Recently the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management, Alderman Grant Twigg visited Hanover Park to follow up on the previous donation of bicycles and tools given to a local cycling club that is doing valuable work to keep the youth out of gangs and off drugs.
Hanover Park Bicycles for Change is a cycling club that aims to create a safer Hanover Park, by creating positive alternatives to gangsterism and drugs for the community, especially children.
Although the initiative is mostly targeted towards the youth, there is no age restriction on membership. The club allows participants to learn how to ride a bicycle, as well as perform bicycle maintenance and repairs.
During the previous financial year (2021/22), officials working in the Community Development Worker (CDW) programme saw the potential of this initiative, and between the Western Cape Government and the City of Cape Town, a donation of bicycles and tools to the value of R61 000 was handed over in February 2022.
Since then the cycling culture in the area has blossomed and the club is even using funds from bicycle repairs to start a soup kitchen.
‘It is clear that this initiative is helping to build positive camaraderie amongst the community and is providing the youth with a safe space and a sense of belonging that they might otherwise try and find in a gang or drug culture,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management, Alderman Grant Twigg.
Going forward the intention is to continue providing support to the initiative in the coming financial years so that more children can benefit. Any resident or organisation that would like to provide sponsorship should please contact the ward-based CDW who can be located at the Subcouncil Offices.