The Manchester Wellness Foundation, also known as MANWELL, was formed in 2003. It originated from a directive given by Mr. John Junor, the Minister of Health at the time, to Mrs. Carolgene Williams, a member of the board of the Mandeville Regional Hospital in charge of fundraising.
Minister Junor recommended expanding the fundraising efforts for the hospital to encompass the entire Mandeville community. He proposed assembling a team of individuals with experience in civic engagement from various groups to work collaboratively towards this goal.
Mrs. Alicia James, another member of the hospital's board, was invited to partner with Mrs. Williams. Together, they reached out to the community to find capable and willing contributors. Some of the earliest members to join their initiative included Mrs. Diana McIntyre-Pike, Mr. Mark Pike, Dr. Verna Brooks McKenzie, Mr. Donovan Cover, and Dr. Patrick Adizua.
Our first meeting was held at the Manchester Club, also the location of subsequent meetings for the first two years. It was at this first meeting that we named the organization and laid out our charter:
“To raise funds for the purchase of equipment for the Mandeville Regional Hospital and other health facilities in the parish of Manchester.”
The objective was to establish a core team of twelve (12) directors, with the understanding that each director could create sub-groups by inviting additional members to their respective teams.
Our initial fundraising event was a Potato Festival held at Manchester High School in 2003. The festival was successful, but it highlighted the need for larger-scale events. Consequently, we decided to organize three major events annually: a Walkathon, a Health Fair, and a Dinner/Dance.
The inaugural Dinner/Dance took place in 2004 and was a tremendous success, raising a significant amount of $1 million.
Over time, there were changes in the board's composition as some directors stepped down and new ones came aboard, including Dr. Carol Burrell-Morris, Mrs. Myrna Bailey, Mr. Albert Clarke, Mr. Danny Lewis, Mrs. Fay Heaven, and Mrs. Valerie Dixon. By 2005, the organization successfully hosted all three planned events: the Walkathon, the Health Fair, and the Dinner/Dance. Additionally, to further support our fundraising efforts, we organized other events such as a Golf Tournament and a Silent Auction, all of which were successful in contributing to the organization’s funds.
On August 8, 2005, thanks to the dedicated efforts of Mr. Lewis and Mr. Clarke, MANWELL was officially registered as a limited liability company, and a constitution for the organization was established.
The organization’s directorship has evolved and changed over the years. In 2014, Mrs. Williams, a founding member, stepped down from her role as a Director to initiate and grow the Patron's Arm of the organization.