Members, families, and members of the Sunfield community. It is an honour for me to present my chairman’s report.
When I was originally approached to stand for the board by my late friend, Dennis Gehren, some seven or eight years ago, I had no idea or intention of one day having to take the reins to be Chairman. Dennis must be looking down on me from above and saying… “Now let’s see what you can do” I will put my best foot forward; however, I can only do this with your full support and commitment.
Firstly, I would like to record my thanks to our previous chairperson, Rosemary Fraser, for her unwavering and dedicated time and support for Sunfield. Her tenure on the Sunfield board has left an indelible mark on our organisation.
As I reflect on the past year, I must concede that it has not been plain sailing. During the year we have had a change in several senior staff – an estate manger, a housemother, and today we bid farewell to our General Manager. Dealing with these changes has been compounded by the drop in resident numbers from 101 to 91, and the subsequent reduction in income which has required careful budgeting. As salaries and wages form approximately 63% of our annual expenses, discussions with the labour union, NUPSAW, became difficult. A settlement was eventually negotiated after a lengthy process and a CCMA hearing.
Electricity costs continue to be a concern. To reduce the Notified Maximum Demand – NMD or peak level, we have introduced –
- Washing lines to minimise the use of tumble dryers,
- Heat pumps with time switches have been installed in Combrink and Gregson, and
- The swimming pool filters will be fitted with time switches
These measures are having the desired effect of working towards a reduction of the NMD. Sunfield has a high kilowatt charge due to this high NMD. We continue to use the services of Murray Burger from Flux Energy to monitor and report back to us on the daily consumption of electricity. Management must keep its focus on reducing the amount of electricity used.
Load shedding is and continues to be an area of concern. We have investigated the cost of
introducing some solar power. The estimate for panels is R1,3 million plus an extra R1,1 for batteries and a further R1 million for a generator. This is a large some of money and the board needs to be certain that
- Sunfield has done everything possible to reduce the consumption of electricity,
- That load shedding is here for the foreseeable future, and
- Then implement a system that would be suitable and affordable for Sunfield’s requirements.
- The admin block has had an inverter and batteries installed.
To enhance the security and safety on the estate we have installed CCTV cameras in all the residences. There are also 10 cameras positioned outside in various places.
The Sunfield website is up and running with our marketing efforts being focused on attracting new residents. I’m pleased to report this strategy is yielding results as we are now receiving between 5 and 9 inquiries every month. While not all of these are suitable for Sunfield, the increase in interest gives us confidence that there are potential residents out there who can benefit from the care and community we provide. We are currently sitting with 20 empty beds. In addition to this advertising, we also need your help to reach out and encourage possible parents to come and visit the home, take a tour, and see what a wonderful environment it is for special needs adults.
The Board has for some time been aware of the need for restructuring the roles and job descriptions of our General Manager and Deputy General Manager. We have spent many hours discussing the subject of the division of “head and heart”. The head will be involved with managing and marketing matters – General Manager Business. The heart will be involved with the residents and there needs – Deputy General Manager Residents Welfare. As of 1st October, these roles will be filled by Mr. Don Tully as General Manager Business, and Mrs Tanya Darch as Deputy General Manager Residents Welfare.
In her report last year Mrs Fraser reported on the need to renovate Schafer house. As the years go by this becomes more urgent. As you are aware, Schafer house is the first building one sees when entering the estate and we must do something about it. With this in mind. The Board commissioned the services of an architect and a quantity surveyor. We now have a detailed plan of what is envisaged. To mention a few ideas – repurposing the existing buildings to create 8 new workshops, moving medical closer to Combrink, relocating the entire admin block into Schafer house, and creating a more open central courtyard. The cost of this renovation is estimated to be in the region of R15 million.
It is now up to us to take up this challenge and guide Sunfield into the future. You as members, cannot expect the Board to be solely responsible for the project of raising this finance – imagine if every parent or sibling sourced R100,000, we would be over halfway to the total. Could we possibly give it a go?
The Board has also organised a strategy session to be held on Saturday the 7th of October. Those attending will include 6 board members who are parents, 2 board members who are nonparents, 4 siblings of current residents, 4 possible parents and 2 members of the Sunfield staff. Hopefully, this exercise will guide us towards encompassing a larger base of ideas for the future.
Several residents have achieved significant sporting results this year. Particularly note worthy are the gold medal awards of BRONWYN RAMATHULA and JENNA HIGGINS at the swimming Special Olympics in Germany. We have also had impressive results in table tennis, athletics, and soccer. While we celebrate this excellence and appreciate the exposure it brings to the home, we also remain proud of the day-to-day achievements of every resident and their special gifts and talents.
Sunfield received a generous donation from Mrs Val Bell in memory of her son Ross. A stipulated condition of this donation was that a certain portion of the total be spent on the upgrade of the Combrink kitchen. The kitchen upgrade has now been completed as well as the replacement of 3 double doors. This portion of the donation is further able to create an isolation unit in Combrink. Work will soon begin on this project, and I record grateful thanks to Val.
I am sure you must have noticed some improvement to the grounds and facilities. To mention a few – the painting of Gregson, the clean swimming pool, the grounds and the gardens, the felling of the wattle plantation, the new washing lines. The list goes on and on. These are thanks to our new estate consultant, Charles Robinson. He has easily adapted to the unique Sunfield environment and ably and energetically contributed to its many demands. Charles, please stand up – thank you Charles.
I would like to record my thanks to Tim Smeaton for the work he does with our residents in the vegetable tunnels and the chickens. These projects give the residents a great deal of pleasure and a sense of achievement.
FOSCHIM… what can I say, Les Thurtell and your special team of helpers, a big thank you. If you are not organising potjie competitions or raising money for inverters, you are always doing something for Sunfield. With the help of FOSHIM we have been able to install small inverters in Gregson and de
Smit, which will enable our residents to watch TV during loadshedding. Combrink already has a Foschim supplied inverter. I must make special mention of Barbara Higgins for the work and time she has put into giving the Sunfield shop a total revamp, thank you Barbara.
Cliff, this year was your swan song year. You have helped us through difficult times, and we are grateful for your patient, caring and empathetic good nature which has always been at the fore in ensuring the residents wellbeing. I wish you well in your next endeavour.
Tanya, thank you for juggling multiple roles this year, and so ably stepping up the plate on every occasion. Under your guidance, I am confident the staff will always insure the residents’ care and wellbeing. Thank you very much for all you do for the home.
A special thanks to all the staff who have shown exceptional care and dedication to your work and to our residents. Your efforts do not go unnoticed, and we are grateful for all you do.
I would like to extend my heart felt thanks to the members of my board for the unwavering support and commitment over the past year. Your guidance, expertise, and time dedicated to Sunfields needs has been invaluable in navigating the challenges we have faced, Thank you.
In closing, I express my gratitude to every one of you who contributes to the life of Sunfield. While this year has been challenging is has also been a testament of our resilience and commitment in what we can achieve when we pull together.
Thank you.