Page 7 - Issue 4 Cornwall Hill

ESTATE MATTERS
S U P P O R T LO C A L LY:

THE CORNWALL HILL DATABASE

As a result of the Covid-19 lockdown, Cornwall Hill resident and businessman Org Geldenhuys launched
an initiative to connect local businesses and service providers with people in the community requiring
goods or services. We caught up with him recently to find out more about this plan.

by Nicole Zerwick, Photograph by Ivan Muller

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and It’s a free service and listing of the business The story starts three years ago for a
your family? is voluntary. A business wanting to be listed gardener and father of four named
We are a family of four: my wife Karen, myself can just send an email to directory@divisions. Albert, who needed two complete knee
and our two sons – Gerard and Antwan co.za requesting to be added. replacement surgeries. As it happened,
– have been living in Cornwall Hill Estate he was on an entry-level medical aid and
for three years. Gerard is studying at the How many companies are registered on hospital plan that paid for a lot of basic
University of Pretoria and Antwan is a scholar the database currently? medical procedures but not for any specialist
at Cornwall Hill College. For a living we run There are currently 90 businesses registered knee replacements. So, Albert had to wait a
a commercial property business, Abacus in the www.supportlocally.co.za directory, year to upgrade to the next level of medical
Divisions, which sells, rents and develops all from owners living in Cornwall Hill Estate. aid. At the beginning of 2020, he upgraded
commercial property in this area. I estimate there are approximately 150 to to the next level of medical aid and they
200 or more companies represented on the confirmed that they would cover such an
What is the database? estate and we are listing them as they find operation. On his salary and with a family
The www.supportlocally.co.za database out about the directory or as we find out to feed, the monthly cost of the medical aid
is an online directory listing businesses about their existence and request them to was a huge personal sacrifice which he made,
that form part of a specific community list. knowing that if he didn’t, he would not be able
such as Cornwall Hill Estate. The goals to walk or work in the near future. At the start
of the database are to get people to How can Cornwall Hill Estate residents of this year, a very excited Albert went to see
network and to connect people living in a looking for a service provider access the the orthopaedic surgeon. He soon realised that
particular community with their neighbours’ database? the operation was covered but that he would
businesses so that they can support them The www.suportlocally.co.za directory still need to pay the shortfall between the
where possible. It’s bringing the “support is accessible on the web or from your hospital plan and what the doctors involved
locally” and “buy locally” notion into our own smartphone. Go to the website and select in the operation would charge. This shortfall
community. It is an absolutely free service to “Cornwall Hill Estate” as your community and amounted to more than his annual take-home
business owners and the community. then use a search term such as “plumber” or pay and he was now in a position where he was
“attorney” or browse through the directory paying more money than he could really afford
Why did you feel the need to create the listings to see who’s listed – it’s that easy! every month for medical aid and still he
database? could not get the operation he needed.
I am active on the Cornwall Hill Estate What results have you, or companies,
community WhatsApp groups and registered on the database seen so far? When we launched the www.suportlocally.
began to notice that during lockdown, To date, we’ve seen a lot of goodwill from co.za directory, a Cornwall Hill community
an unbelievable community spirit was neighbours for such diverse things as member, Dr Franz Birkholtz, asked us to
developing among the Cornwall residents. supporting locally owned restaurants to list his practice – Walk-a-Mile – Specialist
People were reaching out and helping each procuring handyman services and even Orthopaedic Surgeon, practicing out of the
other with requests for service providers, ordering horse manure! There is just a Lifestyle Centre in Lyttleton.
recommendations, advice and sometimes general understanding of the business
just giving away fresh lemons from their community represented amongst us. This is Based on a quick search in the directory, the
garden to share with their neighbours. This a first step in fostering a strong community Walk-a-Mile practice was found, and a call
community spirit, together with the idea feeling and will grow as we all begin to was placed to the practice explaining Albert’s
that the way we travel, work and shop will “support locally”. For instance, we have a story. Without a hint of hesitation, they said
most certainly, and very drastically, change number of people in the motor industry that they would make a plan to ensure that
for the foreseeable future, sparked the idea in our community and as time goes on, I Albert could get the much-needed knee
of an online directory and listing of our believe we will start seeing people servicing replacement operations. Walk-a-Mile also
community’s businesses. The aim was really and buying their BMWs, VWs or any other said they would waive the additional costs for
to formalise a place to keep information brand from the dealers represented in the Albert and would also get the other doctors
about our community’s businesses and community. Business owners have also involved in the procedure to do the same.
give the community members a way to indicated that they would provide special
make a difference by “supporting locally” deals or free door to door delivery of their As it’s such a big operation, the specialists
and “buying locally” as far as possible. products for Cornwall residents – now that at Walk-a-Mile decided to do the first knee
It’s basically an extension of the various can be a real benefit to you if you are looking a few weeks ago during lockdown, and will
Facebook and WhatsApp groups that were for stationary or floor tiles or even boutique do the second one as soon as Albert has
already in operation. wines and pet food! recovered from the first operation. At time
of writing, Albert is getting physiotherapy,
Who may register on the database and I believe that the database even helped is able to walk again and has resumed with
how do they do this? an employee in the estate get connected light duty tasks at work.
Anybody living in Cornwall Hill Estate who with a doctor who helped with an
either owns a business or who is associated operation. Could you tell us about that? We have such an amazing community in
with a business as either a manager or This is such a lovely story of how this Cornwall Hill Estate, with a lot of goodwill
worker - no matter where the business is initiative directly and positively impacted a towards our neighbours, and I believe this is
geographically located, can list their business person in our community, and a story that only the first of many more stories like this
on the www.supportlocally.co.za database. made this whole initiative worthwhile. binding our community together.
Cornwall View • Issue 4 2020 5