Developing Trelawny from the Beach to the Hills

Each year partners in sustainable development come together for the common goal of making practical improvements to the parish of Trelawny, Jamaica. The Spike It Up!! Beach Volleyball Tournament is an annual event where the private sector, government agencies, non-government development agencies and concerned citizens work together to raise funds for the development of Trelawny. In its first five years, the Tournament has established itself as a legitimate fund-raising vehicle with the following goals:

To implement sustainable development activities in the parish of Trelawny
To promote the development of sports activities & healthy lifestyles among Parishioners
To improve the natural environment of Trelawny
To establish beach volleyball as a prominent sport in Jamaica's athletic development
To position Burwood Beach as a first class public recreation area with a family environment

Proceeds from each Tournament go to pre-selected environmental conservation or sporting development projects. To this date the following projects have been undertaken:

2004: Installation of netball and basketball facilities and provision of sporting equipment to Albert Town High School in Trelawny.
2005: Installation of garbage containers and benches and planting of trees at Burwood Beach.
2006: Finished construction of garbage containers from 2005 project. Supported Southern Trelawny Environmental Agency (STEA), a local NGO promoting environmental conservation in Trelawny.
2007: Assisted Albert Town High School in refurbishing their track & field facilities. Supported STEA.
2008: Provided educational scholarships to four children in south Trelawny.

In addition, each year before the Tournament a volunteer beach clean-up is conducted at Burwood Beach. Funds remaining after project completion are re-invested into staging the next Tournament.

2009 Project Goals:

To conduct an environmental cleanup at Burwood Beach
To provide educational scholarships to underprivileged Jamaican children
To provide STEA with assistance to implement environmental improvement projects in Trelawny
To provide a day of fun for players and fans at Burwood Beach

Project Rationale:

The Parish of Trelawny is in the midst of a major development phase that will have far-reaching impacts on the citizens that live in the Parish. It is important that the benefits from development reach the local community in a sustainable manner. The Spike It Up!! Beach Volleyball Tournament will help foster local community development through sporting activity, environmental conservation efforts and improved educational opportunities. Sports development is a positive contribution to the wider development plan for the Parish as it channels energies into productive activities and away from violence. Environmental conservation positively contributes to Parish development as environmental degradation is always a possibility with any large-scale development activities. Assisting with improved educational opportunities has the biggest impact on Parish development it helps create well-rounded citizens capable of leading the Parish in a positive direction.