years later, he was working his first job — maintaining the softball diamond in Bernard Park — and he returned to PYC to work as a volunteer.

“Every single sport I have learnt, I have learnt at The Centre,” he said.

“When I hung there as a 14-year-old, they had all these sports: badminton, table tennis, basketball. I just loved it.

“It was run by Sammy Wilson at the time and Sammy gave me a chance. I was a bit of a rebel back then, but the sport kept me straight.

“Sammy realised I had some potential. I was not the rudest of the bunch; I had some respect [for adults]. I was athletic and I loved to run. It kept me out of trouble.”

In 1975, Mr Minors took on a part-time position at PYC under Mr Wilson, helping to teach sport to youngsters and organise youth activities.

He also embarked on a profession in the Island’s newspaper printing presses, while his sporting career also began to take off.

“I developed an ability to coach and teach,” he said. “A lot of that came from working with Sammy, but I realised I could really play some of these sports and I did not mind sharing that and showing young people how to play.”

Over the past four decades, Mr Minors has helped to organise sports activities, camping trips, and after-school and summer programmes. The ten-times national badminton champion, who also represented Bermuda at softball, believes that facilities such as The Centre provide an essential outlet for young people in the community. “They need that kind of activity in their lives,” he said. “We are trying to stop children getting involved in the wrong kind of stuff. You have to intervene early; if not, you can lose them to the streets.

“Funding has become an increasing problem in recent times, and it is at times like this when community and sporting programmes are at their most important.

“Unfortunately, it all seems to be about profit these days, and that is very sad.”

Mr Minors officially retired from his position of senior community worker at the end of March.

He says he is looking forward to spending more time at home, but he will continue to be involved in several mentoring and sporting programmes in the community.

“I’ve started to develop a nice little garden at home,” the father-of-three said. “I’m learning how to take care of the house, too. It’s time to take care of me and my family now. There’s still a lot of voluntary and coaching work that I will continue to do and lots to look forward to.”