Issued by: SunCitySA
From helping a young girl with a new wheelchair to school shoe and linen donations
Offering a helping hand to the community living around Sun City in the North West province is something which Sun City does regularly.
The Resort’s community outreach is on-going, and far-reaching and some of the in-kind support provided during the first quarter of 2023 included a wheelchair donation to a young girl and linen donations, as well as back to school donations and food to safe houses in Ledig and Moruleng.
Wheelchair donation
When staff at Sun City heard about a disabled nine-year-old girl living in Phatsima who was unable to go to school due to her wheelchair being damaged, the Resort stepped in to assist. Not only was a contractor sent to build a ramp at her home for easy access, but a new wheelchair was purchased for Nono Ntsimane, enabling her to move around much more freely and continue her education.
Linen donations to children’s homes and other organisations
Linen donation to Phela Community Health Centre
Sun City is a luxury destination with high quality furniture, linen and mattresses, which are regularly replaced in line with guest expectations. “Furniture has a term of service, and when it is time to replace these items, most are still in very good condition. Instead of them going to textile and landfill waste sites, we feel that needy members of the community can benefit, which is why we partner with various NGOs,” said Brett Hoppé, General Manager, Sun City Resort.
Sun City donated linen to guest houses as part of their Adopt a Guesthouse programme. “This provides them with benefits including cost savings and quality assurance as our linen is in a good condition. This helps guesthouses improve their tourism star ratings and guest satisfaction ratings to help sustain their income,” Hoppé said.
Children’s homes often operate with limited resources and do not have enough clean bedding for every child. “Donating linen helps to improve the living conditions for children, many of whom have suffered trauma or loss, providing them with a comfortable and clean sleeping environment. This also frees up resources for the homes to spend the money on other requirements.” Recipients included House of Joy, Itekeng Homebased Care, Lesang Bana Early Learning Centre and Landless People of Mogwase.
Sun City has also repurposed used linen by donating it to the North West Department of Correctional Services to use for upcycling. Inmates learn how to recycle the linen into new products such as shirts, bags, aprons or tablecloths. “This promotes creativity and develop sewing skills.” Correctional Services donates all produced items to local charities and non-profit organisations to use within their establishments.
Rustenburg SAPS Detectives also received a donation of Sun City’s second-hand furniture.
“We are a company that balances doing business with doing good and when it comes to achieving the Group’s sustainability goals, small donations such as these count towards the bigger picture in achieving our goals.”
Hoppé said Sun City was happy to support the community and build relationships with local businesses and various forums through the redistribution of used linen, while demonstrating a commitment to sustainable business practices.
School shoes and food to safe houses in Ledig and Moruleng
Tebogo Mokgejane, Sun City’s Social Economic Development and Stakeholder Engagement Manager handing out needed school shoes to children from Ledig and Moruleng safe houses
Sun City assisted its doorstep communities in Rustenberg, with school donations and food.
Safe houses in Ledig and Moruleng – Tsoga Re Thuse Project and Dimakatso Safe House and – were gifted with groceries in December, and with school shoes and bags in March 2023 as part of the Back to School drive.
Dimakatso organisation caters for 49 children, from infants to teenagers, while Tsoga Re Thuse caters for 85 children and 10 elders (including people with chronic illnesses).
“Some of these children walk long distances to school and we are happy to ensure they have the correct footwear to do this comfortably,” said Tebogo Mokgejane, Sun City’s Social Economic Development and Stakeholder Engagement Manager. Sun City spent R45 000 on school shoes and school bags, continuing its support for both organisations which has been ongoing since 2018. “We will continue to do so based on the interventions needed and available resources because education is key to poverty eradication in the long run.”
Previous assistance includes upgrading the facilities and establishing a vegetable garden, as well as donating money which was raised through the Carols by Candlelight concerts over the years.
In December, Rusty Rocks and Metro FM, Thami Ngubeni Foundation, Metro FM and Pick n Pay donated groceries to the value of R30 000.
Sun City has a longstanding belief in education for both learners in school and those outside of school and as such is running a programme that identifies those from the community in most need and tools to assist them with skills development and job creation. “Our plans include supplying one of our doorstep schools with a Science and Hospitality Lab this year,” said Mokgejane. “We are happy to play our part in supporting our surrounding communities, because we know our support will assist in building a better future.”
For more articles please visit the following link: Articles – NGOConnectSA
