Submission for the Imvelo Awards 2012

3. cape town, south africa
imvelo awards
entry for 2012
best social
involvement
programe

4. “izandla ziyagezana /
hands wash each other”
We take this age-old wisdom to heart in a business so
interdependent on people. It underlines much of the
Townhouse Hotel’s Corporate Social Investment approach.
We believe that the smallest contribution has the power to
effect change…
from the development of a talented kitchen worker to a sous
chef supreme, the health and fitness project initiated by
waist-watching staff members, the support of a job creation
project that makes crafts sold in the hotel, the rands from
a hotel guest that help fund our community projects or the
efforts of staff to see more of a city’s homeless with food
and shelter this winter...
…every little bit counts.
A sample of our Corporate Social Investment projects and initiatives is included here.
For more detailed information, visit our website www.townhouse.co.za

5. introduction
During the last 12 months our guest’s have donated R35 500.00 towards Our Kids of the Cape
Fund. The Hotel has matched this amount Rand for Rand to ensure that we uplift and support our
various long term and short term beneficiaries. Our staff eagerly joins the committee on the project
visits to the various beneficiaries. Our goal is to ensure that by the end of the financial year at least
90% of our staff would have visited one of the beneficiaries.
The Townhouse Hotel prides itself on taking any opportunity to assist the local community which
is seen as our extended “family” Whether it is a small donation for fundraising; giving food to the
.
homeless; educating our employees on what they can do in their local communities or supporting
local non-profit organisations financially on a monthly basis, everything done or given, comes from
the heart.
A committee of staff from the supported Hotels run the committee and distribute funds. They meet
monthly to evaluate progress of projects and authorize funding to new ones. The KOTC Committee
also arrange various social involvement projects for staff, and draw on the resources of the hotels to
assist with sponsorships and donations in kind. Between August 2011 and July 2012, R 260 332.00
was collected by the KOTC. In 2011/12, R351 700.00 was donated or spent on CSI initiatives.
To grow our initiative we have successfully become a beneficiary
of My School My Village My Planet.
We have also included an SMS donation facility:
Simply SMS ‘KOTC’ to 38021 / each SMS costs R10*
*Please note: a percentage of the R10.00 donated will go to network operator and administration fees.

6. donations to long
term beneficiaries
Baphumelele Children’s Home
Woodside Special Care Centre
The Stellenbosch Hospice
Aquarius School Feeding Scheme
St Michaels Home for Girls
Genesis Trust
Anthea Pieters Safe House
SA Childrens Home

7. baphumelele children’s home - www.baphumelele.org.za
Baphumelele Children’s Home in Khayelitsha is a very special home to about 180 children from newborn to 18. It is a place of
safety for abandoned, abused, neglected or orphaned children - most infected or affected by HIV/Aids. To limit the effects of
institutional living, children are accommodated in houses each with 12 children. Our contribution pays the monthly expenses of
one household.
woodside special care centre - www.woodside.co.za
Woodside Special Care Centre is a private residential home to about 90 intellectually and physically disabled children and young
adults. Our funding goes towards their general expenses such as food and toiletries.
the stellenbosch hospice - www.hospicepalliativecaresa.co.za
The Stellenbosch Hospice provides holistic, palliative and chronic health care to all the communities of Stellenbosch and the
surrounding areas since 1992. They offer a 24/7 palliative ward service, home based care for over 400 patients per day, who
suffer mainly from Cancer, HIV/AIDS and TB and provide the psycho-social support and counselling to patients and their families
to cope with the burden of disease.
aquarius school feeding scheme - clkolbe@cybersmart.co.za (email address)
The Aquarius School feeding scheme provides soup and bread to over 8500 of Cape Towns poorest Children at School. Retired
pensioner, Clive Kolbe collects thousands of loaves of bread weekly and delivers this to the needy schools.
genesis trust - www.genesistrust.co.za
Genesis Trust sees potential in the disadvantaged children of South Africa. These children, like any other child, have dreams,
ambition and talent. The real needs of these children are education, mentoring, guidance and support. Without funds none of
these are possible – funding to help set up a firm foundation to further their education, issue them with home basics and to help
them find work and a place to live. The fund supports a bursary for one learner towards their tertiary tuition.

8. st michaels home for girls - www.st-mikesct.org.za
St Michaels Home for Girls is an innovative; therapeutic and developmental residential environment for up to 25 vulnerable
young women between the ages of 13 and 18 who have been seriously traumatized and removed from their families for their
own protection and safety by an order of the Children’s Court.
anthea pieters safe house - mike.luppnow@vodamail.co.za
Anthea Pieters of the Eersterivier Empowerment Centre takes care of children who have been placed in her care, who are all
victims of neglect, violence, drug and alcohol abuse of the parents. These children range from 1 - 11 years old.
Over and above this, she also provides temporary shelter to women and children who are the victims of domestic violence. With
our support, she is able to provide the foster children with the daily essentials.
sa childrens home - www.sakinderhuis.org
The South African Children’s Home was the first welfare institution established in South Africa. Originally known as the ‘Orphan
House’ it was founded in 1808. The children are placed in their care strictly through the Children’s Court and are given three
balanced meals each day, attend local schools and are provided with school uniforms, sports equipment and casual clothing. They
receive medical and dental attention as well as therapeutic and counselling services. Our support has enabled them to complete
their play therapy room as well as regular equine therapy for the children.
“home is where the heart is” sa childrens home
44 children + 8 caregivers = 1 amazing family

