The Orion organisation has embarked on an expansion programme with a new Child and Youth Care Centre (CYCC), where children and youth under the age of 18 years will benefit from on-site accommodation.
Orion currently provides only daily therapeutic service to these age groups, but with the new establishment they would be able to stay in their safe haven, said CEO Gerrit Matthyse.
He said the children and youth are from difficult circumstances, such as having no family or coming from physically, sexually and emotionally abusive environments.
Matthyse said: “We envisage opening the centre by 1 December 2022 with the first 16 children and youth, who will be part of our residential care service as well as our educational and development programmes, which include the children’s day-care centre and or art-therapy programme”.
The group will also participate in age-appropriate programmes in their group home. “This partnership is in collaboration with the Department of Social Development,” said Matthyse.
“We are proud to announce our first CYCC will be sponsored by our donor, the Western Province Nomads golfers, who will sponsor the renovations project.”
This care centre will pave the way for the organisation’s next planned one between 2023 and 2024. Matthyse said the board of directors and management team of Orion has recently engaged in a strategic planning session.
“Our strategic plan is envisioning our planning, finalising and implementation matrixes of the next five years,” he explains. “Our main pillars are future growth, sustainability and service excellence, which we have prided ourselves in over the last 40 years. The session is also part of our rebranding of Orion and we are building up lots of excitement to the announcement day at our Gala evening on 11 March 2023.
“We are inviting all stakeholders and community members to submit a new logo concept, which will be announced at the gala event. Submit yours today.”
Orion once again received an unqualified audit from its external auditors C2M Chartered Accountants Inc, and is extremely proud of its culture of good governance, financial discipline and accountability, and thanks everyone involved in the success of the audit.
