Infinity LCSA

Infinity

10

Letter from your President

Meet the LCSA National Board

LCSA National President ~ Riana Otto

LCSA National Vice President ~ Yolandi Gray-Browne

LCSA National Secretary ~ Susan De Kock

LCSA National Treasurer ~ Diane Otto

LCSA National Webmaster ~ Cindy Tutton

VP Fundraiser

Our Circles

Louis Trichardt LC4

Edenvale LC6 Northridge LC7

Shiraz LC8

19 - 22

23

24

25 - 26

PE Pearls LC19

Garden Route LC20

Swellendam LC22

East London LC23

Sandton LC24

Witbank LC26

Newcastle Crowns LC28

Port Alfred LC29

Jacaranda Ladies Circle (in Formation)

41 - 43

44

Estcourt Ladies Circle (in Formation)

Villiersdorp Ladies Circle (in Formation)

We can all look forward to an amazing My very first chapter of 2023 was beco When reaching my goal, a new motto u “Do what you Love, Love what you do” For me, I feel that if you do what you lo your life and therefore enjoy every mo

I have decided to allocate a special the June – Friendship

July – Service

August – Love

September – LCSA

October – Santa Shoebox

November – New Circles, New Members

December – Travel

January – Agora

February – LCI

March – RTI

April – Family

May – Focus on Me (you as a member)

I’ m eagerly looking forward to seeing how the ladies will incorporate these themes into their monthly activities.

I can honestly confess, without the support of my parents and loving fiance, Kobus, I would not have been able to stand as your President We will be tying the knot in August and wish I could extend my guest list to accommodate you all on this special day, unfortunately you will have to wait for the photos

Furthermore, the rest of the year is going to be jam-packed; my travels will start shortly after the wedding. My first major trip is to India for the Ladies Circle International AGM. Thereafter I will be attending the 41ers AGM in East London and the RTI World Meeting in Cape Town.

I am excited to share with you that 2 new awards will be up for grabs this year. Both are equally important, one will represent “Social Media” and the other “Best Secretary” . Let’ s see who is going to rock in these departments

Please share all your photos of projects and socials on WhatsApp groups and social media, looking forward to a memorable year with you

Congratulations on all the projects you have already done and good luck with all the upcoming projects. Thank you for everyone's efforts to make our world a better place.

Yours in friendship, your President Riana Otto

President

Riana Otto

Vice President

Yolandi Gray-Browne

Secretary Susan De Kock

Treasurer Diane Otto

Webmaster Cindy Tutton

My name is Riana Catharina Otto, soon to be Klopper as I am getting married in August to my lovely finance Kobus Klopper.

I was born in Pretoria, we moved around but settled in Louis Trichardt at age 5.

I started my career in the family business in the office and was my father’ s PA and now I am his right-hand lady. I qualified as an Electrician in 2016 and have been working for the company now 23 years.

I have a son who is currently 22 years old, Jareth Otto, and my daughter who just turned 20 this year, Jean Marie Otto.

My interests are shooting, 4x4, outdoors, and love to travel. If travel were free you would only see me on Facebook.

Hettie Botha introduced me to Circle in 2010. I immediately fell in love with the community service My father always says “If you eat out of the community you must give back to the community” I was inducted as a member in 2012.

I served as Chairman, Treasurer, and Secretary of LC4 for a few years. I also stood on the National Board as Webmaster, Vice President and I am currently your President.

There are so many things that I love about Circle, to just mention a few; I love traveling and seeing the world, meeting new friends, and the personal growth that Circle brings to you as an individual.

My name is Yolandi Gray-Browne and I’ m the current Vice President of Ladies Circle South Afric

I’ ve been married to Gare for 17 years this year and we have 2 children, Teagan (13) and Reece

Besides being a Circler (Circle sister, G daughter-in-law, wife, mom, sister, sister-in-law, aunt (not only to my direct family but also to those friends who have become family’ s children), niece, cousin, colleague and friend.

What do I do?

I’ m a Professional Valuer and an Estate Agent and I assist in the management of both of the companies where I’ m employed. In the afternoons, “ mom ’ s taxi” is my thing

Interests?

I found a love for sewing a couple of years ago so much so that I go to classes once a week.

I love reading and my favourite authors at the moment are Jodi Picoult, Jojo Moyes and Deon Meyer.

Who doesn’t love a good series and then binge watching it until you ’ ve finished it and have to wait months for the next season to come out?

