Residents, businesses, and community organisations are joining forces to restore three local public parks, aiming to create safe and welcoming spaces for families and the wider community.

Roxsure Insurance Brokers and the Norwood Orchards Residents Association (Nora) have launched a fundraising drive to refurbish Norwood, Algernon, and Oaklands parks. The initiative focuses on improving security, fencing, and ongoing maintenance.

Read more: Community rallies to give Norwood Park, Algernon Park, and Oaklands Park a fresh start

Jason Grove, Nora chairperson and Roxsure managing director, said the campaign is about encouraging people to enjoy public spaces again.

“All that we want to do is actually return our public open spaces, secure them, put security into them, and create those spaces where people can take their children, their families, go and spend the weekend, have picnics, and actually enjoy the open space again,” he said.

Walking through James and Ethel Gray Park, an example of what the initiative hopes to achieve. Grove noted that poor maintenance, vagrancy, and crime have discouraged residents from visiting local parks.

“We’ve moved to a culture where everybody sits behind their doors and their high walls because they’re too scared to move out of their houses. We want people to move back into their public open spaces,” he added.

Also read: Parkview locals spent their 67 minutes at Zoo Lake

So far, R80 000 has been raised, with a target of R1.3m. Roxsure will match donations by its clients at 20% and by non–clients at 5%.

Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo spokesperson Jenny Moodley said the entity remains responsible for maintaining the city’s parks through services such as infrastructure upkeep, grass cutting, litter collection, and tree management.

She emphasised that long–term sustainability depends on community involvement. Through its Adopt–a–Park Programme, City Parks partners with resident associations, schools, businesses, and civil society to encourage greater ownership and positive use of public spaces.

Norwood Park already has an Adopt–a–Park Agreement in place, allowing community members and organisations to play an active role in its upkeep.

Residents interested in donating or supporting the campaign can contact Nora or City Parks.

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