The Broadlands Park Community Hall will have a new lease following an agreement with current contract holders ACVV Bright Lights and Future Kids Educare Centre, which plans to renovate the facility and use it as an early childhood development centre catering for 58 children.
“We expect enrolments to increase once we move in, scheduled for August,” said Natasha September, owner of Future Kids which is also known as Broadlands Park Pre-school.
Chairperson of ACVV Bright Lights Raymond Meyer confirmed last week an agreement had been signed with Future Kids allowing it to use the community hall for up to three years, the time remaining on the contract between Bright Lights and the City of Cape Town.
This follows negotiations that were as yet unconfirmed in a previous article (“Saal se toekoms bly duister”, DistrictMail, 10 May). “We initially had another idea for a community-oriented establishment, but unfortunately that did not work out, so when we were approached by Future Kids with this idea we immediately jumped on board,” said Meyer, who said he believed an Early Childhood Development Centre would have a positive impact on the community and future generations.
Tyrone September, principal of Future Kids, said there was still much to do before they could move into the hall.
“We have, firstly, to secure the facility and fix what we can. Over the years it’s been vandalised badly and is still prone to theft and damage.”
The current Future Kids facility, a registered non-profit company, is run from a home in Petunia Avenue, and expansion over the years has resulted in a lack of space for the centre to grow fully, but with the community hall it is hoped that at least 10 classrooms will accommodate learners.
Meyer urged the community to help safeguard the community hall during the renovation period, as the building continues to be vulnerable to vandalism.
“We believe the community in the immediate vicinity will benefit the most, so it is important that everyone support this initiative and prevent deterioration of community resources.”
Construction at the site is expected to start within the next month.