Friday night family night is where Gareth, the kids and I just relax and spend time together after the long week. This goes hand in hand with spending time with family and friends

How did I become aware of Ladies Circle & how did I get involved?

I heard about Ladies Circle through Round Tab when Gareth joined Round Table No 1 I was invited to join a Ladies Circle meeting by Nita, a past founding member of East London LC23 during the “In Formation” stage. I joined shortly after this meeting and have never looked back and have the privilege of being a founding mem of East London Ladies Circle 23.

What do I like about Circle?

I always wanted to give back to the community somehow and what better way to do it by joining a service organisation that does just that? Little did I know that not only will I help the community, whether it is one person or animal at a time, but that I would meet such a dynamic group of ladies.

Meeting ‘old’ friends for the first time is something that amazes me every time we get together. I am privileged to have met so many amazing women who inspire me in many ways.

The amazing work we do in our communities by either doing service projects, fundraising events, or assisting other service organizations. There have been so many smiles over the years on the faces of the people’ s lives that we have touched and that is what makes what we do so worth it!

The many opportunities that Ladies Circle has to offer. Not only the opportunity to help people, animals, etc but also to grow as a person and to help others grow.

To be a part of a family / sisterhood that you never in your wildest dreams thought existed. I have travelled a couple of times on my own and have never felt ‘alone’ or ‘left out. ’Being with my circle sisters is like catching up with family that you ’ ve just not seen for a while, where one can pick up and continue as if you ’ ve never been apart.

To be able to travel both locally and internationally. I have been blessed to be able to travel locally and see places that I probably wouldn’t have gone to if it wasn ’t for Ladies Circle. I can ’t wait to do an international trip and meet ladies from other countries as well!

My name is Susan Kock, born in Nelspruit, but been in Johannesburg since I was 2, s a Jozie girl my whole life esse

I graduated with a Law degre and was admitted as an attor 2008 and practiced in law firm associate until 2013, when I re my own firm. After lecturing for 8 years, I decided to take the plunge and make it my full time occupation by becoming the programme manager for School of Law at IIE Varsity college (I essentially have my own law school to run now, which is very exciting).

I live with my Partner Kevin, and we have been together for 9 years, we have two beautiful cats, Luna and Yuki, who are both spoilt and loved very much. Actually, I am very spolit and loved by Kevin too.

Ladies Circle is my main 'interest' , as it occupies most of my free time when I am not working. I also enjoy yoga, and walks, good food and socialising with friends.

I was introduced to Circle by my friend Nolene, she asked me to start a Circle with her, and I was her Vice when we Chartered Sandton LC24 in November 2019, and since then I served as Chairman of LC24 and Treasurer of LC24. I am now also National Secretary, for a second year, and currently at the same time Vice Chairman of LC24 and Treasurer for a second year. I also did a stint as PRO, while acting as Vice.

What I love about Circle is the opportunity to give back, while making life long friendships. I love that we are all so different, from different walks of life, but actually all the same in our values that we share. Every single lady in Ladies Circle is special and unique and they inspire me to be a better version of myself. I love the confidence you gain from the leadership roles in Circle, which are skills you can carry into your professional life. It's very rewarding on so many levels but it's truly the friendship and service that makes Ladies Circle one of the best organisations to be a part of.

My name is Diane Elizabeth Otto And yes my name comes from the royal family. I was 4 days old with no name. My mom was in hospital browsing through the then Fair Lady magazine and saw an article about Lady Di and Queen Elizabeth and decided to name me Diane Elizabeth.

I was born in Zimbabwe and moved to SA when I was 9 years old. I started off my financial career at an Attorney firm as the bookkeeper. Currently I'm the Financial Administrator at Alveston Manor Boutique Hotel. I do the finances here for three companies, the Hotel, Spa and Coffee shop.

I have an 11 year old daughter, Madison. I'm getting married again on the 16th of August 2023.

My interests are true crime. I love watching true crime docuseries and follow a few YouTube crime channels.

Riana Otto introduced me to Circle. I still said I don't have time and she's always so busy with it. Riana being Riana said just come for 1 meeting and decide. Well yes after the 1st meeting I was hooked. I was inducted as a member in 2015. I served as Treasurer and Chairman for LC4 for a few years

Moved to Middelburg in 2019 and had to resign as there was no Circle here. But then my wishes came true and Witbank was starting up a Circle which I immediately joined. I've served there as Treasurer, Secretary and now Chairman for a 2nd year.