9. the our kids of the cape fund
ad-hoc projects:
atlantic hope – september 2011
Atlantic Hope is an emergency safety home for vulnerable infants. The infants
placed with Atlantic Hope are placed through the courts and are in need of
immediate safe care. These infants having either been removed from their
parents due to neglect/ abuse or abandonment or are waiting adoption. With
more than 500 babies being abandoned in Cape Town over a 12 month period our
contribution was made to assist with the feeding of these infants.
philippi children’s centre – december 2011
The Philippi Children’s Centre provides a crèche and educare centre for
disadvantaged children from three months to six years of age which include those
affected by HIV/Aids, TB and foetal alcohol syndrome. We assisted the centre with
the purchase of a new cot, bedding and the repair of a donated sewing machine.
earth child – september 2011
The Earth Child project aims to transform existing classrooms into “living”,
interacting learning environments which are engaging, practical and fun for
children. Through workshops Earth Child offers teachers tools that can be
integrated into all learning areas. Our funds enabled another Living classroom
to be set up with a worm farm, container vegetable garden, sprouting kit and
monthly life skills classes for the learners. www.earthchildproject.org

10. ocean view junior fire fighters – march 2012
Enviro Wildlife Services established the Ocean View Junior Fire-fighters in January 2012, with the aim of training youth in the
area to become ambassadors for their community in increasing awareness, assisting in the prevention of veld fires and to
provide necessary life skills to the children of the Ocean View community. Our contribution assisted with the purchase of first
aid kits for children who have completed a registered Level 1 first aid course; fire beaters and protective clothing for children
who pass the basic veld fire fighting course.
cape care centre – march 2012
The objective of the Cape Care Centre is to feed underprivileged Primary school children at Garden Village Primary in Maitland.
We assisted the centre with much needed funds to provide breakfast for 200 children for two months.
shooting stars – march 2012
Is a developing day care facility in the informal settlement of Bonnytoun which aims to provide early childhood development
for pre-school children to ensure a smooth transition to formal education and a platform from where the education of parents
can be addressed. Our contribution went towards the set-up of the much needed day care facility.

11. tea party
In December 2011, a High Tea party
was arranged at the hotel for the
girls of St. Michaels, Heathermore,
and the Girls of Boys and Girls Town.
A wonderful afternoon was had, the
room was decked out in pink, with
the young ladies being treated to an
afternoon of tea & treats, each young
lady received a goodie bag full of girlie
essentials including a gown, make-up,
hair accessories and a pair of shoes
generously donated by Jordan shoes.

12. golf day 2011
In November 2011, the KOTC held its first charity Golf Day. The day was a
huge success, supported by the likes of Chester Williams, Mat Pierce, Ryan
O’Connor and FW De Klerk with R141 000.00 being raised for KOTC.
What did we do with the golf day money?
Funds Woodside hoist
In support of our quest to “help the children who can’t help themselves”,
KOTC has decided to use a portion of the funds raised at our charity Golf Day
to install a second electronic bath hoist at Woodside Special Care Centre - a
home for profoundly intellectually disabled children and young adults.
With a hoist in each bathroom, the carers will be provided with much-needed
relief as they carry out the children’s daily bath routine. It works firstly, by
lifting and lowering each child safely and securely into the bath and secondly,
by supporting them, once in the bath, so that the carer’s hands are free to
give them a nice clean wash.

13. Our staff eagerly joins
the committee on the
project visits to the
various beneficiaries.
By the end of the
year at least 90% of
our staff would have
visited one of the
beneficiaries.
Ons Plek and Homestead,
Cape Town
The Hotel has contributed
R18 081.12 to Ons Plek -R10 768.12
and Homestead - R7 313.00 from
the various proceeds made from our
lounge buffet. For every meal that
is sold in the lounge we contribute
R4.00 to Ons Plek and Homestead.
We also provide them with soup and
bread on a weekly basis.

14. Beach Clean Up!
Mandela Day at Milnerton
In an effort to support Mandela Staff & management at
Day on the 18th July 2012, the the hotel have committed
hotel baked 120 cupcakes and to a community based
celebrated this special birthday environmental project and
with Stepping Stones Daycare undertake quarterly coastal
Centre. clean-up events.
Townhouse Hotel has now
partnered with Stepping Stones
Daycare centre to assist them
with maintenance work in and
around the centre, and also assist
with any projects, homework...
that is required to support the
children with their learning.
The Big Walk
74 Employees and family
participated in the Annual
Discovery Big Walk in November
2011. Proceeds of the walk
was made to Nazareth House;
Steenberg Foundation and
Cansa.

15. Spring Dip - donation to Woman’s Day
Tygerbear Foundation We supported the Women’s Legal Centre
for disadvantaged women in Khayelitsha
Our maintenance department with their Woman’s Day initiative by
participated in the Annual Spring Dip donating curry, rice and vegetables for
presented by Heart 104.9. 120 people.
The staff collected R1250 amongst
themselves as a pledge to get our
maintenance team to participate.
The hotel matched this amount and
donated R2500 to the TygerBear
Foundation.
For the past 12 months we have
donated linen, crockery and made cash
donations to Silverlea Primary school,
Father’s Heart Ministry (a community
based church in the heart of Elsies
River), St. Luke’s Hospice, SA Guide
Dogs Association, Basket of Hope and
Heathfield High School

16. t +27 (0)21 465 7050 / e hotel@townhouse.co.za P.O.Box 5053, Cape Town 8000
thank you!
f +27 (0)21 465 3891 / w www.townhouse.co.za 60 Corporation Street, Cape Town 8001, South Africa