LOCAL SPORT HAS COME HOME

Whatever your fitness poison is, Sandton Sports Club has it in droves.

A gem hidden in plain sight in Parkmore, George Lea Park is home to all sorts of sports and recreational activities fit for the whole family.

A state-of-the-art gym that is ever growing in popularity is complemented by outside sports such as tennis, running, cricket, soccer (both field and 5-a-side), touch rugby and even parkour and beach volleyball.

The fields and courts are busy daily, and floodlights ensure that the fun continues after the sun sets.

But if fitness is not your thing, the Milk Bar plays live, local music which you can enjoy with a delicious meal and a drink or two.

Family movie nights are also a great way to bond as a family and mingle with the community.

According to the sports club’s website, Once Active Gym offers ‘a high-performance fitness centre with a strong outdoor focus. It offers personal training, biokinetics, dietetics, chiropractics and comprehensive health assessments’.

Then there is the Next Generation Tennis Club, where many of South Africa’s up-and-coming tennis stars train under head coach Ndu Ncube.

The South Africa Cricket Academy also uses the best equipment and facilities around to provide young cricket players with the best start possible. myrun has 2.5km and 5km runs at the venue every Sunday morning, where Discovery members earn Vitality points.

To run a myrun, one must register an account to www.myrun.org.za and then purchase a timing band for R60. Thereafter runs are free.

The Nedbank Running Club, hosts a weekly time trial on Wednesdays at 5.45pm at the club. For those with an adventurous spirit, the Concrete Foundation Crew organises events for people to turn the world into their playground with parkour.

Ordinary structures and terrain become obstacles one can overcome through discipline of body and mind.The ever- popular soccer and touch rugby programmes also ensure the fields are busy throughout the week. For the best 5-a-side action, Discovery Soccer Park is the place to be.

South Africa’s oldest action arena

Opened by former Proteas captain Clive Rice in 1991, Sandton Action Sports is South Africa’s oldest action sports arena.

 Action cricket, netball, hockey, soccer and bubble soccer are played week in and week out at the venue in Sandown.

 Young and old, beginners and advanced players keep the courts busy every single day as they stay fit playing the sports they love.

 Jono Leaf-Wright, who owns the arena and was recently made CEO of cricket body Central Gauteng Lions, described the changes the arena has seen in Sandton over the years.

 “Kramerville was an industrial area back in the day and now it is one of the coolest parts in the area,” he said.

 “As a warehouse building we have stuck to our guns and seen lots of taller buildings go up around us.

We have upgraded our facilities inside and are always attracting new people.”

 Leaf-Wright described his arena as Gauteng’s premier action sports venue, offering people a place to let off steam and connect socially.

 “The community has embraced us. Family parties have brought much success and we have lots of sports leagues. Families have embraced us because we are not affected by the weather, we are safe and this is an iconic arena.”

 He added that the arena offered ‘sportainment’ because it was a blend of sport and entertainment, with DJs, a bar and restaurant and other activities.

 The foosball and pool tables are popular, as are the restaurant’s slush puppies and soft-serve ice cream.

 A virtual darts board is also on the cards at the arena, where people can play against opponents overseas.

‘Home away from home’ in Forest Farm

The Forest Farm Centre for Cerebral Palsied Adults was established in the 1960s. Celebrating its 51st birthday this year, the centre was first launched by parents who had children with cerebral palsy.

  According to the organisation, cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder caused by a non-progressive brain injury, or by abnormal development of a child’s brain (before, during or immediately after birth).

  The condition usually affects body movement, muscle control, tone and coordination; reflex, balance and posture. These parents wanted to provide their children with a safe space to live and interact with other people once they had completed school.

  The ‘home away from home’ now cares for close to 100 adults between the ages of 23 and 74 with moderate to severe cerebral palsy.

  The centre provides these adults with the opportunity to participate in arts and crafts, excursions and social gatherings. A number of the residents live in communal cottages while others who require a little more assistance with daily living reside in an area known as The Haven.

  Forest Farm continues to be an integral part of the Sandton community. Although the centre has gained the full support of the community, which includes schools, churches and several other organisations in the area, an extra hand is always needed.

  The centre is currently only receiving grants from the South African Social Security Agency and subsidies from the Department of Social Development so the community is encouraged to get involved and donate to the centre.

  If you would like to get involved with Forest Farm, you can contact Bulelwa Mahura at bulelwa@forest-farm.org.

Details: Forest Farm Centre 011 789 3008.

Residents support rays of hope in alex

Rays of Hope remains to be one of the organisations with a heart for the vibrancy that is Alexandra. The organisation was established in Sandton in 1991 by Garth Japhet, a doctor who was working at the Alexandra Clinic at the time.The foundation began with a number of projects aimed at various community concerns for the elderly, education, homeless and unemployment.

   According to programme specialist Trish Lockwood, in the very beginning it was important for the foundation to spread its initiatives throughout the community.

   “Our key focus areas are orphans and vulnerable children, education and work readiness,” she added.

   One of the first projects the organisation undertook is centred education. As there was already a Saturday school running at one of the high schools for grades 10 and 11, the group decided to start a programme for grades 6 and 7. “Plans went ahead, registration started on 8 June 1991 and the first lessons were held on 29 June 1991 at the Thusong Youth Centre with 30 learners.”

   Other projects include, but are not limited to, the Early Childhood Development programme aimed at equipping caregivers with the necessary skills and knowledge to nurture children, Ignition aimed at mentoring and equipping matriculants for tertiary education and employment and Gogos of Hope aimed at households headed up by grandmothers.

   “The granny programme has been going for about 13 years now. It was started by a beautiful woman who just had a heart for grannies and loved children. We now have four granny groups that meet once a week to provide support to each other. It is a time to whine about the grandchildren, it is a time to drink tea and just get support.

   “We try and encourage them to keep busy with their hands because it is very good in terms of arthritis, so we collect fabric and wool and teach them what to do with it. They make all sorts of things because we got a lot of fabric donation.”

   Today, Rays of Hope has a network of nine community-based programmes and it has partnered with 30 Alex-based organisations – all of which have impacted over 2 600 people of all ages and backgrounds.

Successful adoptions at sandton spca

A number of furry friends have been adopted from the Sandton SPCA and welcomed into their new homes by their new families.