Novalis House manager reflects on a recently held AGM, and 20th anniversary
Mary Owen, the Novalis House manager, believes the first-ever National Lottery Commission funding ensured the survival of the adult residential facility, from which they have grown in leaps and bounds.
“As we look back on the year under review, April 2023 to March 2024, we find ourselves celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Blue Hills Residence.”
These were the words of Mary Owen, the Novalis House manager, speaking at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on October 12. Owen said when the property was made available in 2003 for the establishment of an adult residential facility, it had become run down and neglected.
It was the first funding of R500 000 from the National Lottery Commission South Africa (NLCSA), at the end of 2003, that made it possible to refurbish one of the houses.
They were then able to redo the electrical installations and to upgrade the security, to provide a safe and pleasing environment for the first six residents, and staff, to take up residency in on April 1, 2004.
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‘Novalis’ was the name chosen by the founder members when they established a home for children with special needs in 1976.
“It is not clear why the name was chosen, but the definition seemed fitting at the time of opening: ‘That which is of the new and waiting for the future’.
“As we look back, those who travelled along the road with us will recall the highs and lows, and the many challenges faced along the way. Through the years, with the support of our donors and funders, the existing dwellings were upgraded, and the infrastructure improved, which increased the bed capacity to 37,” said Owen.
She said a special care unit was started, and additional staff employed, to provide a higher level of care, and night monitoring, for those who needed it.
The support from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, as it was known then, continued through the years for staff funding, general running costs, vehicles, generator, lawn mowers and tractor, recreational park, volleyball court, amphitheatre, and workshop.
“The first subsidy from the Department of Social Development was received in 2011, and has continued through the years, giving financial stability to the organization. In June 2021, further funding of just over R2.5m, from the NLCSA, was received for the building of the new workshop, which was officially opened in December 2022,” added Owen.
The workshop programme was founded to meet the ever-increasing need for facilities for people with intellectual disabilities, some of whom also have physical disabilities, when they leave school.
The centre’s full-time personnel assist each person to reach his or her full potential. This is done through a structured programme of training in life skills, domestic tasks, and work.
“It is touching to see the trainees helping one another, often making far more use of their abilities than many able people. As we move towards the end of our 20th year, we invite applications for both our workshop and residential programmes for 2025,” concluded Owen.
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