I have been granted the opportunity to partake in the Chubb summer program. This program was a blessing as it allowed me the opportunity to work under a non-profit organization in my home parish. The organization I was assigned to was the St.Georges Foundation, where I worked alongside Peter Frith and Taché Smith.
While at the St. George’s Foundation, I was given the task of helping generate ideas on social media and website optimization. I also was a part of the Martello Tower restoration in Ferry Reach St. George’s. During that time, we gathered volunteers to assist us with removing the invasive Casuarina trees that surrounded the area, also the tree that were growing out of the roof of the gunpowder magazine.
That was only the start of the restoration. The St. George’s Foundation aims to continue to clean up and restore the heritage site. The goal is to one day open the site for tours for schools, tourists, and interested locals.
During my time with the Foundation, I learned quite a bit about St. George’s history. One of those things being, the Martello tower in Ferry Reach is one of a large collection of Martello Towers. The purpose of the tower was to fire at any ships that so happened to make it past Alexandra Battery and Fort St. Catherine. The range on the gun was about 3 miles. Also back in the day all the Forts in St. George’s, St. David’s, and Ferry Reach would communicate with each other with flags. I found that fact the most interesting because now days there are so many trees that block the view of the other forts.
I am grateful for the experience and encourage everyone to support the St. George’s Foundation in
any way possible. There are a lot of hidden stories in St. George’s and as a Bermudian I believe we
should bring them out of the shadows.”
I am grateful for the experience and encourage everyone to support the St. George’s Foundation in any way possible. There are a lot of hidden stories in St. George’s and as a Bermudian I believe we should bring them out of the shadows.
Tyrese Cheeseman