Chairman’s Report AGM 2022

I am delighted to be able to welcome you all to the 26th AGM for Sunfield Home Howick. Due to Covid restrictions, it is three years since the last AGM was held at Sunfield, so it is particularly pleasing that we are able to once again meet together to enjoy our residents’ sport activities and connect as a big family.  

2022 started off with considerable uncertainty as Covid was still ‘in the air’, the fourth wave was taking place but fortunately, in a much milder form, we still had to wear masks and meeting numbers were reduced. However, as the early months went by, we could see the light at the end of the tunnel and by mid-year we were all emerging from those comfortable corners to which we had retreated.  

I must compliment Cliff and his staff who have managed the gradual process of opening up the Home and restoring the normal routines. They have done a great job.

We, the board, commenced in-person board meetings in February – although still sitting quite spaced apart with windows open. It was still much better than doing it by zoom!

As has happened all over the world, Zoom has become a fantastic tool for connecting and we still use it for a good number of meetings e.g. Marketing. It has also been very helpful when Cliff or Tania need to meet with parents who live a considerable distance from Howick. 

This year has been like a transition – from the weird world of Covid on to what is the present. Please note I did not say ‘back to’ as there is evidence that many things have changed and will not necessarily go back to the way they were. However, I believe that we must recover and nurture those things in our lives that were restricted and minimised during the lockdown months. We need to recover our care for people, we are social beings and we need each other. We need to be firm with ourselves and get off the couch, which was our safe place during Covid, and start to look out and reach out and engage with each other without fear. We can all put this into action by being involved in the life of Sunfield Howick – it’s where our sons/daughters/siblings are living for the rest of their lives and we as a board, encourage you to participate and contribute whenever you can. It was with great regret that the board accepted the resignation of PJ Combrinck in June this year. As many of you will know, his sister Eileen who was in Combrinck, passed away peacefully last year and  PJ’s subsequent move down to the Cape where his extended family live, meant he was not comfortable with fulfilling his responsibilities as Chairman from such a distance. PJ served on the board from 2015 and was Chairman from 2016. We miss his wise counsel and leadership.

However, I am pleased to report that PJ will still be available to the board for advice and input on any legal matters – for which we are very grateful.

I now report on the various portfolios as follows: 

Sue Grant is in charge of Residents and Staff Welfare and continues with her term of office on the board. I can report it has been a happy year for the residents because they were released from the constraints of Covid restrictions! The fun activities have resumed, and their normal work routine is in place which makes for a happy home.

A great deal of time has been spent on staff matters. Adapting to having an unionised staff quotient has been an adjustment which has required patience, planning and a lot of admin. It has also been expensive as it has been necessary to retain the services of an HR consultant to ensure that Sunfield complies fully with the law.

Sue has managed her role with calm efficiency and all credit to her for maintaining good relationships across all sectors of the home.

David Worrall returns to the board for another term of office and continues the portfolio of Estate and Capital projects. 

He has done a sterling job in both areas – 

David and his wife Sheila have shown huge commitment towards improving the grounds and gardens at Sunfield. Their presence on nearly a weekly basis and Sheila’s landscaping expertise has already transformed large areas of the campus. David tells me the Sheila isn’t finished yet !! We look forward to seeing what you still have in store. We are extremely grateful for your contribution and I would like to ask Sheila to come up to accept a small token of our huge appreciation for her time and efforts.  

Another major project which David has supervised has been the removal of a number of trees that were threatening the foundations of buildings or damaging roofs and gutters by the overhanging branches. We are fortunate to have many trees in our grounds however if anyone would like to donate indigenous trees or shrubs to our landscaping project, please contact Cliff or David. 

David continued to oversee the completion of the Hall renovation which started towards the end of last year and I am sure you will agree has been a resounding success. This culminated in the Hall opening concert by the residents, held at the beginning of September, which was a very festive and happy event. 

Here are a few photos of the work in progress. 

Last year the Chairman referred to the board’s concern for electricity costs and that a consultant had been appointed to monitor the usage. The consultant has been advising us based on the data they receive from the monitoring, and we have already started implementing the recommendations.  Unfortunately, it will be a lengthy and costly process as much of our equipment for heating water – 

the major cost – is very old/out of order/inefficient. Further to the area of Capital projects – you will be aware of the Combrinck House project. This project was initiated three years earlier when the home was full and with a waiting list, and the board anticipated pressure on frail care beds as the current residents aged. It was due to start in 2020 but was put on hold due to the Covid pandemic. At the beginning of 2021 it was once again on hold as Covid continued its course.

At the AGM last year, the Chairman indicated that it was still unclear when this project would commence. During this time the board has reviewed the situation overall. The Home has lost a number of residents for various reasons over the past few years – e.g. emigration, left when Covid started and didn’t return, moved to a different province, financial constraints and passed away from natural causes. The board has actively sought new residents through the various marketing strategies and  Sunfield has welcomed a number of new residents. Despite this the Home currently has vacancies which means it does not make sense to create more beds. The Combrinck Project is therefore once more on hold.  

The need, however, for renovating Schafer House has become urgent as the building deteriorates further and the current Occupational Department workshops are in less than ideal situations. The Board has therefore decided to commence the planning for the renovation of Schafer house. I want to assure members that there will be no building operation until we have funding secured. Sunfield will not take on debt to fund the Schafer project. The board believes that we need to have a goal and a specific plan in place which can be presented for fundraising, donations etc. A potential sponsor needs to know exactly what they will be contributing towards. The Schafer project will be a focus for the whole board during 2023. We will communicate further when we have more details.  

