MESSAGE FROM THE ESTATE MANAGER
The last time I wrote to update you on the events and progress in our estate, we had just held our Estate’s AGM. We were looking forward to EcoKids, the seasonal, more significant community events and news on how our teams and service providers have worked to improve our facilities and promote the appeal of Fourways Gardens. Last month’s magazine had an informative read from the re-elected Board Chairman, Ryan Horsman, and we have plenty to share with you this month.
While we had an article about the Phase 2 Waterway Project in the September magazine, I believe that the hard work bears a repeat mention: the Waterway project was the culmination of many years of persistent effort to secure the necessary rights to manage the waterway, remove silt and implement Phase 1 of restoration of this feature. Major works were completed by the end of August, and the finishing touches for this year’s phase were completed in September – resodding the new riverbanks, ensuring that stormwater outlets into the watercourse are cleared and stabilising sections that have been cleared and/or established. When the rains arrive, the watercourse will be a sight to behold!
The generally warm and temperate September days have been a welcome change from mid- and late-winter chills, and the trees are returning to their leafy canopies while shrubs and flowers are starting with early floral showings. Remember that this is the perfect time to put some extra effort and plantings into your gardens and verges. While tending to these, please also check that fences and gates are secure and that your dogs cannot escape into the streets and parks. Also, please note that no wastewater (including swimming pool back-wash) may be released onto the streets or into stormwater drains – this both degrades the roads and pollutes the waterways.
Arbor Week (29 August 2024 to 4 September 2024) presented us with the opportunity to hold another Arbor Day EcoKids, and we can proudly say it was a resounding success – the full write-up is in this month’s magazine, however, we would again like to express our thanks to the sponsors and speakers that contributed to this successful day of learning for our estate’s children: Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo, Life Green Group and 24/7 Security. We already have plans for another EcoKids event to be held early next year!
We also officially welcomed Life Green Group to Fourways Gardens this month, and the teams have been busy with garden redesigns and working to get our parks, common areas and various estate gardens into tip-top shape. The team will also be kept busy planting the more than 150 saplings donated by Johannesburg City Parks to bolster our urban forest and canopy.
Movie Night in the Phase 1 park was a fully packed family event, and the many refills of slushie undoubtedly made for some hyper-awake children later in the evening! Late September we celebrated the Oktoberfest Beer Festival at The Gardens Bistro, the team worked hard to ensure that this year was a spectacular day out!
The inaugural Cycle Challenge will be held in the Bike Park on Saturday, 5 October, and this will pit our riders against Dainfern while showing off this value-bringing facility! With the Maintenance and Life Green Groupteams, Coach Smish from ChainGang MTB Club has worked to establish four trails with varying difficulty, and our Bike Park has also been upgraded with route markers. This inter-estate Cycle Challenge exemplifies how we engage with our neighbouring estates to benefit our residents and theirs, as we did with their recently held Diner en Blanc.
As we look to enrich our community living experience with the various upcoming events, we are also mindful of the challenges many face in our country, and the HOA will participate in several charity initiatives this month. Expect to see trees wrapped in pink for Breast Cancer awareness again this year, and consider supporting this cause by wrapping a tree or two of your own (pinktrees.co.za)! World Animal Day is also around the corner, and we will have another food drive for some animal charities serving our surrounding communities. There is one more that we are participating in, but that one’s a surprise, so be sure to scroll through our social media on 18 October to see what it is!
October’s arrival also means that we have less than 100 days left in the year, and our teams will be working hard across all departments, whether processing property transfers, welcoming new residents, finishing off upgrades and maintenance projects, planning community events, and rising to the challenge of what comes our way on a day-to-day basis! Trick-or-Treat will be held on Saturday, 2 November this year, and the HOA has some tricks up our sleeve for a jaw-dropping Sweetie Spot; we encourage as many residents as possible to host a Sweetie Spot.
The significant number of clearance certificates and new resident enrolments are a testament to the appeal of Fourways Gardens Residential Estate. With everything that is underway and planned, things can only get better!
Sincerely,
Charlene Marlin
69 Camdeboo Rd Fourways Sandton 2055
info@fwg.co.za
011 465 7731