Overstrand Association for Persons with Disabilities (OAPD) recently launched a Wheelchair Wednesday initiative with the express aim of challenging organisations and decision-makers to ride in the tracks of a wheelchair user. It is a creative way in which to focus attention on the physical challenges facing wheelchair users in their everyday life, particularly in the workplace. 

The project serves three important purposes, i.e. to raise awareness, encourage community support and improve accessibility for those who are wheelchair bound.  Underscoring that is the mindfulness of local structures, businesses and the public to simple matters like the importance of reserving Disabled Parking Bays for mobility impaired people.

The Overstrand Municipality remains committed to serving all its people responsibly and effectively and therefore had no hesitation in partnering with OAPD in identifying ways in which to establish greater inclusion for people with disabilities in the organisation.

Overstrand Deputy Mayor, Dudley Coetzee and Cllr Grant Cohen, along with a few officials of the Hermanus and Kleinmond offices respectively, were the first to kickstart the project on Wednesday, 10 May 2017

Alan Winde, Western Cape Minister of Economic Opportunities and Agriculture, visited the Cape Whale Coast on Friday, 21 April. Arriving via Clarence Drive his first stop was at Stony Point in Betty’s Bay.  He met with Overstrand councillors Grant Cohen and Fanie Krige, staff of On the Edge Restaurant, Cape Nature management and tourism representatives.  In the afternoon the Minister met with Overstrand Executive Mayor Rudolph Smith and his committee as well as with members of the business community.

Winde encouraged tourism role-players to focus on the unique elements of their destination and to highlight these in all marketing efforts. Every destination needs to set itself apart from all the other places competing for the tourists’ attention.  He also said that data plays an important role in business management and decision making and it is critical for tourism businesses to understand who their markets are and what the special needs of these markets are.  The Minister emphasised that quality data is valuable and there are many institutions willing to pay for access to reliable statistics.  This is one aspect that tourism authorities should be paying more attention to.  

Personeel van die Munisipaliteit Overstrand se Spesiale Taakspan het Vrydagoggend, 28 April, tuisgemaakte sop en broodjies aan ‘n paar crèches in Mt Pleasant en Zwelihle uitgedeel.

Die warm sop het groot byval gevind en was net die regte medisyne om die langnaweek in te wei.

Fronwen Marais, Grant Gillion en Phillip de Gruchy van die Taakspan het elke oomblik van die gemeenskapsuitreik geniet en beoog heelparty soorgelyke projekte vir die res van die jaar.

Hulle beplan ook om instandhoudingswerkies vir bejaarde persone, wie nie ‘n ondersteuningstelsel het; of wie se kinders nie betrokke in hul lewe is nie, te doen.

Marais het genoem dat elke personeellid in die Taakspan maandeliks ‘n bedrag gee om soortgelyke projekte te befonds. “Dit verg eintlik so min moeite om iets vir iemand te beteken, en dit is vir ons lekker om in ons gemeenskap betrokke te wees”, het hy bygevoeg.

Now in its 13th year, the Overstrand Junior Town Council (JTC) is managed by the Enlighten Education Trust in partnership with the Overstrand Municipality.

The JTC - with motto ‘we learn as we lead’ - comprises of 35 members from the area’s six high schools. All the members are senior school learners from Grade 9-12, who display promising leadership and outstanding academic capabilities.

During the 12-month term of office, junior council members learn about leadership and how a municipality operates. Over and above that, they are also exposed to different cultures and lifestyles. Community projects are vital to their role as junior town councillors and provide an ideal platform to contribute towards a better future aimed at benefiting their respective communities.

Overstrand’s Junior Town Council was taken on the first leg of their annual orientation tour of municipal infrastructure and facilities on Wednesday, 26 April, last week.