The Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education Fund (CHASE Fund) was established in 2002 to provide funding for the development of a wide range of socio-economic and cultural projects and programmes that fall within the scope of the five defined areas of national life reflected in its name.
Originally established to receive and administer contributions from the lottery companies pursuant to Section 59G of the Betting Gaming and Lotteries Act, the Fund, since 2017 has received yearly subventions from the Consolidated Fund following a change in legislation directing tax revenue previously collected by CHASE to the Consolidated Fund.
The Fund continues to provide financing for impactful projects in the areas of Culture, Health, Arts, and Early Childhood Education. Funding to the Sports Development Foundation is made via the CHASE Fund.
The resources received are allocated in the following proportions:
Arts and Culture
In the area of Arts & Culture, the CHASE Fund provides financial support to projects which lead to improvement of libraries, archives and documentation facilities; which seek to restore and maintain the country’s historic sites and monuments; as well as scholarships for advanced programmes in the visual, performing and fine arts.
Health
In respect of Health, the CHASE Fund manages financing for projects which include: building, upgrading, restoring and equipping health facilities, providing training for healthcare practitioners; promoting healthy lifestyles; and developing and implementing programmes related to renal disease and cancer prevention, detection, treatment and care.
Early Childhood Education
The Fund also places a heavy and strategic emphasis on Education projects at the critical early childhood level. Projects are focused on building, upgrading and equipping early childhood institutions and resource centres; supporting the development of early childhood materials to enhance the cognitive development of children; improving the nutritional status of pupils in Basic and Infant schools, including those in infant departments within Primary and All Age schools; and providing scholarships for specialist training in Early Childhood Education.
Sports Development
In relation to Sports development, the Fund disburses monetary contributions to the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) for the benefit of various sporting interventions.
The projects and programmes that have been supported by the CHASE Fund, over the years, have been wide-ranging and have included: the construction and upgrading of infant schools and resource centres; financing scholarships and grants; preserving historic sites, monuments, libraries and archives; promoting film and media development; supporting the craft industry; enhancing health facilities; and promoting healthy lifestyles among other initiatives.
The CHASE Fund has also partnered with various government agencies, community-based organizations (CBOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) across Jamaica to facilitate the implementation of projects that have contributed, directly or indirectly, to the well-being of Jamaicans.
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