Kuils River Runners Club has launched a project to transform a section along the canal into a clean, safe and welcoming space for walkers, runners and the wider community.

The three-month project includes a youth programme, community walks, clean-up events and planned improvements along the canal pathway and greenbelt.

On Monday 28 September it was mainly club members who came together in the parking area of Sarepta Community Hall for the first Greenbelt Community Walk along the canal pathway from Rietvlei Road to the low water bridge, before returning on the opposite bank. Residents are invited to join the next community walk on Friday 9 October, meeting at Sarepta Community Hall at 18:00.

Project

Hein Lakey, the mastermind behind the concept said the club received R150 000 from the Two Oceans Marathon Initiative (TOMI) for the community project after submitting a proposal focusing on people, the environment and education.

“Our athletes train here, but sometimes when we get here it is dirty and doesn’t look good. We would like to get the community to look after the environment. Ultimately it is the community’s river and the responsibility must start with the community.”

The idea is to reclaim the space alongside the canal which many view as dangerous. There are plans to cut the grass, clean along the river, remove graffiti and plant trees. They will work in partnership with the City and the Eerste Kuils River Catchment Management Forum. Learners from local schools will also be involved.

The Green Champions Youth programme will run on Saturday 10 and Saturday 24 October, with 20 juniors taking part to develop the next generation of environmental champions.

“We will do a clean-up with learners from Soneike High School and we will also bring a group of children from Ocean View. They are going to walk the 2 km stretch and clean the river,” Lakey said. Teaching the learners about taking care of the environment, from recycling to tackling invasive species, forms part of this initiative.

Ronel Baker, principal of Soneike High School, said the school’s Eco-club was excited to be part of the initiative. “Well done Kuils River Runners Club. Our communities deserve more greenbelts. All of the best as we transform our open spaces for recreational purposes,” she said.

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Clean-ups

Lakey said there will be a limited opportunity for some community members to earn a stipend for helping to clean the canal.

Clean-up events will take place on Wednesdays 21 October, 18 November and 2 December. Times will be confirmed on Kuils Rivers Runners Club’s social media. The club is also hosting “Plogging Mondays”, combining running with litter collection, which will run throughout the project.

The club is going to utilise the greenbelt and want others to use it too. “We want this space safer and cleaner, and in the long term we would love to host a race or cross-country event, all along the canal from here to Soneike and Brackenfell,” said Lakey.

At the end of Monday’s walk Angelica Hendricks-Bester, the Greenbelt team’s community walk coordinator, said the idea was to showcase how much litter there is. “We want to use this track in summer to do our speed training. We want to turn it into an environment where not just us but the Kuils River community can work out and be safe.”

The club is hoping to see many more people joining the next community walk on 9 October.

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