But that wasn't enough for me, as my one goal before retiring from Circle was to serve on the National Board. I was given this opportunity by being nominated as the National Treasurer.

My name is Cindy Le current Webmaster of South Africa.

I was born in Grahamst school lived and worke places including Johan Port Alfred and Margat settling in Port Elizabe Insurance industry as a

I have one son, Ryan (12) who is my heart and soul. We share a home with my retired mom (yes, I have a built-in babysitter) and our Jack-Weenie (Jack Russell / Dachshund) Luna.

I have varying interests, but to pick a constant or two I would say reading, binge watching series, coffee dates with friends, dancing, creativity and design, retail therapy and Circling (of course). I also enjoy theme parks, museums, game parks, and various other places and spaces. My dream is to one day buy a motor-home and travel the world.

I was first introduced to Ladies Circle when working in Shelly Beach KZN My employer, Jason Morsink, was a Tabler at the time, and I loved everything that Round Table represented and stood for, however being a woman I could obviously never be a member. Jason told me about a service organization similar to Round Table but for women, Ladies Circle, and gave me the details of the LCSA President at the time, Sonel Lindeque, who sent me all the information I needed to start a Circle in my area, however circumstances being what they were (I was pregnant with my son) I put that idea on the back-burner. On moving to PE, one of the first things I did was contact Sonel to find out when I could attend my first PE Pearls Ladies Circle meeting and the rest they say is history.

Being a part of Circle has been a very rewarding and life changing experience for me. I love the friendships that I have made along the way and the fact that I can enjoy being a part of something bigger and making a difference (no matter how small) in someone else's life.

On 20 May we did a Side by Side with Round Table 66,

We did a “Blik Skud” and collected non-perishable foods for Feed the Hungry.

We were there from 07:00 to 12:00, the ladies in Tutu’ s and the men in Tuxes

The morning was very chilly, but we stood together and collected two and a half trolleys full of food.

We managed to raise R6600 00 worth of non-perishable food.

Louis Trichardt Ladies

Circle 4 supported the Amarula Agoras in May at the SPCA Golf Day.

It was a beautiful day supporting our Agora Ladies

We handed out shots and snacks to the golfers that came past.

In June Louis Trichardt LC4 bottled 25x Soup mixes for Bergcare

In June Louis Trichardt LC4 helped packed crates for Feed the Hungry

We arrived at 08:00 and started to help pack the crates. It was a bit of exercise, Leigh’ s arms were stiff for a week from picking up the heavy crates Afterwards Cherise and Riana went with Feed the Hungry to deliver the crates at the homes

VEGGIE GARDEN

The Dowerglen High School appealed to the Edenvale community for assistance as the school was in dire straits from the past few years of neglect The school has approximately 300 children that the school assists in feeding and, as in some cases, it is their only meal for the day.

Edenvale Ladies Circle 6 approached the school to aid in setting up a veggie garden that can be maintained by the school and upon the full growth of the vegetables, the veggies are then prepared in the schools kitchen to feed those in need.

So not only are the students taught on how to tend to the garden and ensure its growth, but students are also taught within the kitchen on how to prepare meals Win Win!

We were so grateful to receive more than expected donations of many types of seedlings and seeds of vegetables, 20 compost bags, a wheelbarrow, numerous garden tools, a hose pipe with its fittings, sprinklers, watering cans etc., all donated for the start up of the veggie garden. How amazing was this!

We spent a lovely crisp morning with family and friends to till the ground, plant seeds and seedlings with a set up using dill stocks with rows of string guiding us on where to plant. Of course much needed refreshments were well received after a morning of hard work.

We received a donation from East London Ladies Circle, who gifted us with a fruit tree which will also be used as part of the garden and we thank the ladies for the start of what we believe to have many fruit trees in the future!

A very big thank you to all of our sponsors, its highly appreciated and without our sponsors, we would not have been able to pull off such a successful project

We cannot wait to be checking in on the school when Spring arrives to see the progress.

IRRIGATION SYSTEM

Edenvale Ladies Circle had a large irrigation system donated, which we are so excited about, along with more compost for the veggie garden at Dowerglen High School.

