Forest Town School Foundation

GRAND OPENING FOREST TOWN SCHOOL BEAUTY THERAPY TRAINING CENTRE

This centre was recently built to provide accredited training for senior students to work in the cosmetic industry when they leave Forest Town School. Training takes place during school hours . Final year learners work with an Occupational Therapist and Social Worker who assist in sourcing employment, as well as providing advice and mentoring for future employers. Subjects taught are hairdressing, manicures and pedicures and massage. Although not yet complete as far as the interior of the building is concerned due to lack of funds (to build cubicles for clients), the centre is  one of the few of its kind. It is unique in a special needs school setting. Learners with special needs remain the most under-employed sector in SA today. To make an appointment for a treatment call 079 296 6863 or 011 646 0131 and ask for Ronalda or Elsa. Funds from customers provide sustainability to this programme, therefore the completion of the interior of the building is much needed R150 000 will enable us to complete this skills development programme as soon as possible so that more customers can be accommodated. With our grateful thanks to donors of this extension in 2009: The Carl & Emily Fuchs Foundation, Werksman’s Attorneys, Nedbank Foundation and Bohwa Gaming.     Contact Marion Leatherbarrow on 0829733711 if you are able to provide funding.

The school is a registered NPO , PBO & Section 18a Tax Exemption, and is 91% BBBEE compliant for Social Investment funding.

Building Maintenance

Forest Town School is located in an historical building, part of which was built at the end of the 19th Century, with the remaining areas comprising of Plaster of Paris prefabs erected in the 1960’s. A great deal of pressure is put on the buildings and environment due to the fact that the school  not only provides education, but social services, primary & specialized medical care, occupational, speech & physiotherapy, transport, skills training, feeding, sport, and the Sunbeam Training Centre for those who work with disabled and vulnerable children. Additional stress is placed on the buildings due to  heavy use from children in wheelchairs and those who use other apparatus. Hundreds of people use the buildings daily. We are in urgent need of  an extra R500 000 per annum to keep the buildings safe and functional.

We only have a very limited amount of funding from the government grant for maintenance for 2010. The funds are used for a multitude of repairs to classrooms, equipment, buildings, drains, etc.

Contact: Marion on 0829733711 or 011 791 5283 to arrange for a tour of the school to view all of the programmes in action and to join her for refreshments in the Tsogo Coffee Shop run by Skills Training students.

Special points of interest:

* The National Lottery Sport provided funding to upgrade the school swimming pool and other sport equipment. This is the first time that the school has been able to provide specialized sporting equipment for children with disabilities.    Many generous donors have made it possible to run all of the programmes in 2010. Rotary Club Sandton purchased a new bus in 2009 and a combi in 2010. Our grateful thanks to you all.

* Now is the time that we need to source funding for 2011 (R2.5 million p.a.) and beyond. I will be very happy to provide a presentation to companies and to take prospective donors on a tour of the programmes offered.

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