Overview
Click here to download a copy of the Solstice Overview.
The Solstice Foundation was founded in 2002 by a group of 40-something professionals who decided that it was time to “give back”. From the outset Solstice has been a 100% volunteer organisation with no overheads, raising money through events and donations. Funds raised are spent on beneficiaries that are identified through various screening and word-of-mouth processes, and are tracked in an ongoing way to ensure that monies donated are spent appropriately. We are apolitical, non-sectarian and have a 100% BEE spending record.
Over the past 20 years we’ve raised over R8 million that we’ve used to build classrooms (Zerilda Primary School and Indawo Yentsikelelo pre-primary, playgrounds (Ruth First pre-primary), a laundry ‘house’ (Baphumelele Children’s Home), refurbished rooms in an orphanage (Holy Cross), refitted a hostel kitchen (Salesian Institute), bought a vehicle (Wilge Special Day Care Centre), funded a physiotherapy student at UWC and thereafter funded a physiotherapist at Wilge and Emmanuel, Atlantis, rebuilt cricket pitches and nets (Nyanga Sports Club), sponsored scholars at ‘Model C’ schools (KiDS Foundation and COSAT), furnished rooms at a drug rehab centre (Harmony), established food gardens (SEED), bought a tractor (Goedgedacht Farm), contributed to pediatric facial surgery (SMILE), done extensive maintenance at an old-aged home (Nonkululeko, NOAH), provided security infrastructure to a teen halfway house (Fountain of Hope), funded transport for a Langa rugby club (Busy Bees), supported township sports clinics (Sporting Chance Foundation), and helped with the distribution overheads for books into school libraries (Biblionef) amongst many other interventions. Our work is focused in the greater Cape Town area, extending as far as Atlantis. All the money we receive is spent on our beneficiaries.
The core of the Solstice Foundation is a small committee who meet monthly to discuss the fundraising activities and spending requirements. An Annual General Meeting is held by the end of May every year that is open to all contributors and we maintain strict governance over all aspects of the operation. We are a registered NPO with tax exempt status and can issue Section 18A certificates to donors.
Currently we are involved with the following beneficiaries that we have been supporting for at least the past 2 years – some much longer. This group represents a variety of sectors including children, the aged, education, sport, rural poverty and the disabled. We regularly receive requests from other needy organisations, and are willing to add further beneficiaries to our portfolio as long as funding is available. We also receive requests from corporates and smaller businesses who need assistance in spending their in-house CSI funds, and we willingly oblige in this regard, matching them with one of our beneficiaries and providing them with feedback.
Baphumelele Children’s Home (Khayelitsha) and Fountain of Hope (Philippi)
Fountain of Hope is a transitional home providing support for young adults leaving Baphumelele Orphanage who need to finish school and start with further studies. Our involvement in the construction of the Baphumelele respite centre has culminated in the recent completion of this valuable resource. Baphumelele Respite Centre
Biblionef
Biblionef strives to make books available for children in all official languages for reading for pleasure and for education. This includes the establishment and stocking of school libraries. Solstice has continued to provide a link between Futuregrowth Asset Management and Biblionef. In 2019 Futuregrowth contributed R45500 towards home language and English storybooks at eight primary schools in the greater Cape Town area. The storybooks were aimed at Foundation Phase learners. This year (2021) Futuregrowth once again has supported our initiatives with Biblionef. They have helped Biblionef to supply books and educational toys to five early childhood development centres in KwaZulu-Natal to the value of R44575. In both instances the Solstice Foundation has provided funds for the administrative costs involved in sourcing and supplying the resources.
Busy Bees Rugby Club
Busy Bees is a community rugby club based in Langa, established in 1923. It supports girls and boys teams from U8 to U19 and competes in various age-group leagues around Cape Town. During Covid, while the teams were unable to play matches, with the help of various corporate funders and the Friends of the Solstice we supported their families with numerous food packs delivered to Langa Sports Club.
More recently we have resumed supporting transport costs for the teams – most notable being the Fort Beaufort United Heritage Rugby Tournament where the Under 18’s won their league.
Hope Exchange
At the instance of the King James Advertising Group and from their annual CSI funding allocation, we have donated an amount of R150 000 to the renamed and re-branded: The Hope Exchange. This is a wonderful organization, formerly known as The Carpenter’s Shop which, for many years, has supported Cape Town’s homeless citizens. Apart from providing nutritional meals and daily ablution facilities, they offer limited and temporary accommodation as well as a number of skills training initiatives aimed at improved employability levels. Two of their most pressing needs are the replacement of one of their vehicles, and the refurbishment of their timber flooring. Both expenses require additional funds which they are trying to raise.
SERI (COSAT)
SERI is an NPO fundraising partner to the Centre of Science and Technology [COSAT], a specialist school for grades 8 to 12 that operates in Khayelitsha for students with leadership ability and an interest in Maths, IT and Science. We currently cover bursaries to 5 learners in Grade 11 and 5 in Grade 12 and have developed personal relationships with them over the years on our visits to the school.
We hope this gives you a broad overview of our activities. For further detail please contact a committee member:
Committee:
David Burton dblaw@iafrica.com
Nicky Burton nickyb@iafrica.com
Graham Reynolds greystake@gmail.com
Kathy Leslie kleslie@iafrica.com
Craig Byren craig@viadata.co.za
