Greener area leads to less crime – Former Sector 4 chair

 

Combating crime and preserving the area from deteriorating, is former Sector 4 chair and now Re/Max Masters real estate agent, Susan Mottram, pleads with community members and businesses to help maintain the gardens at the intersection of Douglas Drive and Leslie Avenue West.

“In our effort to keep the area green, real estate team member, Susan Coulson and I, as well as the owner of Re/Max Masters [Bryanston franchise], Glen Norton have donated R4 800 to help keep these gardens maintained and we challenge other businesses and community members to do the same,” Mottram said.

“This donation will be used to help fund the monthly wages of the two Douglasdale Business and Resident Forum (DBRF) gardeners.”

She explained that the money donated will go towards paying the gardeners who report once a week to clean and maintain the gardens at the intersection. “To us it is really about environmental health, public safety, cleanliness and hygiene, to help maintain property values and keep the verges cut low enough, which discourages criminal activities on street corners.”

Mottram explained that the gardens were established ten years ago as six businesses located around the gardens contribute towards maintaining them.

“When Ruth Fleming, a Douglasdale resident and DBRF vice chairperson and I, joined the Douglasdale Community Policing Forum (CPF) ten years ago, we spearheaded a project of cleaning the landscape of pavements in the area as our aim was to protect the pavements from unlawful parking or any potential criminal activities,” she said.

“With my friend and partner in anti-grime – and crime, Ruth Fleming and monthly sponsorships from other businesses, we managed to keep the gardens going for ten years.”

She explained that community members or businesses can donate to the DBRF which will help keep the gardens green and unpolluted.

“Of the thousands of people living in the area, we have the same people contributing and holding on to these gardens and for that we are grateful. We now need the community and other businesses to help these gardens. I challenge you to please support.”

Norton said, “If the grass grows longer, it becomes a security risk at night from a hijacking perspective, so we’ve undertaken, within the Douglasdale and Fourways community, to ensure the maintenance and preservation of this intersection and we urge other businesses and community members to do the same.”

Community members and businesses interested in donating towards these gardens and contributing towards the wages of the gardeners, see details below.

Details: Susan Mottram; susanm@remax-masters.co.za; 082 465 8718.

How are you helping the area to become green? Share your views on the Fourways Review Facebook page.