Women’s picnic event raises R79 000 for charity in Somerset West

The Somerset West Night Shelter launched its annual Great Big Picnic Afternoon Tea this month, raising R79 000 during the event. 

It was a women-only event held at the Helderberg Nature Reserve and raised money for three local charity organisations, according to Katherine Wege, the children’s coordinator at the night shelter.

She said that afternoon of tea, refreshments, and fun served as a fundraiser for the daycare run by the night shelter, the Op Die Plaas Preschool, and the Life+One Temporary Safe Care.

“It was the perfect blend of fun and purpose, uniting the community for a cause that truly matters, and incredibly well supported not only by the 135 people who bought tickets, but by many, many local businesses. 

“All the food for the event was donated. It was staffed by 25 volunteers and made possible by the incredible donation of R60 000 from (a private company) to ensure we exceeded our target,” Ms Wege said.

The total amount raised from the event consisted of a R60 000 monetary donation from a private company, as well as funds generated from ticket sales and activities such as a small auction and a raffle.

The principal of the Op Die Plaas Pre-School, Victoria Kruger, said: "We had no idea how the special event would be; we loved all of it."

Eunice Ruthven-Bruijns, who runs the Life+One Temporary Safe Care, said: "I thoroughly enjoyed the event, all done with excellence. The extra finance will help a lot with the children's schooling and extra needs."

Both institutions confirmed receipt of a monetary donation of R20 000, derived from the event's proceeds.

The Somerset West Night Shelter has been serving the community since 1988. It has also been running the family shelter and a single adult shelter since 2020.

The family shelter accommodates 28 destitute families for a period of around six to 12 months, during which time they benefit from a range of services including skills training, rehabilitation, counselling, and social services. 

The single adults shelter houses 59 adults, and is a more “typical homeless shelter” where clients can just stay for a night, but are encouraged to stay for a longer period.