The refurbishment of the Somerset West Police Station, which includes minor upgrades to the inside of the premises and the redesign of the garden that will also feature a sculpture dedicated to “the heroes in blue” are all part of the community–driven Somerset West City Revival (SWCR) project that continues to inspire and band residents together that share a passion for the community.
This follows recent approvals of community mural designs that will soon take effect in Drama Street and Bizweni Avenue, the first visual evidence of the SWCR project taking shape in the Helderberg.
For dozens of individuals and local businesses this also involves much behind-the-scenes work, especially tackling the red tape in obtaining necessary approvals for various community initiatives intended to beautify the CBD, attract tourism, boost the local economy and ensure safer streets and ease of access, several projects that fall under the banner of SWCR.
Elaborating on the police station refurbishment, founder of SWCR Michelle Engelbrecht said recent engagements with the station management revealed some of the immediate needs the SWCR project would certainly be happy to assist with.
“We will be busy with various upgrades to the ceiling and roof of the building, and afterwards move to beautifying the garden,” she said.
“The next phase will include the erection of a sculpture with wings that pay tribute to fallen heroes and acknowledge the police officers who risk their lives every day for the safety of the community.”
Engelbrecht stressed that the costing for the project was also done by the group, and its volunteers do what they do without expecting anything in return.
The project has been welcomed by Somerset West police, who said that they were immensely grateful for the gesture and felt privileged to be recognised as an integral part of the community.
“We are really excited about this project,” Captain Vennessa Oosthuizen of the Somerset West Police Station said, “and it will definitely make a world of a difference to the everyday lives of the officers who walk in and out of this premises.
“We are particularly looking forward to the garden project, which will serve not just as a place of remembrance but also hopefully be a place of serenity and calmness. We are honoured to be working with SWCR for the betterment of this community.
SWCR is already well-organised with a greenery team focusing on planting trees and flower beds, an aesthetics team with an eye on beautifying walls with murals, conserving heritage buildings and seeking solutions to abandoned buildings, a safety team looking to resolve issues related to homelessness and crime in the CBD, an eco team to ensure a reduced carbon footprint in the CBD as well as other teams focusing on signage and seeking to boost tourism with a possible art route, among other ideas and plans.
“The ultimate idea is perhaps to establish Somerset West as a fynbos destination,” said Engelbrecht, “allowing us to compete with tourist hubs such as Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.
“We have lots of ideas, and many of the plans are already in progress, and despite the multitudes of red tape involved, we’re very satisfied with the momentum this group has garnered so far and it will surely continue to strive towards the revival of Somerset West.”. For more information on the Somerset West City Revival Project she can be contacted at engelamm@yahoo.com.
