Sport unifies, energises and creates a healthy platform for community interaction.
Last weekend, 16 cricket teams and 16 netball teams from Lantana participated in a four-day sport tournament organised by a local team of volunteers who are driving a sport programme for the community with the support of Valcare and Ranyaka Community Transformation.
The programme is one of the outcomes of a community workshop that was co-hosted by Valcare and Ranyaka in Lantana early in 2018. Residents and local stakeholders highlighted the need for more programmes to engage the youth in healthy activities in a positive, fun way.
Residents gathered around the netball courts at Tiffany’s Community Centre and the open ground opposite Magnolia Flats to support their favourite teams. The feedback was unanimous: “We had a fantastic time and would like to hold tournaments like these on a regular basis!”
Looking to the future, Ranyaka and Valcare will be supporting the co-ordinating team as they work to create opportunities for local clubs to interact regularly and build strong relationships.
The sport programme is one of ten programmes that forms part of Nedbank’s Proud of my Town initiative. Ranyaka’s Collaborative Community Development Model is the framework for the initiative. Ranyaka is implementing PoMT on behalf of Nedbank in eight towns and neighbourhoods, one of which is Paarl, where we work in close partnership with Valcare.