Creating change with shovels and elbow grease

When business and civil society join hands for positive change that is when the real magic happens in this country.

During a recent collaboration between Spur Group and Creating Change, a non-profit company, a team of passionate youngsters and eco-conscious mentors descended on Kleinberg Primary School in Ocean View (close to Fish Hoek) with shovels and plenty of elbow grease to help establish a sustainable food garden. Creating Change strives to create a sustainable future for under-served South African communities by providing skills development to encourage natural gardening, healthy cooking, product development and more.

The day started with the volunteers and pupils clearing the ground of rocks, followed by the Creating Change team drawing up a plan for the garden. Once the lay-out was finalised the volunteers got cracking and started preparing the soil for the planting process.

25 trees to nurture

The next school to receive the Creating Change treatment was Marine Primary, also in Ocean View. The Spur Eco Team joined in on 4 October 2013 to help plant trees on the grounds. A total of 25 trees (including lemon- and olive trees) were planted on the day and Marine Primary pupils and staff members were given information on how to nurture and maintain their new saplings.

Aside from partaking in once-off events alongside the organisers of Creating Change, Spur Group also supports numerous projects that aim to uplift and improve the lives of South African families, with a special emphasis on nourishing and nurturing children. Employees are encouraged to offer up their time in support of worthy causes. A voluntary employee salary deduction scheme has been put in place. Franchisees are also encouraged to get involved in initiatives that support their surrounding communities.

Core value of generosity

The Spur Group believes in making a positive and lasting difference in the lives of their communities, in line with the spirit of their core value of generosity. As such, they support a variety of corporate social investment initiatives by means of the Spur Foundation.

The Foundation was established on Mandela Day (18 July) 2012 with a generous donation from Spur Group and has since developed to a strong charity platform that allows them to contribute in a meaningful way to various worthwhile projects.

Some of the other projects supported include:

• Joint Aid Management is a South African-founded, registered non-profit humanitarian organisation that provides relief and promotes sustainable development by means of school feeding and nutritional interventions, as well as childcare for orphans and vulnerable children.
• FoodBank South Africa aims to do away with food insecurity and malnutrition by providing 1.5 million meals per week, reaching approximately 200 000 beneficiaries.
• Mahala Surf Co. collaborates with the Umthombo Project to provide a safe space for vulnerable and homeless children to participate in activities like surfing, art, music and more.
• Heifer International, a US-based NGO with over 65 years of experience, started Heifer International South Africa in 2000 and has since partnered with over 4000 rural families to improve food security and build sustainable livelihoods by means of agricultural interventions.

Spur believes that by giving back to the communities they serve a culture of caring and collaboration is promoted, based on sustainable giving and upliftment.

Please contact them on +27 21-555-5100 to become involved or find out more.