BACKGROUND

For several years Newlands Rotary has sought to integrate the needs of corporates - to fund worthy social investment projects – and the pool of expertise, support and enthusiasm of the Club members with projects that the Club and its network of contacts identifies.

The Groendal Community Centre is the third of these major annual initiatives. It is a joint venture which got underway in April 2007 and benefits a disadvantaged community on the eastern hillside of the Franschhoek valley shortly before the town centre.

Working with Lord’s Acre leaders (the landowners) and FRANCO (Franschhoek Resource & Network Coordinating Organisation) the Club determined that there was a compelling need and that the centre would be fully utilised and sustainable.

Through a professional planning and pricing process, and the pro bona assistance of architect Menno Meinesz, we identified a local Franschhoek builder, Brandon Brooks, and his company Masiqhame Construction.

Having completed the project motivation documentation we sourced R750 000.00 of funding from Peninsula Beverages (Coca Cola); R50 000.00 from private donors and R225 000.00 from the Newlands Rotary.

POSITION

The Community Centre is on a portion of the land owned by The Lord’s Acre Mission. The latter is a registered nonprofit organisation, Reg. No. 043-842-NPO. The Church Board has approved the proposed building and approved the use of the building for various community based projects.

The site is on Upper Lea Smith Street in the Groendal settlement of North, Fransch-hoek.  The site is well located towards the lower middle section of the settlement.

NEED

The Community Centre is urgently needed in the settlement. A number of organisations servicing this community have indicated their support and or their commitment to make use of the facility. These include:

• Correctional Services
• Dalubuhle Primary School
• Dutch Reformed Church Franschhoek
• Groendal Primary
• Franschhoek Hospice
• Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa
• Wes-Eind Primary
• Association of Christian Women

Some of the activities that will take place at the Centre are:

• Soup kitchen
• Legal services
• Disabled Community Group
• Old Age Club
• HIV/Aids Helpdesk
• Learning Aid for Scholars
• Alcohol and Drug Support Group
• Welfare & Social development
• Cooking and Catering lessons
• Musical instrument classes
• Youth programs

BUILDING

The Lord’s Acre Mission had, for at least seven years, been constructing a “hall” on the site. For various reasons, including inefficiency and financing, only modest progress had been made.

The structure had elements that were unstable and potentially dangerous.

PLANS

The plans provide for the construction of a double volume, multi-purpose hall, which includes a stage; staircases on the north and south side accessing double storey sections; modest change rooms and toilet facilities; a kitchen and a number of office spaces.

Building materials are brick, mortar and wood; windows and doors are wooden; the walls are plastered and painted; the roof is wood and chromadek.  The floor is skimmed and sealed with a colour effect.

This is a win-win situation for all the parties involved. The Club is able to meet some of its social services portfolio objectives; the main sponsor meaningfully achieves its CSI objectives; the community-the ultimate beneficiaries-have a centre capable of materially providing a base for much needed support, socialization and services. Further, employment opportunities have been created during the construction period and thereafter.

Project Coordinator - John Winship

Read the June 2009 update from Penbev's website here .