New workshop to help impaired residents
Novalis House in Blue Hills built workshop worth over R2m for intellectually impaired residents to start working from National Lotteries Commission funding.
Blue Hills-based Novalis House held a grand opening of the new workshop at their premises aimed at hosting people with intellectual disabilities.
The workshop was built from National Lotteries Commission (NLC) funding model. This is after Novalis applied to the NLC for funding, which was approved in March 2021. In June of the same year, an amount of R2 528 000 was received which was then used to build the new workshop.
Speaking at the opening, chairperson of the Novalis Board Jonathan Bellett said they moved the workshop to Blue Hills in 2017 from Linden. He said there was a dire need for a central workshop to ensure that everyone works together. “It is really important that in terms of running costs, we get sponsorship from various bodies, but certainly in terms of capital infrastructure, it would be impossible to raise such money for capital projects.
The residents have well received their new workshop, even the staff too. It’s just a well built and every body is looking forward to start operating in it,” said Ballett.
Novalis Blue Hills Residence, which later became Novalis House, has been in existence since 1976 and was ran as a home for children who needed special care. On April 1, 2004, the first six residents were admitted into full-time residential care, with a housemother and two support staff.
Katiso Molefe, Gauteng Provincial NLC manager said they have had a great long-term relationship with Novalis when they first funded them with R500 000 for security installations and refurbishment.
He said their aim was to help community enables and develop themselves, as they are not community developers but an enabler. “I think we have been a big part of their growth as an entity. I can safely say, we have been a great part of their growth but not taking away from the fact that they also rely on other donors. We are pleased to have helped them achieve their desire to build the workshop and we hope it will go a long way,” said Molefe.
The house also celebrated their year-end functions with families spending time with their loved ones.
Related article:
https://www.citizen.co.za/midrand-reporter/313979/successful-2022-at-novalis-house
