Gayon Knight, compliance manager, JN Fund Managers, scrubbing walls at the Pretoria Early Childhood Development Centre
Classes for the 30 children attending the Pretoria Early Childhood Development Centre, off Maxfield Avenue, should now be more comfortable and pleasant.
JN Fund Managers, the Optimist Club of Barbican Pines, the Pretoria Road United Church and members of the Pretoria Road community, together carried out an intervention on May 23. The Labour Day project was to thoroughly clean the small school, and carry out repairs to the leaky roof.
Lloyd Powell (from left), elder, Pretoria Road United Church, discusses church plans with Noreen Beadle, president, Optimist Club of Barbican Pines; Beverley Davis, principal, Pretoria Early Childhood Development Centre and Gayon Knight, compliance manager, JN Fund Managers.
“We are very grateful for this well needed help,” school principal Beverley Davis stated. “The children will now be able to live and learn in a more pleasant environment.”
Founded more than five decades ago by the Pretoria Road United Church, the school has been challenged for resources in recent years, as it lost students to other schools which emerged more recently. Operating in the church-owned premises on Pretoria Road, it is funded by the Early Childhood Commission of the Ministry of Education.
Team members from the Optimist Club of Barbican Pines and JN Fund Managers hard at work.
Noreen Beadle, president, Optimist Club of Barbican Pines, pointed out that, “We identified this school several years ago as one needing help. Consequently, we have built bathrooms for the students and teachers, and provided Christmas treats over the past eight years.”
“Gayon Knight, one of our club members, who works at JN Fund Managers, told us about the opportunity to partner with them on a Labour Day project, which is how this cleanup came about,” the Optimist club president said. “This is the first such joint effort with JNFM and my club.”
Mrs. Knight, compliance manager, JN Fund Managers, said “By combining our efforts with those of my Optimist club, we would have a much greater impact in the community.”
Keisha Taylor, a parent from the Pretoria Road community, wipes down tables with Fletcher, special assistant at JN Fund Managers.
“There are many unmet needs in the wider community and people who may be willing to help fill those needs,” Mrs. Knight pointed out. “Hence, JN Fund Managers began a structured Corporate Social Responsibility programme last year to help our employees to assist in bridging these gaps.”
The ten participating members from JN Fund Managers, combined with 12 members of the Optimist Club of Barbican Pines, along with parents and teachers from the school, successfully carried out the cleanup.
“I always volunteer at the school,” parent Keisha Taylor said, as she wiped down chairs. “The teachers do a lot for our children; therefore parents need to assist as well.”
Lloyd Powell, elder of the century-old Pretoria Road United Church, organised repairs to the roof, to control the school’s periodic leakage problem.
“This school is a solid part of our church history,” elder Powell explained. “And, we want to do the best we can for the students and teachers.”
