03 December 2018

Businesses Join Forces to Raise over R200k for Woodside Special Care Centre

Submitted by: Taryn
Businesses Join Forces to Raise over R200k for Woodside Special Care Centre

Since 2013, DSC Attorneys, a law firm specialising in personal injury and Road Accident Fund (RAF) claims, has been sponsoring an annual golf day to raise funds for The Woodside Special Care Centre, a residential home for profoundly disabled persons.

This year the event raised R220 000 – its biggest collection yet.

DSC Attorneys hosted the golf day at the Kuils River Golf Club on 15 November. All the funds raised were donated to the Woodside Special Care Centre.

The money raised through the event has steadily increased over the years with R70 000 being raised in 2013, R107 000 in 2014, R141 000 in 2015, R192 500 in 2016 and in R190 000 in 2017.

Office manager at DSC Attorneys, Michéle de Jager, says the support that this year’s golf day garnered was both overwhelming and heart-warming. “We first thought we’d surpassed our target of R200k by raising R215 000 this year, but then people were so inspired by Woodside’s work that we had a few last-minute donations come in. This pushed the final amount we collected to R220 000,” she says.The remaining funds were raised through entry fees, raffles, monies collected through smaller competitions and an auction on the day – where the items on auction were sponsored by the law firm.

DSC Attorneys also sponsored a four-ball team made up of the Woodside Centre’s board of trustees.

Woodside Special Care Centre is a residential home in Rondebosch East, Cape Town. It provides specialised care for persons who live with more than one disability, including intellectual and physical disabilities.“We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without people like the team from DSC Attorneys. They have been instrumental in making the lives of Woodside Special Care residents better,” says Clive Obery, Marketing Manager of the centre.

Obery says the funds donated by DSC Attorneys are utilised for the centre’s Wards of the Court Programme. The programme looks after children aged 6-12 who’ve been placed in the centre’s care by the State. Many of the children in the programme have three to four disabilities and are unable to bathe, dress or feed themselves.  “Their families don’t have the facilities, skills and training to provide them with the constant specialised care they need,” says Obery. It costs the centre approximately R11 000 per month to care for one of the 25 children in the Wards of the Court Programme.  The centre employs 122 staff and houses a total of 80 residents, some of whom have been living there for over 40 years. “We have about ten residents who’ve been here since the age of two and are now in their late 40s and early 50s. They end up staying here because there isn’t anywhere else for them to go,” says Obery.

When DSC Attorneys first hosted the golf day in 2013 at the Bellville Golf Club, 24 four-ball entrants took part. Since then, it’s grown to accommodate a full field of 34 teams, including business partners of the law firm and private individuals, many of whom have made the competition an annual tradition.

After the day of golf, the teams enjoyed a gala dinner where prizes were awarded to the top 19 teams.  This year the winning four-ball was the team from Groote Post Wine Estate in Darling.Anyone who wants more information or would like to make a contribution to Woodside Special Care Centre can contact Clive on 021 696 2811 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..