FERRELS

The Edenvale Ferrels go through around 150kg’ s of cat food a month and Edenvale Ladies Circle donated much needed cat food

TREE OF HOPE

We received a beautiful donation from Agora Kopano with hand crafted baby jerseys and blankets for our national service project “Light A Sparke” . We came across a wonderful organization Tree of Hope which gives abandoned babies a second chance in life and donated these beautiful jerseys and blankets, along with a massive box of nappies to this great cause. We were very touched to hear the stories and see the actual box in which babies are placed.

MEETINGS AND SOCIALS

Our meetings most definitely end up with socializing (even if we can ’t make the ten pin bowling) which has been encouraging as we take on further projects

AGM

We had such an incredible weekend hosted by Ladies Circle Northridge along with the Ladies Information from Jacaranda It was fantastic to meet up with the Agora ladies as well and made the weekend just so much more special.

Congratulations again to Bronwenn and the Board of 2022-2023 for a successful year and we wish all the best to Riana and her team for 2023-2024. We are all so excited for the future.

SANDTON QUIZ

Supporting our wonderful neighbours in Sandton at their quiz

R5 PROJECT

On 16 June 2023 Northridge Ladies Circle 7 witnessed the power of a R5 coin!

Northridge LC7 in partnership with Ruimsig Shopping Centre actively promoted the Winter Food and Blanket drive through the R5 Project on 16 June 2023 outside SPAR.

It was an eventful day meeting and chatting to the people of the Ruimsig community. To the lady that said to her daughter “I’ m teaching you a life lesson and how to give to those less fortunate. ” , instilling the lesson of giving is one of the most important ones you can ever teach.

Thank you Northridge Round Table 117 for showing your support and keeping us company. A big thank you to Ruimsig Shopping Centre for allowing us the space to succeed at our Winter Drive initiative Lastly, a HUGE thank you to every single kind soul that stopped, listened and purchased items. We appreciate YOU!!!

By taking your R5 coin and returning from the Spar with non perishable goods, helped us feed our hungry communities.

We are Shiraz Ladies Circle 8

LC19 AGM & INDUCTION 2023

PE Pearls Ladies Circle 19 held their AGM and Induction Dinner on 12 April 2023 at de’Swan Restaurant, Sunridge Village

It was wonderful to report back and reflect on everything that we as a Circle, as well as friends, have accomplished over the past year, and it proved to be both a motivational and fun event indeed.

2 Awards were presented during the evening:

Circler of the Year was awarded to Sonel Lindeque, who was there for us whenever we needed help, both as a friend and also someone we can rely on for guidance within the organizational dynamics of Circle. Sonel’ s kind soul is always willing to help, even when she has too much on her plate.

Stirrer of the Year went to Chelsea Caston. She is the life of the party and does not need alcohol to have fun as she doesn’t drink. She loves music and enjoys dancing, even if no one else is dancing around her.

Introducing the new PE Pearls Ladies Circle 19’s Executive Council for 2023/24:

Chairman: Chantalle Le Roux

Vice Chairman and Treasurer: Chantal Myburgh

Secretary and Immediate Past Chairman: Cindy Tutton

PRO: Chelsea Caston

ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETY

Thanks to the generous donations received by the community, PE Pearls Ladies Circle 19 was able to purchase 44 blankets, 30 of which we donated to the Animal Welfare Society on 10 June 2023, along with a bag of dog food and a pile of newspapers that we had collected.

BINGO & BURGERS –ROUND TABLE PE WEST 142

On 20 May 2023 Round Table PE West 142 hosted a Bingo evening at their clubhouse to which PE Pearls Ladies Circle 19 attended in support.

All tickets were sold out well before the time, making it a full house.

We were all eyeing out the prizes on offer which included, amongst others, cupcakes, hampers and a weekend away. We had to concentrate and stay sharp to keep up with Dewald as he called out the numbers, quickly ticking them off in hopes of winning a prize. With only a few numbers remaining and being the last round for the night, Cindy was super excited to be the one to shout “Bingo!”

Delicious home-made burgers and salad were also available on pre-order for the evening

We all had so much fun and will definitely support this event again. Well done on a successful fundraiser

WINTER KNIGHTS 2023

In an effort to support our 3 local Round Tables with their annual Winter Knights initiative, PE Pearls Ladies Circle 19 donated a few blankets that we had on hand

Handover was done on 17 June 2023 at the Round Table Algoa 108 Clubhouse as members from all 3 clubs had come together for a farewell party.

We are always happy to step in and try to assist in supporting our Round Table brothers, as this will help to make a difference in our community, no matter how big or small. More hands make more opportunities, and more opportunities lead to bigger change.

