AN activist who turned a Lavender Hill “killing field” into a sports ground for youngsters was awarded a ministerial commendation for uplifting and helping children’ in the area.
Local hero Mark Nicholson was recognised at the Western Cape department of cultural affairs and sports’ provincial sport awards ceremony in Pinelands this past weekend.
He and other sports stars in the Western Cape, including Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis, were commended for their contribution to the industry.
Nicholson was commended for his role in the development of youth through sport.
He founded the Lavender Hill Sport and Recreation Foundation in 2017, which runs a sports programme, feeding scheme and community projects at a Blose Street field that was notorious for gang fights.
Nicholson said plans were under way to develop the field into a recreation site for sport and cultural events.
“There will be an arts and culture centre which will be a music studio, an internet café, library and the arts and culture classrooms. We will be working with the young stars. In two to three months (the builders) will be putting the containers. We are slowly but surely getting there,” he said.
“The plans (for the field) were approved last week Friday. The field is fenced up now, which is phase one.”
MEC Anroux Marais said sports development played an important role in grooming the next generation of sports stars.
“I want to encourage you to continue living out your passion for your sport in any way that you can, whether it is through offering coaching support to a team that does not have access to a qualified coach, teaching a young child basic sporting skills or simply sharing your stories with others,” she said.
Ellis, whose team won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) in Morocco, took home the award for Coach of the Year.
Other winners included Gunther Kramer from Western Cape archery and Glenda Pieters from Western Cape fencing who were named Sportsman of the Year and Sportswoman of the Year, respectively.
Marais bestowed the ministerial commendations to Nicholson, Stormers head coach John Dobson, director for the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust, David Bellairs and Valerie Goliath for championing sport in the Central Karoo region.