Lions to the rescue at Fish Hoek museum

Karen Watkins|Published 2 years ago

Fish Hoek Lions and volunteers helped to clean up the Fish Hoek Valley Museum on Saturday July 23.. From left, are Rory Stier, Jenny Ocker, Rosemarie Lewis, Yolande Magerman, Aidan Ewers, Barry Deeks, museum curator Sally Britten, Pieter van der Westhuizen, Linda Cannone, Liz Coetzee, Brent Proctor, Mandy Proctor, Ingrid Russell and Chris Ocker.

Fish Hoek Lions Club has come to the rescue of the Fish Hoek Valley Museum, taking it on as one of its projects after the Echo reported on its sad state (“A blight at the museum”, False Bay Echo, June 30).

Street people have been sleeping at the museum and driving visitors away, according to the curator, Sally Britten.

When the City put up a fence around the civic centre three years ago, it drove the vagrants sleeping there to the museum next door, she said.

At the end of May, she sounded an appeal for help on social media, warning of growing vagrancy near the museum.

“Fish Hoek Lions Club have come to the rescue and taken it on as their project as a result of that article,” said Ms Britten. “They are offering us an enormous amount of help from general maintenance and upkeep to full security fencing the property.”

Fish Hoek Lion Aidan Ewers said he had met with the Ms Britten to assess and discuss the state of the premises.

He proposed to Fish Hoek Lions Club president Brent Proctor and his fellow Lions that the club take on the repairs and cleaning needed at the museum.

“Everyone agreed that it was a done deal because they view the museum as an important drawcard to all visitors and tourists,” said Mr Ewers.

On Saturday July 23, the Lions and volunteers got to work. According to Ms Britten, they cleaned up the grounds, cut the grass and overgrown foliage, painted the front of the building, prepared the burglar bars for painting, restored razor that had been removed from the wall between the museum and the clinic and fitted a solar light to shine on the front of the museum.

The light has since been stolen according to Ingrid Russell, the club’s former president.

Ms Russell said they will report the stolen light to the police but continue to raise funds to put up a security fence. “We’ve got to put an end to this nonsense,” she said.

She said they were raising money to put up a fence around the museum.

The club relies on donations to support its community projects. If you can help, contact Aidan Ewers at 082 453 3272.

Lion Anelore Vorster helping with the clean-up operation at the Fish Hoek Valley Museum.

Lion Linda Cannone and volunteer Barry Deeks helped to clean up the Fish Hoek Valley Musuem.