Please visit Round Table Southern Africa at www.roundtable.co.za to find your nearest Table, find out more about their Winter Knights project and how you can get involved

LCSA NATIONAL SERVICE PROJECT ~ LIGHT A SPARKE

Light A Sparke was voted in as our Ladies Circle South Africa National Project in 2022 and we continue to support this initiative this year.

Light A Sparke believe in the concept of “Paying it Forward” and encourage their Ambassadors to give back to their communities, in these times of need, in a structured, well-managed approach. Ambassadors are currently collecting for the following projects: Tops ‘ n Tags, Beanies for Preemies, Assist Abandoned Babies, Food for Fur-babies, #Forgotten Gogos, Knitted Knockers, 100 Random Acts of Kindness, #Giving Plate and various others They also have monthly knitting/crochet challenges – please check on their Facebook page for these: https://www facebook com/profile php?id=100077209733648

PE Pearls Ladies Circle 19 have been periodically supporting our National Service Project with knitted donations received from various people willing to knit for us

In previous months we have donated various items towards Light A Sparke’ s monthly knitting challenges, including 56x Bonding Squares, handed over to Karen Green (Port Elizabeth’ s Ambassador) in October. These bonding squares are used to provide comfort to premature babies and their mothers through smell (they are placed on mother's and baby's chests and switched between them every 12 hours).

25x Pink squares were donated in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness, as well as some Preemie baby beanies and booties.

The following items were donated recently for Light A Sparke’ s June knitting challenge: 18x twisted neck warmers, 13x baby jerseys, 2x blankets, 15x beanies 8x pairs of booties, 2x pairs of mittens, 2x pairs of baby leg warmers.

Thank you to the following people for knitting for us: Veronica Le Roux, Roslyn Rose, Meryl Bodill, Bernie Ferreira, Nimble Fingered Ladies – Port Alfred Presbyterian Church, Mrs Chase, Mrs Mulder, Mrs Meek, Miss Ferreira, and Jenny Holm Tutton.

For more information on Light A Sparke, please follow https://lightasparke.co.za/

The Face of LC22

CANAAN CARE CENTRE EASTER TREATS

Canaan Care Centre was one of the first charities that East London Ladies Circle 23 supported when we started our journey and what better way to restate our relationship than to bless the children with some Easter treats.

Canaan Care Centre is a non profit organisation that supports children with severe physical disabilities and profound learning disabilities. They not only have a therapy centre for these children, but also a residential home with children residing there full time

We collected marshmallow Easter eggs, marshmallows and face cloths and handed these over on 6 April 2023 Unfortunately we couldn’t see the children on the day, but we will definitely be back to spend some time with them in future

Thank you to our sponsors who donated the above products for the home We appreciate your continued support!

SMS COMPETITION

ELLC23 ran an SMS competition for the month of June 2023. To enter the competition, entrants had to send us a photo that they took during either a local or international trip

We had 40 entries in total with a breakdown of 6 international entries and 34 local entries The winners were:

Local - Judy Bester from Shiraz Ladies Circle 8 with a photo from Signal Hill in Cape Town and ;

International – Sulette Van Der Berg

Northridge Ladies Circle 7 with a photo from Diamond Beach in Iceland. We will be in contact with the winners to arrange the delivery of their prizes.

East London Ladies Circle 23 would like to thank everyone that sent photos for the competition to make it the success it was!

We had an inspiring and rewarding start to our Circle’ s new financial year. We kicked-off this quarter with our AGM and Induction Dinner in April, followed by the National AGM in May Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) took place on May 4th, during which our newly elected board members were chosen As the ladies assume their new board responsibilities, they bring forth fresh ideas and innovative approaches. Change can be challenging, but it is often necessary Just like a young four-year-old girl, our Circle needs guidance and nurturing as it grows.

Our Board for 2023/2024

Nicola Ferreira - Chairlady

and Members

Amanda Yelland - Immediate Past Chairlady & Secretary

Susan de Kock - Vice Chairlady, Treasurer & National Secretary

Lucy Gachogu - PRO

Almarie Saayman – Social Convener

Nolene van de Coolwijk – Member

Twaambo Chirwa - Member

Casey Mantle – Member

Beverley Patterson from Agora joined our Monthly meeting in April. Beverly gave the meeting some background context around Palesa Pads and that Agora has 60 buckets to place by July Beverly will reach out to LC24 if she needs our help to place them.

