October 2026

From the Estate Manager’s Desk

Dear Residents,

Spring has settled in properly, and with it one of the busiest stretches of our calendar. There is a great deal happening across the Estate at present — projects, events, maintenance and the usual seasonal work — but what has stood out to me most over the past few weeks is something less tangible: the willingness of this community to give, to help and to show up for one another.

Sometimes that generosity is very visible. At other times, it is simply a neighbour lending a hand, a resident making a call, or somebody taking the time to do the right thing.

Investing in the places we use

Both cricket nets reopened in September following the replacement of their turf. It is a relatively modest project alongside some of the larger work undertaken this year, but it reflects our continuing approach of investing steadily in the facilities residents use and value. 

Our landscaping teams have also moved into the spring planting programme, with new colour beginning to appear in beds across the Estate.

On Celtis Crescent, Johannesburg Water has attended to the supply-line leak that caused disruption through September. My thanks go to the affected residents for their patience during the investigation, and particularly to Damien Booth for assisting in tracing the source. These situations are seldom convenient, but they are made considerably easier when people work together.

Security is also a community effort

Our security operation continues to evolve in partnership with 24/7 Security Services. The 24/7 K9 Unit was deployed at the Uranium Road and Bushwillow Avenue intersections during September, adding specialist detection and tracking capability to our existing security measures.

Technology and specialist resources are important, but residents remain one of the most valuable layers of our security network. If something looks unusual, please report it to the Control Room on 011 465 5465 rather than assuming somebody else has already done so.

That same principle — noticing, acting and helping — was illustrated by several lost dogs arriving at the Control Room recently. In one case, two microchipped dogs were reunited with their owner within minutes of being scanned. Another dog, without a microchip or identification tag, had to rely on its owner eventually coming forward.

Dogs Trust’s microchipping and vaccination pop-up at our Heritage Day Farmers’ Market therefore arrived at an appropriate time. A collar can be lost; a microchip remains one of the simplest and most effective ways of helping a lost pet find its way home.

More than a market

Our fourth Farmers’ Market moved to Heritage Day this year, and the morning became about considerably more than shopping.

Alongside the market stalls and potjie competition, Dogs Trust offered its community service, while Fourways Road Runners continued its collection of pre-loved running shoes for people who can put them to good use.

That collection is one part of a much wider pattern we have seen across Fourways Gardens.

Our Cupcakes of Hope fundraiser on the HOA lawn supported families affected by childhood cancer, with the HOA matching the proceeds from cupcake sales. Thank you to everyone who baked, bought cupcakes or simply stopped by to support the initiative.

Outside the HOA Office, our Big Heart continues to collect clean plastic bottle tops for The Sweethearts Foundation, where something as ordinary as a bottle top ultimately contributes towards customised wheelchairs.

Fourways Road Runners, meanwhile, has been working towards a goal of collecting 100 pairs of pre-loved running shoes.

None of these gestures needs to be enormous on its own. That is perhaps the point. A cupcake, a pair of shoes, a handful of bottle tops or a little time given freely can seem small in isolation. Collectively, they become something meaningful.

October: caring for those who care for us

That spirit carries naturally into Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

This October, with the support of Kate Jones and Discovery Financial Consultants, we are able to offer more than a symbolic acknowledgement of the month.

On Friday, 9 October, Reach for Recovery will join us for a Breast Cancer Awareness Talk. This will be followed on Monday, 12 October by a CANSA screening day, with the mobile unit and nurse providing screenings by appointment.

A particular focus of the initiative is the women who so often spend their working lives caring for other households and families — domestic workers, nannies and caregivers — and who may not always place their own health first.

It is fitting that, in a month where we are reflecting on giving, we also make room for a different kind of giving: access, awareness and the opportunity to take care of those who spend so much of their time taking care of others.

Many families within Fourways Gardens have been touched by breast cancer, directly or through somebody they love. I hope residents will support the programme and encourage the women in their lives and households to make use of the opportunities available.

A few seasonal reminders

With the warmer weather comes rapid vegetation growth. Residents on perimeter stands are reminded that, in terms of Conduct Rule 9.14, at least 50 cm clearance should be maintained around electrified fencing. Vegetation touching the fence causes unnecessary alarms and can divert security resources.

We are also entering a period of increased bee activity. Should you notice bees establishing a hive in a common area, please contact the Estate Office or Control Room. Our swarm-management programme allows for appropriate and safe relocation.

Looking ahead

There is plenty still to come on the social calendar, including the Classics Club Dinner on 2 October, the Bubbles Festival on 24 October, Trick-or-Treat on 31 October, the Classics Club Brunch on 6 November and our Festive Market on 7 November.

The Festive Market in particular is shaping up to be one of our largest yet, while Quiz Night and Monthly Draw continue alongside the larger events.

A community that shows up

When I look back over the past month, the common thread is not really an event or a project. It is people.

A resident helps trace a water leak. Someone reports something that does not look right. A lost dog is brought somewhere safe. Residents bake for a cause, donate shoes, collect bottle tops or support somebody facing illness.

The infrastructure, landscaping, security systems and facilities of Fourways Gardens all matter, and we will continue investing in them.

But they remain the frame.

The picture is the people — and the way this community continues to show up for one another.

Charlene Marlin
Estate Manager