Since 2013, DSC Attorneys has been sponsoring an annual golf day to raise funds in support of the Wards of the Court Programme at the Woodside Special Care Centre.
The Woodside Special Care Centre is a residential home that provides specialised care for people with profound intellectual and physical disabilities.
The golf day and its beginnings
DSC Attorneys hosted its first golf day in 2013 at the Bellville Golf Club. “We didn’t know what to expect at the time, so we took out an ad in the local paper inviting businesses to enter,” says Michéle de Jager, office manager at DSC Attorneys.
24 four-ball teams took part and the event raised R70 000. Since then, our annual golf day event has grown to accommodate a full field of 34 teams, including business partners of the law firm and private individuals, many of whom have made the competition an annual tradition.
A team effort
This golf day wouldn’t be possible without the support of the businesses who entered. Special thanks must go to Munro Forensic Actuaries, Grid Forensic Accounting, The Convergency Hub, Itec, MVO Consultants, PM&A Consulting & IT services, MG Auditors, AG Plastics, Master Cargo, ABSA Trust, One World Agencies, Groote Post, BW meat distributors, Carl Laubscher Financial Services, Compass Wealth Management, Nedbank, Summit Forensic Accountants, PBT Group and Currencies Direct.
Continued investment
The money raised through the event has steadily increased over the years, from R70 000 in 2013 to
R107 000 in 2014, R141 000 in 2015, R192 500 in 2016 and R190 000 in 2017.
This year the event raised R220 000 – our biggest collection yet.
“We first thought we raised R215 000 this year, but then some donations came in at the last minute and the final tally was R220 000,” says de Jager.
Funds are raised through entry fees for the golf competition, raffles, monies collected through smaller competitions and an auction on the day, with items for auction sponsored by DSC Attorneys.
DSC Attorneys also sponsors a four-ball team made up of the Woodside Special Care Centre’s board of trustees.
Wards of the Court Programme
The programme cares for 25 children aged 6 to 12 who’ve been placed in the facility by the State. The children in the programme have multiple disabilities and are unable to feed, bathe or dress themselves.
Clive Obery, Marketing Manager of Woodside Special Care Centre, says the children’s families don’t have the financial means, skills or facilities to provide the constant specialised care these children require. It costs about R11 000 per month to care for one child in the Wards of the Court Programme.
“We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without people like the team from DSC Attorneys. They have been instrumental in making the lives of Woodside Special Care residents better,” says Obery.
The centre has a total of 80 residents and employs 122 staff. Some of the residents have been there since the centre opened in 1976.
You can help too
You can help the Woodside Special Care Centre in a number of ways. For example, adopting a child, joining the Centre’s collection drive or becoming a volunteer are some of the ways you can get involved. For more information or to make a contribution to the Centre, call Clive on 021 696 2811 or email marketing@woodside.org.za.
