Classrooms proposed for Bernard Park could help uplift the community, according to North Village Community Club president Stephen Coddington.

Speaking on the proposal, Mr Coddington said: “Sometimes if you have a good number of positive people in the community, and you have your young people work with them as part of a positive initiative, you can make a lasting difference. And if you can start something good at one site, it can mushroom throughout the whole community.”

Mr Coddington said North Village has been working with Government and speaking with Minister of Community, Culture and Sports Wayne Scott about locating a building that could be used.

According to Mr Coddington, Government said the club could use prefabricated classrooms already on the Island. The club have since applied for planning approval to place the buildings in Bernard Park. In addition to acting as a classroom for young players, the application stated the classrooms could also be used for meetings of the club’s board and for community meetings.

“We’ve been trying to put a roof over our heads for some time now,” Mr Coddington said. “We were first established in 1957 and we have gone throughout the Island over the years. We even used St David’s field as our home field before we found our home at Bernard Park.

“We have the field, but we still need to do more. We have about 200 players involved with North Village with football and netball among other things, but there’s still very little in way of shelter from the weather. We have had an educational component to what we do that we want to expand on, but it’s difficult when you’re out in the elements.”

While there are several hurdles that must be cleared — including planning approval for the project and fundraising — Mr Coddington said it is hoped the classrooms will be in place in the near future.

“We hope to do it soon,” Mr Coddington said. “We want to have it in place certainly before summer, we are using all that we can to get it before then, but there’s a ballpark figure we have to reach. A construction company has said they will donate some of their services, but there is still some we must raise.

“North Village is strictly volunteer. Club dues and the kind sponsorship of Link Bermuda are how we survive. They have been helping us for more than 15 years, starting back when they were still Cable and Wireless.”

He said the community club has long been a strong proponent for education, and that in addition to directly helping the young people involved with the club he feels the initiative could help make a difference to the greater community.

“We believe education is not preparation for life, it is life itself,” he said. “And we are not just looking to build this educational initiative not just for our young people, but the entire community.

“Education is key. We try to impart on everyone that we have to give back to our community for the sake of doing something good, not because they are going to get something out of it.”