We held our Quiz evening on the 13th of May at Off the Grid and raised R2328,90 for this event It was a fun evening, and the Quiz Master captured our hearts. #9 Circlers, 3 Circles, # Teamjozi # LC6 #LC7 #LC24

Nicola, Susan and Amanda attended the AGM in Muldersdrift 26 -28 May.

Nicola Ferreira was awarded as the LCSA Circler of the Year!

Susan was elected for the second year as National Secretary and Amanda received an outpouring of love as her official an end. Well d

We investigated markets to sell our second-hand goods and Lucy, Nicola, Casey, Almarie and Susan visited the Fourways Market on 11 June to evaluate it as a potential market.

We had a social afterwards and spoke about the years expectations and what every member wants to get out of Circle

Amanda, Casey and Nicola supported Northridge Round Table 117 R5 Can Drive on 25 June

670 JARS OF HOPE

We currently have a project planned for the 12 th of August 2023, in which we aim to pack and prepare 670 Jars of Hope to support Doorway to Dignity, a non-profit organisation that works with vulnerable, displaced, and destitute individuals and communities. A Jar of Hope is a bottle of dry ingredients for making up a nutritious meal. One bottle feeds four people.

This project is a combined celebration of Mandela Day and Women’ s Day, and our aim is to aid in the fight against food insecurity. We are collecting items from now until 12 August 2023.

Venue: Ferndale Bible Chapel (Corner Dover Str and, York Ave, Ferndale, Johannesburg, 2194)

GOLF DAY FUNDRAISER

The Witbank Ladies Circle 26 has always been a proud and loving supporter of the Witbank SPCA

The SPCA is currently in desperate need, sitting in nearly R100 000 worth of debt, needing to fix up their cattery and their dog runs

LC 26 worked a hole at the Casa Portuguese Golf Day on the 23rd of June 2023 at the Witbank Golf Club. The ladies served Oesterkies and sold raffle tickets as well as giving a prize for the auction at the end of the day All the funds raised have been dedicated to the SPCA.

The ladies managed to raise nearly R20 000 on the day. With massive support and sponsorships from Booyco Engineering and Nutape. It was not only a great day for fund raising, but for marketing and friendship too! The ladies met plenty of people and flew the LCSA flag high while having RT126 show their support as well.

JARS FOR ALL

Witbank Ladies Circle has started packing jars filled with lentils, soup mix, stock cubes and soup powder Each jar can feed a family of four and is packed with plenty of nutrients to help people fight away the winter cold. Many people may also call these jars “Jars of Hope” . This will be an ongoing project for the ladies in Witbank as hunger is something we fight all year round

UMEPHI BABY HOUSE

The uMephi Baby House in Middleburg is a baby home that cares for 12 babies who have been given up or taken away from their mothers Witbank LC26 dropped off R1 500 worth of Nappies and Wet wipes at this baby home on the 10th of June 2023.

Each and every single member of the group felt very strongly about the cause and agreed to support this Baby Home in the future After being contacted later by the home it came to light that the Baby home recently had a big sponsorship of nappies for June fall through and Ladies Circle had come and filled the gap that had been left.

Brand New Clothes for Food Bank

Jabez Food Bank in Witbank feeds and clothes 90 families every week. In the late days of May the Ladies Circle ladies heard the call for some warm clothing for boys and girls ages 5-12 Witbank LC26 purchased brand New clothes and gave it to the lovely helpers at Jabez house on the 25th of May. Later Odette from the Food Bank thanked ladies circle on Radio Kragbron. Odette went on to explain how most of the children who receive clothes have NEVER received new clothes, she said, when the children saw the tags still on the clothes they held it to their

hearts. This is a reminder to all how lucky and privileged so many of us are and how easy it is to make someone feel loved, valued and important. No act too small is ever in vain.

We trust the SPCA will ensure these items are used to improve the lives and living conditions of as many animals as possible.

We would also like to thank the SPCA for all that they do on a daily basis to ensure the basic needs of animals are being met and that lives are being saved.

Newcastle Crowns Ladies Circle 28, alongside the Round Table Ncandu 86, met at the Newcastle SPCA to do a handover of items collected for animals in dire need.

BLANKETS FOR BABIES DRIVE

Our ongoing project for this entails collection of blankets, clothes, wool, and any other helpful items to donate to our local hospital for little new-borns who have nothing to go home with.

