Auckland Park Residents’ Association entertains and cleans up King Frost Park
JOBURG – The Auckland Park Residents' Association is for a safer and cleaner environment.
A triumphant collaboration left Kingston Frost Park clean when community organisations joined forces with residents of Auckland Park and Brixton.
The Aukland Park Residents’ Association hosted a park clean-up in partnership with the Brixton Community Forum and City Parks.
Kingston Frost Park was cleaned and trimmed for safety and security in a community development initiative on 19 May.
Along with the Brixton Community Forum, the association made it a fun day with great activities for children. There was music to keep all those who lent a helping hand entertained.
The association works together with security companies like Raid Private Security, Asars security and ADT to keep the neighbourhood safe.
The association wants to help informal workers become formalised by encouraging them to clean the park. Recyclers around the area want to work hand-in-hand with residents to formalise what they do.
Residents are also encouraged to have different recycle bins to make it easier for them to recycle.
“The University of Johannesburg has a big area that they own, we needed them to come and cut for us because it’s their property.
We use days like these to initiate a conversation with them, saying ‘we are going to be out and about to clean the area, won’t you come and cut the grass’ and, as usual, they worked with us and did so as a priority, which we appreciated,” said chairman of the association, Neal Gooch.
The association’s aim is to communicate with and be part of the community.
They collaborate with the Brixton Community Forum, with non-governmental organisations and churches around the area to make the community as clean and safe for residents as it can be.
“We try to deal with students and residents in the area inclusively, rather than ‘us and them’, we rather say we have a lot of students who volunteer and are involved with us and we want them to be a meaningful part of us,” said Gooch.
“They want a great park, we want a great park. What does a great park look like? It’s kept, it’s clean, it’s trimmed. They can come and volunteer with us and work with us in the community. If they’re safe, then we’re safe.”
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