With large numbers of people visiting the coastal areas between Christmas and New Year, much community support is required to ensure that the beaches and the surrounding areas in pristine condition.
Knowing that there is a need to keep the beaches clean, along with a need to develop and grow local people and business, Straatwerk, a community support based organization, assists people who may not yet have employable skills or otherwise have employment opportunities. Along with providing a very valuable service to the local community by keeping the local beaches and parks clean, the initiative aims to provide more people with the means to be able to support their families. It’s a truly businesses supporting business initiative. With the assistance of their sponsors and clients, Straatwerk teaches people the skills that could one day lead to responsible and industrious living or even starting their own business and employing other people in need.
Susan Watts, Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Living in Camps Bay, whose office often commissions teams from Straatwerk to do beach cleanups and cleanups on the promenade throughout the year, says that the initiative is an excellent way for companies and those living in coastal areas to get involved in making their area a better place to live and operate in. She adds that this festive period RE/MAX Living paid for extra shifts to help keep Camps Bay Beach and Mouille Point Promenade clean. With the increased pressure on services we like to do what we can to help. “In addition by ensuring that the areas where we operate are looking good we aim to make the area as desirable to potential buyers as possible,” says Watts
“During the festive season the beaches are filled with holidaymakers and more hands are needed to ensure that public places are kept clean. We feel that the increased pressure on services is an invitation for businesses in the area to get involved and help benefit the local community - it’s an opportunity to give back,” she says.
Watts notes that the increased number of people visiting the Western Cape also provides business opportunities and benefits the local economy, as many of those visitors have enquired or are looking at buying property in the area. As a result RE/MAX Living has had an exceptionally busy December.
“Bettering the community and supporting organizations that aim to uplift the area fits in well with our brand’s ethos,” says Watts. “Service to the community in which we live and work is an intricate part of the RE/MAX brand formula. We are a part of the community and want to see it uplifted and enriched by what we do here. In the winter months and during the off seasons, focus is shifted slightly from the beaches, with more emphasises placed on keeping the parks and public recreation areas clean.”
Adrian Goslett, CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa, says that RE/MAX of Southern Africa has a strong association with various initiatives that help build up the community. “As a company we believe in community involvement and giving back to the communities in which we operate in an effort to make a positive impact.”
We would like to challenge other businesses in our area to get out there to support their community by getting involved with a good cause that will uplift and benefit the area where they work.