We have done two handovers so far this year, and we were met with very happy faces from staff at the hospital maternity ward.

DONATION TO PORT ALFRED HIGH SCHOOL

We were notified of a group of children at PAHS that needed a few items for school, some were just stationary and some were clothes and shoes

Side-by-side with Port Alfred Round Table 177 we were able to help 6 children in need and donate some more extras to the school's second hand shop. We were very overwhelmed with emotions from the sheer joy these children showed when receiving their goodies Donations were made on the 25th of May 2023.

TUCK SHOP AT THE SHA-LOUIS DANCE SCHOOL MID-YEAR CONCERT

We saw an opportunity for a little bit of fundraising and exposure at this amazing event held at PAHS hall on the 20th of May 2023

We decided to run a Tuck Shop with coffee, hot chocolate, fizzy drinks, some chips, chocolates and loads of popcorn every event needs popcorn!

Two of our own Circle Ladies were participating in the dance show, it was a lovely opportunity to support our fellow Circler's as well.

DONATIONS TO JANE

After seeing a post on our community groups about a lady named Jane who lives in Bathurst, we sprung to action with all we had and could give

Jane’ s house unfortunately burned down while she was sleeping, she was lucky enough to survive the flames but it left her with nothing to her name.

We met up with her and her family members on two separate dates First time we met her sister on the 9th of June 2023 to drop off household items she could use in her new home, or to help rebuild a little They were all truly grateful for this

We met up with Jane and her siblings again on the 13th of June. Port Alfred Round Table 177 responded to our plea for donations to Jane and ended up donating clothes, linen, and curtains to Jane, which was made possible due to the generous community that donated items during Winter Knights We are so grateful to Port Alfred Round Table 177 with their help in this matter.

LAST PORT ALFRED LADIES CIRCLE IN FORMATION MEETING

We are so excited to have had our very last in Formation meeting on the 15th of June. We chatted about everything and anything, mostly Charter related topics but it was an amazing evening filled with lots of laughter, good food and excitement for our Charter weekend.

BREAKFAST BUNS AT THE POLAR PLUNGE

On the morning of the 21st of June 2023, we braved the very cold and icy winter air at a local beach named Kelly’ s Beach, our very beautiful Blue Flag beach.

We decided to make Breakfast Buns at an event called PAHS Polar Plunge. This event is held yearly in Port Alfred and attended by many locals; they all line up to run into to icy ocean waters as soon as the sun rises for Winter Solstice When they were all done, they were met with the amazing fragrances of our cooked bacon and fried eggs on delicious freshly baked buns to fill their stomachs before heading to work

With the difficulty of one gas bottle not working, being limited to only one frying skottel, we still managed to sell quite a few buns and have good fellowship with it

PORT ALFRED LADIES CIRCLE NO.29 CHARTER WEEKEND

A great weekend was had by all guest, Circlers, Tabler’ s and other organization members

Over the weekend from the 23rd to the 25 of June 2023 we all got together to celebrate this auspicious occasion.

A social took place on the 23rd at the Port Alfred Round Table 177 clubhouse with great food, roaring fires, good music and best of all fantastic company

The morning of the 24th started with coffee and breakfast followed with our Charter meeting where we were officially announced as Port Alfred Ladies Circle No.29.

After concluding our meeting we took part in some fun Boere games that had very interesting outcomes and lots of jokes.

Saturday evening, we had our Charter Dinner at a beautiful venue with river and ocean views.

With many beautiful speeches, some tears and lots of excitement our Chairman, Melissa Marais was inducted and our Portfolio holders and members were introduced Sunday morning followed with a quick breakfast in pyjamas and last fellowship that concluded the weekend.

We are so extremely grateful for each and everyone who had a hand in helping during this weekend, to each person who joined us and celebrated with us We are thankful that our LCSA Madame President,Riana Otto, LCSA Vice Chairman, Yolandi Gray-Brown, LCSA Webmaster, Cindy Tutton and Godmother Circle PE Pearls could join us for the weekend and share in this joyous moment.

We are excited for our future and being part of the Circle family.

*chartered15July2023~seenextedition

JACARANDA LADIES CIRCLE HOUSE CLEANING PROJECT

At Jacaranda Ladies Circle, we believe in the power of giving and its ability to transform lives. Our commitment to helping the less fortunate remains unwavering Jacaranda Ladies Circle together with Round Table 136 had the opportunity to host a house cleaning project. Our beneficiary for the project was Careson Angel. We managed to gather so many items, we needed five vehicles and a number of hands to deliver all the products collected It warmed our hearts to see that so many people care enough to get rid of the “white elephants” in their homes. We will definitely have another drive very soon! A very big thank to the Round Table 136 gentleman who assisted and who also lent a hand with the delivery!

