Achievements

Enhancing the quality of life of our beneficiaries by:

• Erecting an electrified fence and providing access control at Buffelsfontein Village
• Implementing a security company response contract and after hours crisis management system at Buffelsfontein Village and Cuylerholme Rooms as well as servicing the fire safety equipment .
• Reaching our goal of cost effective service delivery and improved accessibility by relocating our Head Office to Buffelsfontein Village. Increasing service delivery  from 3000 beneficiaries to a level of 5000+
• Extending the reach of our Social Work Programme by enabling our social workers to visit the elderly in their homes throughout the entire Nelson Mandela Metropole utilising funding from the National Lottery
• Alleviating transport problems experienced by elderly and in particular lone elderly by utilising our new 23 seater bus compliments of the National Lottery
• Successfully keeping elderly out of institutions via the Home based care pilot project in collaboration with the Department of Social Development
• Providing a weekly subsidised midday meal at well below the cost of serving it and the opportunity for social interaction and volunteerism to 400 sub economic elderly.
• Empowering the elderly and public of the Nelson Mandela Metropole to take action against elder abuse via a pilot programme in collaboration with the Department of Social Development and Age-in-Action
• Employing 4 home carers to care for sub economic elderly who desperately needed but could not afford the service.  
• Providing elderly with the opportunity to supplement their incomes via the sale of home crafted goods and volunteers the opportunity to assist with fundraising via the quarterly morning markets and annual Open Day 
• Hosting a very successful annual celebrity golf day for corporates
• Fetching & delivering medication for 144 housebound elderly and chronically ill via the auxiliary service
• Providing 41 914 subsidised meals to sub economic elderly.  
• Placing 147 home based carers to the benefit of 143 clients during the past financial year
• Providing home care to residents with special needs at Cuylerlolme Rooms and Buffelsfontein Village utilising the services of 4 carers sponsored by the National Lottery. Providing 2 812 sessions of home help.
• Raising the funds to replace the wooden window frames with aluminium at Cuylerholme Rooms
• Actively raising funds to paint Buffelsfontein Village and paint and waterproof Cuylerholme Rooms.
• Sanding and coating the wooden floors at Cuylerholme Rooms via a donation from our 2nd hand goods shop Bargains Unlimited that is run entirely by volunteers
• Raising the funds to replace the loose standing wardrobes with built-in cupboards at Cuylerholme Rooms
• Painting and Waterproofing Cuylerholme Rooms via a donation from a Trust Fund
• Building up a good stock of mobility aids and devices for use by older persons in the community
• Starting a once Monthly clinic at Buffelsfontein and Cuylerholme Rooms where residents can have Blood Pressure monitored and Blood Glucose tested.
• Erecting a new wall and pallisade fencing complete with access control gates at Cuylerholme Rooms.
• Rendering social work services to 356 older persons over the last financial year. Hosting a few very successful training sessions on the Older Persons Act to staff and residents of Buffelsfontein Village, Cuylerholme Rooms and the Sanctuary. 

How Has The Community Been Affected By This?

The comprehensive, preventative and much needed community focussed services provided by Algoa Bay Council for the Aged, has linked older persons and those with special needs to a support system that enables them to remain active and independent in the community. In particular the frail, the ill, underprivileged and lone aged. It has ultimately reduced or prevented the need for institutionalisation. The success of our programmes can be measured against the high age reached by many of our beneficiaries, who have much to the delight of their families and communities remained in the community despite increasing frailty, illness or advanced age.

Sustainability

Algoa Bay Council for the Aged charges a fee for most of its services, yet this income is largely negligible since it is sourced from the sub economic. We actively seek other sources of income. Fundraising projects generate income and others generate income whilst providing a service ie; the Antiquity Shop at Eleanor Murray Service Centre generates income yet also sells 2nd hand items at affordable prices to members and low income earners.

We have a good relationship with certain trust funds who have expressed their satisfaction with the utilisation of funding. This indicates a willingness to continue funding our programmes.

Regular major fundraising events are undertaken.  These include the Annual show at Open Sky featuring popular entertainers in July and the Celebrity Golf Classic in November.

Awareness is created by means of the media during events, our website www.abca.co.za , email ceo@abca.co.za  and all the social media platforms. Our Annual Open Day serves to inform the public about the work done by our Service Departments. Talks are also presented to interested groups by the fundraising and social work departments.

Planned Duration

All services are existing and most have been running for some time. The projects are ongoing as new elderly replace those who no longer need the service due to death or admission to institutions.

Accountability

We employ an administrator who is accountable to a finance committee for administrative and financial control.  The committee meet monthly to receive a report of all income and expenditure. An annual operating budget is prepared by the administrator, cleared by the finance committee and passed by the Board of Directors before the commencement of each financial year. A monthly progress report is presented to the finance committee on actual versus budgeted expenditure. We maintain separate accounts for each division and division heads are given regular updates on the financial status of their divisions. The CEO is solely responsible for the receiving of postal correspondence. All incoming monies are recorded in a register that is signed by the bookkeeper with a corresponding receipt reference number.

Monitoring And Evaluation

Algoa Bay Council for the Aged use a variety of monitoring methods for its projects. Service Centres complete daily records of activities and their utilisation. These are summarized monthly by head office and presented and discussed at monthly meetings with project managers. Suggestions, options and workable solutions are sought for problems.