In 2011, Pam Golding Properties East London area principal, Hanlie Bassingthwaighte, launched an initiative which saw local charities benefiting from donations from members of the public who visited and viewed the city’s most beautiful gardens.
Located in Beacon Bay, this beautiful garden can be viewed on 5 and 6 October during the Pam Golding Properties Gardens on Show initiative.
According to Bassingthwaighte, this year’s event, which will be held on the 5th and 6th of October, promises to be yet another resounding success.
“Being involved in the property industry, we know that an attractive and well cared-for garden not only provides a relaxing and tranquil haven for its occupants, it can also enhance the value of the property.
“And when the time comes to sell the property, a well-maintained and attractive garden creates a favourable impression for buyers. While we initiated and sponsored the Gardens of East London show mainly in order to inspire homeowners to create beautiful gardens, we are delighted that this is also helping boost support for charities in our local community.,” says Bassingthwaighte.
The participating charities are those which have come across our various agents’ paths and we have tried to be as inclusive as possible. These are the SPCA, St Bernard’s Hospice, Petpals, Greensleeves, Child Welfare, The Sophumelela Centre, Breath of Life, Salem Baby Centre, CANSA, The Compassionate Friends, Uthixo Unungile Ministry, East London Women's prisoners and Cotlands
This garden in Vincent, East London, will be open to viewing on 5 and 6 October during the Pam Golding Properties Gardens on Show initiative which helps raise funds for local charities.
Every PGP agent in their office is ‘paired’ with a charity and farm agent, Aubrey Tidbury, has even built a tree house for his charity, Greensleeves.
All the charities are given the same number of tickets to sell at R50 each, which they can sell beforehand or on the day. From these sales, they receive 100 percent of the money. With the consent of the garden owner, charities may also erect stalls or bring in extra entertainment.
“For example, last year Uthixho Unungile Ministry sold different crafts that they manufacture, while this year we have heard that Greensleeves has been creating beautiful beaded necklaces creatively made from magazine paper, to sell on the day,” says Bassingthwaighte.
In the past, the PGP Gardens on Show event raised up to R65 000 for the local charities, and hopes are high that this year will see further strong support for this worthy event.
Local residents seen in the thriving vegetable garden created and cared for by the Ncedulutnu Reeston Support Group – a garden which won the township category in PGP’s recent Gardens of East London competition.
Besides the garden show PGP also runs a township garden competition for vegetable gardens. The winner of this competition is a school run by the Nceduluntu Reeston Support Group, an independent community based non-profit organisation which plays an essential role in the local community.
This area was an informal settlement congested with shacks with no infrastructure or schools, where people lived at risk from health hazards. With a high rate of unemployed and HIV/Aids infected people, resulting in many children being orphaned, vulnerable and neglected, there were no social services in place.
The support group began by organising a mobile clinic which still visits the area occasionally, and now the group is involved in all facets of the community including community services, health, welfare, sport and recreation, service clubs, culture, children and youth, conservation and environment. Education programmes help children on the streets return to school, while community members are educated on food gardening in order to help themselves and introduced to social services.
There’s a daily soup kitchen, home visits for the sick, counselling and support, a day care centre for children and a variety of other support programmes which benefit the community. In addition to the food garden, they’ve had two classrooms built, toilets installed and the children have a playground.
For further information regarding the PGP Gardens on Show visit www.pamgolding.co.za/eastlondon or the Pam Golding East London Facebook page or visit their offices at 34 Pearce Street, East London or in Main Road Gonubie, or telephone 043 7054000 or email eastlondon@pamgolding.co.za.
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