BLUFF Tidy Towns is once more appealing to residents to get behind its grassroots clean-up initiative which has proven to be a helpline for keeping The Bluff neat and beautiful. Depending on few resources and a small base of committed donors, the volunteer-driven organisation tackles litter hotspots every week.

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Celeste Jacobs, who manages the operation on The Bluff, says the organisation has just over R10 000 thanks to a generous donation that came in following a recent urgent appeal, as the organisation’s operations were being threatened due to a lack of funds.

“People really came through, and we’re very thankful. But our work is ongoing, and the need doesn’t ever cease,” said Jacobs.

The expenditure:

At R1 300 each week, the volunteer clean team is the organisation’s biggest weekly expense. Jacobs said the donations go directly into paying for the clean team and a very minimal monthly bank fee of about R100.

“Fuel, vehicle costs, trailer maintenance and any wear and tear – all of that is covered personally by us. Not one rand of community donations goes to running costs. Every cent goes straight to the team on the ground,” said Jacobs.

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The motivating factor behind the organisation

Having grown up on The Bluff, Jacobs said her commitment comes from pride in the area and its potential. “The Bluff holds a special beauty surrounded by the ocean. We have something incredibly special here, something many other communities wish they had,” she said.

Jacobs said the Tidy Town operations in Shelly Beach, Margate, Scottburgh, Amanzimtoti and Palm Beach are prime examples of how community-driven clean-ups can transform public spaces.

“It is time to move away from the old ‘this is The Bluff’ mindset. Negativity breeds negativity, but positivity creates progress. Other communities are taking matters into their hands. There’s no reason we can’t do the same,” she said.

The work they do

The clean team works on foot every Wednesday and covers big stretches of the suburb. Their usual routes include Marine Drive to Edwin Swales, Marine Drive to Fynnlands School, Marine Drive to Oxford and Marine Drive along Tara Road to Bluff Meat Supply and over the hill toward Crossways.

Jacobs said a support vehicle with a trailer follows, collects the filled bags, and takes them to the dump. “The team also cleans around Arcadia Retirement Village out of goodwill and maintains the stairs leading from Finnemore Avenue down to the beach, a stairway frequently littered by people fishing and social gatherings,” she said.

Over and above the collection of litter, Bluff Tidy Towns has contributed to upliftment projects, including upgrading the garden bed at Ansteys and installing a two-way mirror at Arcadia for road safety.

Jacobs said the sustainability of the project hangs in the balance. “If every household on The Bluff could put in just R50 a month, that would fundamentally change our future. Right now, there are only a few people donating, and that constantly puts the whole initiative at risk,” she said.

How to help out:

Residents who want to help or establish monthly donations are encouraged to reach out to Celeste Jacobs on 082 598 9083 or make a direct donation into their Standard Bank account with account number: 10224508316.

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