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.

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.