A children’s holiday programme, Come and Play, is currently running at various halls and fields in Grahamstown.
A children’s holiday programme, Come and Play, is currently running at various halls and fields in Grahamstown.
The Come and Play programme is a recreational holiday programme started by the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture (DSRAC) and Makana Municipality in 1997. Later on the South African Police Service joined in the partnership.
Fiona Williamson, deputy director corporate services for Cacadu district DSRAC said: “The objective is to keep children off the street, alleviate crime and poverty, as well as keeping them entertained through recreational activities.”
The programme started on 3 December at various facilities including: Joza Indoor Sport Centre, Oval stadium, JD Dlepu Stadium, Egazini Stadium, Folley Grounds, Hoogenoeg, Vergenoeg, Vukani Location, Extension 9 and the open space at the back of the Recreation Hall.
The days’ activities, including traditional codes such as soccer, touch rugby, netball and others run from 9am to 12pm. The programme then shifts to the Indoor Sports Centre from 12 noon until about 3pm with volleyball, hand cricket, soccer, hand tennis and other sporting codes. The programme ends on 18 December and recommences on 4 January for one week before schools open.
Over the years, the programme has expanded throughout the Cacadu District to areas such as: Aberdeen (Camdeboo Municipality), Joubertina (Kou-Kamma Municipality), Kliplaat (Ikhwezi Municipality), Port Alfred and Alexandria (Ndlambe Municipality).
