A new NPC was launched in Heidelberg on February 15 at the Peacan Valley Estate.
Heidelberg Hope started because of local businesses, various community forums, groups and ratepayers in Heidelberg being concerned about the town.
The consensus among the role players is the rapid deterioration of Heidelberg and poor service delivery.
Their spokesperson at the launch, Thinus de Bruyn, presented the plans and hopes of the new NPC.
“We are calling on everyone in Heidelberg to get the town back to its former glory. Together we can strengthen each other to save Heidelberg,” said de Bruyn.
The core duties of Heidelberg Hope are cleaning the town and parks, safe living and safety concerns, with crime prevention as a big concern.
Safety cameras at strategic places in town are a big part of the project. Three cameras have already been installed, with eight more on the cards.
Infrastructure repairs are also on the list, such as potholes, as well as caring and compassion in the community, including skills and work development, and the attractiveness of the town and luring tourists back to Heidelberg.
Stakeholders were already committed and vowed to be part of the initiative. This includes current groups already active in Heidelberg in cleaning, protection, caring, compassion and more.
“Funds need to be generated by monthly contributions or once-off payments to launch the various projects in town, and Heidelberg Hope calls businesses on to assist with contributions. The finances will be open to be audited at any time to ensure they handle the finances correctly and above board,” concluded de Bruyn.
The organisational structure is as follows:
• Coordinator: Dr Willem Sprong
• Business: Thinus de Vries
• Finances: Henry Matthews
• Cleaning: Jurgen Bekker
• Safety: Gert van Zyl
• Working: Phillip de Vries
• Caring: Zet Roberts
• Compassion: Thinus de Bruyn
• Attractiveness: Bouwe Wiersma
• Fundraising: Albert Grobler
• Legal: Mia Stander
• Security: Suzaan Basson
• Monitoring: Deon Adendorff.
For more information about the NPC, visit www.heidelberghope.co.za