John Ade returns to the board as our Finance director.  

This is a challenging role for any NPO and we can be grateful that John is a very typical accountant – careful & cautious! John has shown great commitment towards Sunfield, he is always on the end of the phone for queries and he will be presenting the Annual Financial Statements in due course.

Dianne Perrett joins our board as a nominated director. She was appointed on a temporary basis after  PJ’s resignation.  

Dianne’s background is in strategy, marketing and corporate governance and she has served on a number of boards in addition to running her own business.  

Dianne has been involved with Sunfield since 2015 when she was asked to compile a survey across board, staff and parent/guardian levels. Since then she has assisted the board in many areas including our corporate governance, policies and strategy. She has been a vital part of the marketing sub-committee. 

I know that since Dianne’s early interaction with Sunfield in 2015, the Home and the ressies have crept into her heart! She has developed a passion for all things Sunfield, so we are delighted to officially welcome her to the board.  

Dianne will continue in the portfolio of Marketing and Strategy. 

The last year has seen some very positive strides made in the marketing of the Home. We have focused on electronic marketing, as it’s the most cost-effective, and have been very pleased with the results achieved. 

The brand-new website was launched some six months ago and, if you have not already done so, I  urge you all to go online and take a look. The new format is fresh and professional and has already produced a steady flow of enquiries to the Home. We have admitted some new Ressies who reached us through these endeavors, and there are more currently participating in the Home’s screening process.

This, combined with the growing social media presence, has been pleasing and we are focusing the marketing team on attracting more applications, with our goal to minimize empty beds and grow a  solid, pre-screened, waiting list. 

There is nothing further to report on the Strategic Planning portfolio, as there has been no further progress in the plans to develop the adjacent land. The current poor economic climate means this is not a realistic option at the moment but this will be reviewed as time goes by. 

The role of the Board Secretary is a vital one and in this we are very blessed to have Barbara Higgins who has volunteered for this job – although she may tell you I bent her arm a bit! She is an experienced and skilled secretary and accurate Minutes are an important part of maintaining the integrity of the  Home’s records. Barbara, please come up to receive a token of our appreciation.  

I would like to thank all the board members for their hard work and commitment over this past year.  We have worked together for a while now – we are a united team where we each bring specific skills to our roles. I look forward to another productive year ahead.  

Now the people who serve on the board are not the only ones who care and work for Sunfield in a  voluntary capacity.  

For some decades now, a group of parents in the Durban area have been part of Friends of Sunfield  Durban and with great dedication they held fundraising functions year after year to benefit the residents in the home. Many of those original parents are no longer with us, but over the years they have made a significant contribution to Sunfield. Yvonne McNair has been one of the stalwarts for many years and she has finally hung up her boots for a well-deserved rest. We thank you for what you have done over all these years, Yvonne, and please come up to receive a token of our appreciation for your loyal support of Sunfield. 

Closerto the Home, we have a vibrant group of mostly ladies who live in the Howick/Hilton area, some connected via a relative, others just because they care, who meet regularly to support Sunfield – I am referring to Friends of Sunfield Home in the Midlands – FoSHiM. Les Thurtell currently heads their committee and she is going to report on their activities at the conclusion of Cliff’s report. 

Shortly after PJ took over as Chairman, it became apparent that there was no clear Vision or Mission  Statement for the Home. This sets the tone for what we are trying to achieve as board members, staff and members of the Sunfield family. It was also important to be able to communicate this clearly on the website that was being re-vamped.

I would like to use this opportunity to remind us all of Sunfield Home Howick’s Vision and Mission  Statement:

Vision

Sunfield Home Howick believes that people with intellectual impairments deserve to be provided for in a protected environment for life, where they are encouraged to extend their abilities and achieve a life of fulfilment.

Mission Statement

We care for and develop people with intellectual impairments in a protected and stimulating home-from-home environment. 

The board then drew up statements that describe the culture of our organisation which we hope are  apparent throughout all aspects of the Home:

Culture Statements

Commitment

We are dedicated to improving ourselves, our activities and our facilities for the benefit of our residents and their improved welfare.

Caring

We are committed to unselfishly serving our residents and providing the highest level of care possible.

Community

We will endeavour to maintain a unified family environment that supports our residents’ needs, where communication is effective and transparent, and builds a mutually respectful culture across Residents, Members, Staff and Board.

It is good to remind ourselves of why we are here. We are here for our residents, and I invite each one of you to step up and be part of the Sunfield journey. We need parents and family members to be involved, to support and contribute in any number of ways – it could be through time, or skills, or fundraising projects or securing sponsorship through business connections. Please reach out to us and connect with us.  

In closing, my thanks to Cliff, Tania and all the Sunfield staff for managing the Home through another challenging year. We are aware of the responsibility that you carry to care for the residents and keep them safe. We appreciate your commitment to your roles and as a board we look forward to working together in the year ahead.  

I wish you all a peaceful end to the year and safe travels over the holiday period.  

Thank you. 

ROSEMARY FRASER

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Have any questions? Call or email our General Manager, Don Tully.

gm@sunfield.co.za
082 801 5931