Gone are the days when residents cringed at thought of a visit to the Ferndale Spruit.
After the Ferndale Residents Association galvanised residents to help clean up the area, they celebrated their efforts through a fun day held at their cherished spruit.
The event, which was held on 1 October, had residents of all ages come out and enjoy a great day in the sun as they made new friends and mingled with their neighbours.
Erica de Jager, committee member of the residents’ association, said they managed to clear about 11 tons of rubble within two weeks. “This is why we wanted to host such a day because we felt we really needed to celebrate as we see this as a major achievement,” she said, adding that they were originally going to have a small picnic with about 40 residents but found that various businesses wanted to participate in the fun too.
On the day, along with the various food stalls and great take-home gifts, children could also let their hair down. The little ones rode in a firemen’s truck and made some new friends while enjoying the various activities that were planned for them. “We even had people from neighbouring communities come and show their support,” said De Jager.
Future hopes for the spruit are to host markets as it is such a beautiful piece of land, she added. De Jager shared that the day was a step towards reclaiming the spruit so that it would be safe for everyone to use.
