The Boulders shopping centre refurbished the Rainbow Daycare Centre in Midrand as part of its Mandela Day celebrations.
The centre, its various tenants and local corporates pulled their resources and volunteers together to renovate sections of the daycare centre. Their efforts included painting, ceiling repair, installation of a new AstroTurf, new signage, and donating linen and bedding, learning materials, first aid kits, food and clothing.
Marketing manager of the shopping centre, Caley May, said the creche had 72 children between the ages of two and six years who are looked after by four teachers.
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May added, “As a centre dedicated to its corporate social responsibility, we aim to create opportunities for our tenants and employees to contribute back to society. While doing good should not necessarily be an annual event, we strongly believe that the only way to mark Mandela Day is to be meaningfully engaged in the community.
“The [daycare] centre does not turn away parents who cannot afford the monthly fees. Numerous attempts and applications for funding assistance to government by the centre have been unsuccessful and therefore the creche crept its way into our hearts. We wanted to create a more comfortable environment, one that is safe and loving and that the children truly deserve.”
The children enjoyed seeing clowns and got their faces painted and received gift packs. “This effort could not have been possible without our partners’ valued support and participation, who together with us raised more than R100 000. We would like to take this opportunity to really thank all the people involved,” said May.
She said the refurbishments were completed through the efforts of Boulders shopping centre tenants such as Pick n Pay, Game, Spec Savers, Osbro and King Pie, and corporates such as Saint-Gobain, Plascon, Dales Construction, Ruby Grey and Robcraw.
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Principal of the Rainbow Daycare Centre, Wendy Kinloch said, “We are grateful. Before we had a falling ceiling and bad walls and children sitting on the floor. They have changed the children’s lives.”
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