Respects have been paid to a late Scout leader with the founding of a small community park alongside the Railway Trail in Hamilton Parish.

The Scouter Isaac Community Park, named after Harrison Isaac Sr, was formally established at a ceremony this month led by Mr Isaac’s daughter, Renee Isaac.

Ms Isaac said: “I decided I wanted to do the community park because I wanted to do something to honour my father and leave something physical to honour his legacy because of what an amazing, amazing human he was.

“It started as an idea to plant a tree, but it grew to become so much more.

“He was very much a visionary, very much a creative. He deserved a space on the map, as it were.”

Ms Isaac said the location was chosen because of her father’s connection to the Hamilton Parish community and scouting in that part of the island.

Mr Isaac formed the first Shelly Bay Scout Troop in 1965 and became the island’s youngest scout leader.

“He started when he was 17 and he won a Queen’s Scout Award, which I believe made him one of only four Queen’s Scouts on the island,” his daughter said.

“When my father started in scouting, the Scout troop was meeting across the street from Dub City. They later moved to the Shekinah Worship Centre, and in the 1990s they ended up at Francis Patton.”

A plaque installed at the site, adjacent to the Francis Patton Primary School field, honoured Mr Isaac, stating: “The Bermuda Scout Museum and Historical Trail was another of Scouter Isaac's founding visions in the 1980s.

“A visionary man of many talents, Scouter Isaac positively influenced many lives over three decades with his commitment to service in the scouting community, Hamilton Parish, Bermuda and beyond.

“We salute his intellect, creativity, service, resilience and lasting legacy.”

In addition to honouring her father, Ms Isaac said the area will recognise the contributions of other Hamilton Parish residents.

“Every year I host an event called Ujima, which is a Swahili word for collective work and responsibility, where people from the community meet each other and discuss what is going on in the area,” she said.

“Sometimes, someone is your neighbour and you don’t even know. We try to plan for the year and determine what we need as a community and how we can make it happen.”

She said that every year the gathering honours a member of the community for their contributions, with their names added to a “Resilience Plaque” at the site.

In addition to Mr Isaac, the plaque includes the name of Dean Furbert, a former principal at Francis Patton, with Franz Egenwolf, a restaurateur, to be added next.

“We wanted to put these names on the planter so the community can see those who have made big contributions to our parish,” Ms Isaac said.

“I really hope that other parishes steal this idea and celebrate those who have made a difference in their communities.”