Through these initiatives, we aim to not only alleviate immediate hardships but also create sustainable change that uplifts individuals and communities. We are grateful to our dedicated supporters and donors whose contributions enable us to continue giving hope to the less fortunate. By focusing our resources and efforts on helping those in need, we strive to build a more inclusive and compassionate society, where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

*chartered15July2023~seenextedition

JACARANDA LADIES CIRCLE RUGBY PHOTO COMPETITION

Jacaranda Ladies Circle together with our Godmother Circle, Northridge Ladies Circle 7 had the opportunity to host an Enthusiastic Rugby Supporter photo competition This project was suggested to raise funds for a family in dire need of financial assistance. The Van Dyk family is still struggling to this day as the father, Etienne, has suffered from extreme health complications which have resulted in him not being able to work Northridge Ladies Circle 7 suggested the photo competition and it was a great success.

The winning photo is from Ladies Circle Louis Trichardt 4, and we applaud them for their spontaneity and team effort!! I would also like to thank everyone who submitted their photos, we greatly appreciate it. And a very big thank you to our Godmother Circle, Northridge Ladies Circle 7!!

Giving to the less fortunate is a compassionate and impactful way to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals and communities in need. Jacaranda Ladies Circle's efforts to support and uplift those less fortunate demonstrates a commitment to creating a more equitable and inclusive society.

STEAK FOR THE CATS. MOOI-RIVER COUNTRY CLUB

On the 1st April we all got together at the Mooi-River Country Club to join a local business GBT and raise funds to buy the Mooi-River SPCA cat food. It was a very cold and early morning for us but we all quickly warmed up besides the grills. Starting off slow we were sure we bought to much food but as the crowds started coming in, it quickly disappeared With lots of help from a couple red bulls we managed to sell out on 60 steak rolls.

It was definitely a good day spent and we managed to raise enough money to buy cat food and stock up the SPCA’ s store room.

On the 13th May we delivered all the cat food and 40 blankets. We were so happy to see that all the animals so happy and healthy but unfortunately couldn’t stay long. We hope to visit again soon and look forward to seeing how ells we can help the Mooi-River SPCA

FRIENDSHIP LOCALLY, NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY

On the 27th April Emma Eilers ‘Intearm Chairman Estcourt Ladies Circle ‘had the privilege to attend the Bosveld ARTSA 2023 “It was amazing to meet so many sisters from other circles from all over the world. To hear their stories and advice was so heartwarming, I went there knowing a handful of ladies and came home having made sisters for life”

PERFECT PET COMPETITION

On the 22nd May 2023 we had our very first Perfect Pet Competition to raise awareness for the Estcourt Animal Shelter and the Mooi-River SPCA. Entrants where asked to like and share our Facebook page and send in a photo of their pet Each photo was uploaded to our page and the people that liked the photos also had to like or follow our page for their vote to count.

We got a total of 35 photos uploaded to our page and a total of 88 new likes and 120 new followers. Congratulations to Omega winning our kitty category and to Gizmo on our dog Category.

A big thank you to MVW for sponsoring the prizes for our competition.

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

On the 24th May 2023 we were privileged enough to have our Inauguration meeting. Not knowing what to expect we were all very nervous but so excited We were joined by Estcourt Round Table Chairman, Dwaine Eilers, and Estcourt Round Table Vice Chairman, Jordon Hall. The meeting went very well with kind inspirational words from LCSA Vice Chairman, Raina Otto and LCSA Chairman, Bronwenn Odendaal

We finished off the night with dinner and some celebratory dinks

WINTER NIGHTS

On the 27th May 2023 we braved the cold and stood outside Pick N Pay to collect nonperishable food for Estcourt 74 “Winter Nights” drive This was something special, to ask our community for help and to see the amount of help that was given was amazing!

On the 15th June we were escourted by the Estcourt Police to a local homeless shelter where we handed over blankets and food packs to families.

This opened up our eyes and we all realized that giving back to the community is why we started Ladies Circle in Estcourt To see the faces of the people light up that have nothing made our day. We look forward to continue working with ERT74.

#Service

31 Days of Service Ideas