PHOTOS: Giving Warner Beach subway new life
Despite the community project that started eight years ago dwindling, one resident has made it her mission to keep the area clean, neat and safe.
WHAT started as a bustling community project eight years ago, has turned into a verge-maintenance project spearheaded by Warner Beach resident Zeele Pauw.
For Heritage Day in 2015, the Warner Beach subway area was cleaned, painted and beautified by community members, business owners, municipal departments and non-profit organisations alike. Although the project started out as a huge success, volunteer numbers started to dwindle over the next few years. Despite this, Pauw is one of the few who never gave up on the project.
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“Everyone worked so hard to uplift this area that we cannot allow it to go back to how it once was. Although sometimes it feels like fighting a losing battle, with vandalism, litter and not many financial contributions, the effort is worth it because the area is kept clean, neat and safer,” she said.
Pauw said trimming, cutting, chopping away at the bush, picking up litter, maintaining the area, hiring workers, buying fuel for machinery and removing loads all come at a cost.
“Garden service is done weekly, and all this amounts to about R6 000 a month. We also remove 100 black municipal bags of rubbish each week. The area has to be maintained on an ongoing basis; it cannot be cleared and cleaned once-off,” she said.
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The project, which lies between Ellcock Road and Kingsway Road, is funded by six residents and one business. “Jeanne Kotze of Green Intentions garden services has also been instrumental in this project, offering her services for free now and then. With the help of K&A Tree Fellers, we recently extended the project to the left side of the subway,” said Pauw.
She said it is disappointing that many businesses and residents in the area do not want to volunteer or financially contribute to the project. “People say they pay their rates, so they aren’t interested. Some are under the impression it’s the municipality doing the work, not realising it’s a few dedicated community members,” said Pauw.
She encourages businesses to come on board as it will attract more customers and make the area outside their shops safe and tidy. “I’m hoping to get an adopt-a-spot initiative started for this stretch of road, to encourage businesses to maintain the small section just outside their premises,” added Pauw.
For more information, or to contribute, call Zeele Pauw on 072 677 2727. Alternatively, visit the Facebook page My Sapphire CommUnity to keep up to date with the project.
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