The Kelvin Residents Association (KRA) sponsored a clean-up of the Meadway Sports Club facility on 14 August. The derelict club is in desperate need of maintenance and upliftment after years of neglect.
KRA chairperson Luewellyn Pillay said the association recently launched a sport and recreation committee, which has set out to arrange football and cricket at the club.
“The facility has been the target of vandalism, vagrancy, littering and used for drinking in public and drug abuse for years. To ensure the facility was safe for our residents, a cleanup was needed.”
Litter and discarded bottles were picked up and overgrown vegetation thinned out. Remnants of broken tennis fence poles were also removed by resident Prem Byjnal as a safety precaution.
The cleanup was funded through the monthly contributions of residents to the association. A gardener was hired and sporting youngsters and their parents also volunteered their time. Pillay said that David Mahlangu from Pikitup and Shane Thomson from City Parks also assisted with the heavy lifting.
Though the cleanup has made some difference, there is still much to be done to restore this facility to its former glory.
“We are engaging with the City of Joburg to plot a course forward to restore the facility. In the meantime, the area will be used for various sports and recreation activities. The cleanup and renovation activities by residents will be ongoing.”
Joburg Mayor Herman Mashaba complimented the KRA team on Twitter on 11 August following their efforts to beautify Kelvin. He said, “Thank you for being exemplary residents. The City of Joburg campaign is to compliment your efforts. Joburg ‘A re sebetseng’.”
Pillay and the team are determined to better their community facilities. “We have the responsibility to provide the platform for our youth to teach them healthy living and to unlock their sporting potential. The alternative for them is alcoholism and drug use and this is not the future we envisage for our children. In addition, facilities such as these also allow us to age gracefully through activity and provide a healthy balance to the stresses of modern city living,” added Pillay.
Details: To get involved with the KRA movement towards an active community, email residents@mykelvin.org.za
