A Lavender Hill community activist is trying to turn the local laaities away from the streets and onto the tennis courts.
Ralph Bouwers says he wants children to focus their energy towards sport in order to find their passion in life.
“So that is why I started the tennis club, which is one of eight sporting codes I am looking to get them into.
“Unfortunately we cannot use the tennis courts at Lavender Hill high because it can only be used for school purposes, so now we have to ride to Plumstead.”
Ralph, who is a qualified optician who worked locally and in London, added that the tennis club currently consists of 12 boys aged eight to 15.
“I am focusing on children at those ages because that is when they can be brought into the whole gangster life as either drug runners or even dealers and that can open the door for them to start using drugs or become gangsters.”
The Lavender Hill resident is also the founder of the Guardians of the National Treasure, an organisation committed to helping the local community through sporting activities and soup kitchens.
“One of the guys who runs one of the 20 soup kitchens we have, organised for us to use the courts at the Plumstead Tennis Club in Victoria Road.
“We have access to the courts from Wednesday till Friday from 8-9.30am, so when they are not at school we use the bakkie that we use to transport the soup kitchen supplies to take them there.
“We have also been blessed by Constantia Primary School, who donated tennis rackets and balls for the kids.”
Along with tennis, Ralph has also started football, netball, mountain biking, chess and board game clubs.
He is now appealing for donations of sporting equipment, and also for people to offer their time and skills to coach.
Anybody interested can contact Ralph on 078 629 3258.
junoir.bester@inl.co.za