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Heritage Day in communication and tourism

September 15, 2020 September 22, 2020

Heritage in South Africa: embracing differences in culture and visit some of our heritage sites for Tourism month

Heritage is something quite personal and changes from person to person.

It is something that we as South Africans particularly find important to recognise because of the diversity of our people, identified in the formative years of our Democracy by Nelson Mandela and his new government.

In his address marking Heritage Day 1996, the late former State President Nelson Mandela said: “When our first democratically elected government decided to make Heritage Day one of our national days, we did so because we knew that our rich and varied cultural heritage has a profound power to help build our new nation.”

Heritage Day is a day to remember and celebrate all the various South African cultures and their unique heritage. When people talk about South African heritage, they might be referring to anything from famous stretches of coastline in Kwazulu-Natal, to shweshwe fabric or veldskoen, to Bunny Chow, Bobotie, boerewors and beyond. Prior to 1995 Heritage Day was in fact called Shaka Day in commemoration of the Zulu King, while in 2005 a campaign sought to brand the day as National Braai Day with the Archbishop Desmond Tutu accepting his role of patron of South Africa’s braai day in 2007.

Honouring the diversity of our country’s people and recognising our differences and richness in all respective cultures is at the heart of South Africa’s beautiful uniqueness.

We are WOMEN

August 18, 2020 August 19, 2020

It’s all about the ladies this month!

August is a special month – it’s Women’s month! But it’s also a bittersweet event, especially this year. The month is meant to be a celebration of women and the role they’ve played in our history — which is why we celebrate Women’s Day on the 9th of August, the anniversary of the 1956 Women’s March against pass laws — as well as our place in society. But, more often than not, it ends up highlighting the struggles and dangers that women face every day.

We also know that men have been at the top of the leaderboard for years, dominating the world of business and many other industries for reasons that are as complex as they are deep-rooted. But with changes in gender policies and norms and the rise of so many influential women came the launch of a whole new era for businesswomen around the world. Today, women sit side by side with their male counterparts and establish their businesses as household names in a variety of industries, including publishing and broadcasting, science and technology, design, engineering, fashion and beauty.

As a tribute to our local women changing their industries, we’ve put together some of our top female entrepreneurs in Woodstock and surrounds who are making waves. Let’s show our support for our women leaders.

Plastic Free July 2020

July 17, 2020 July 17, 2020

This month we are going plastic free!

Plastic Free July is a call to everyone to join us in saying “No, thank you!” to single-use plastic shopping bags, takeaway cups, drinking straws and other items that are contributing to the pollution crisis currently plaguing our oceans.

Local businesses delivering food in your hood during lockdown

May 15, 2020 July 28, 2021

Staying home, saving lives and getting all your essentials! Get groceries, frozen meals, meats, fresh fish, treats and even dog food delivered during lockdown.

During this nationwide lockdown we’re allowed to leave home only for essential goods and services such as buying food – but what if you have the option of getting all you need (and no, we don’t mean Mcdonald’s!) delivered to your doorstep? Staying home, saving lives AND getting the pantry stocked up? All at once? Here’s how!

We’ve listed some local businesses and apps you can use who deliver in the Woodstock area to get all you need at the click of a button.

Woodstock Design District – 5 creative businesses to know

November 1, 2019 December 17, 2019

Woodstock has long had a reputation for being a hub of industry, design and manufacture. In a new social media series, we’ve been featuring our local creative businesses, coined to be part of the Woodstock Design District. Now we curate our top five for 2019, which we have selected to feature across a range of design and art businesses across the creative sectors. This series was inspired by The Woodstock Design District Map, a curated guide to the Cape Town neighbourhood with the highest density of design studios and art galleries in the country, created by the Guild Group and Monday Design.

Save our furry friends!

August 19, 2019 August 19, 2019

Milan Kundera, a French writer, once said: “Humanity’s true moral test, its fundamental test… consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy – animals.”

In recent months there has been an increase in the incidents of animal abuse and cruelty across the board. We have seen and heard stories and footage on television and social media where animals are being killed and tortured and neglected, left to fend for themselves on the streets and try to survive against the odds.

Abigail Abrahams – A hero in our midst

July 29, 2019 July 29, 2019

Abigail Abrahams – a household name at the Woodstock Improvement District – has long since been an advocate for the underprivileged, the downtrodden and the hopeless. Her work in the community is extraordinary and so we caught up with her for a quick chat to find out a little more.

WID Winter Warmers

July 1, 2019 July 29, 2019

Winter is officially in full swing and we are anticipating many more cold, dark and damp days ahead. We also know that there are men, women and children suffering on the streets during this time that could greatly benefit from a small act of kindness – so why not keep the heat in and the cold out this winter by spreading the love becoming involved in these heart-warming initiatives in the Woodstock community and its surroundings.

Help St Anne’s help others

May 5, 2019 June 18, 2019

WID St Anne’s

Women and children are among the most vulnerable in our community and in society at large. As a community focused organisation, WID is committed to assisting entities that support those in need.

Support our sustainable employment initiative

April 11, 2019 June 5, 2019

Those familiar with the work of the Woodstock Improvement District (WID) will know that our official mandate is to provide top-up cleaning and security services to the Woodstock community.

More than that, we’re committed to serving and supporting the community in practical ways. This includes finding sustainable ways of addressing poverty, unemployment and homelessness.

One of the successful ways that we’ve managed to do this is in partnership with Khulisa Social Solutions, a non-profit organisation working to empower and enable vulnerable communities to unlock their potential and develop skills towards a sustainable future.

The premise of the partnership is to take people off the streets of Woodstock and give them a job, typically in cleaning, for which they earn a monthly stipend of R3000. We have countless success stories that demonstrate how having a job and earning an income gives people a sense of purpose and security, which has a knock-on effect on other social problems within the community.

We want to get more people off the streets, working and with a sense of dignity. But in order to do this we need financial support.

Please consider helping just one person off the street with a monthly contribution of R3000. The orientation process is managed entirely by WID and Khulisa, with no further expectations from business, except the benefit of working and living in a safer, more resilient community.

With your help we can empower people and create more resilient communities, and as such we kindly urge you to consider getting involved.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions or queries on 021 462 7321 or info@wid.co.za.