Devon Valley Residents Association launch fresh start with suburban clean-up
DVRA's footprint covers everything between 9th Avenue, Cornelius Street, Rugby Road and JG Strydom Road.
Devon Valley Residents Association (DVRA) is looking to rejuvenate the community structure’s fortunes. To signal a fresh start, members held a clean-up of key areas around their suburb.
Focusing on Rugby Road and Cornelius Street, six labourers and two residents scraped pavements and filled black plastic bags for some basic suburban beautification on June 24.
DVRA’s borders stretch from 9th Avenue to Cornelius Street and everything between Rugby Road and JG Strydom Road. The area contains just over 660 houses and roughly 20 complexes but membership numbers are critically low. Being part of a residents association helps bolster community relations, creates a support structure to address important issues, and serves as a point of contact for municipal entities.
Currently pushing the DVRA regeneration are Sydney Aylward and Hanlee Fourie who have been residents of the area for 10 and 27 years, respectively.
“If you want a say in making your community better, then DVRA membership is that platform,” said Sydney. Hanlee added, “Everyone knows service delivery is an issue and it is difficult to make an impact on your own. Action starts with us.”
Security is a primary motivation for sustained residents association affiliation and DVRA members get preferential rates from security companies active in the area. Devon Valley has regular incidents of petty theft but with increased DVRA membership, additional patrollers could help be valuable eyes and ears. Hanlee urged residents to report petty theft incidents as the reports aid police in deciding where best to deploy resources.
Membership fees go to projects that improve the suburb, such as repairing the fence that runs between the N1 highway and Rugby Road. The gaps in the fencing can be used as an easy escape route either to the highway or off the highway and into the suburb and can be rectified by a small number of contributions. Should Devon Valley residents have time and resources to dedicate to the betterment of their suburb, they may contact Sydney on 083 276 8614 or Hanlee on 082 098 3305.
