The Lakes Park is a picturesque spot hidden in Little Falls that is perfect for an afternoon picnic. However, the lake was not always as serene as it is now. The area was previously overgrown with weeds, littered with refuse and in a state of abandonment until the residents started to clean it up and give it a makeover.
“This originated from the Little Falls Community Forum (LIFCO) which was started 12 years ago and they are responsible for all this,” Hennie Schreuder began. “The lake is the major initiative but the entrances into our neighbourhood are cleaned by the community, not by the council. The council comes in about once a year, the rest of it is all community-driven.”
The maintenance and upkeep of the area is undertaken by LIFCO with the help of the residents. The clean-up on the lake began last year in May, and the results are awe-inspiring. The area is clean, quiet and extremely well-kept. It is an attraction for bird lovers as many species including ducks have made it their home.
Every Saturday the residents come together and clean up the lake and surrounding park. “We even have people going inside the water and pulling out the reeds. We put them all in a bunch and Kunye transports them to Pikitup,” Claudeen Vrey said.
“We are also looking into the possibility of having some dustbins here that Seef will sponsor – with the approval of the municipality, of course. The dam wall was also fixed by the community. They have added a few fish in here and you can see the birds and ducks. You would never think that this place exists in the middle of Little Falls.”
Hennie shared that their aim was to have the dam wall reconstructed and most of the excess reeds removed. “Our plan is to cut a pathway for dog walking, a cycle track, repair the fencing, install fencing where it is currently open, and improve the general safety.” The park has cameras installed to ensure the security of the community.
The costs and upkeep of the facility have become the responsibility of the community who raise the money and volunteer their time. “We are trying to raise funds. We have raised R35 000 at this stage and we are aiming for R150 000. All the money that is raised will be allocated by LIFCO specifically to this project, Save Our Little Falls Lake. All income and expenditure including the status of the project will be available to the community for scrutiny on the LIFCO website,” Hennie said.
He said the upcoming projects will be about security, and cleaning and the upkeep of both entrances in the neighbourhood. “There are hiking trails in the mountain and I have arranged for people to cut the hiking trails within the next week. The idea is that people can start at this area which is the park, and walk right up here and walk the mountain, and do a day trip,” he explained while tracing the drawn-up developments. “We have cameras and the camera here streams to the local security company. The community has five cameras in the mountains and they can actually follow you. The idea is to make this area with the whole mountain into a place the community can enjoy.”
Contributions or donations towards the project can be made at:
LIFCO (Little Falls Community Forum)
Nedbank account number: 1083847562
Branch code: 198765
In the reference use LAKE, street and house number
