For East London’s citizens and visitors alike, the Gonubie Boardwalk is more than a wooden walkway next to the Indian Ocean. It is a place for sunrise walks, jogging, photography, and even whale and dolphin spotting.
At least it was until 2019, when disaster struck. Heavy seas and storm surges struck the boardwalk, high tides with strong winds caused structural damage, making it unsafe to use. To the people of Gonubie, particularly Anthony Thompson, owner of the SUPERSPAR Gonubie, it was an event that impacted the heart of the community and destroyed a precious asset that everybody enjoyed.
“With the waves and storms eroding the foundation of the boardwalk, several sections collapsing totally, and others being severely weakened, there were doubts that we would ever again be able to enjoy the boardwalk activities or use it to reach Gonubie Beach, a favourite spot for families, surfers and sunbathers,” Thompson recalls.
Faced with the prospect of the boardwalk’s permanent closure, residents decided it was time to act. SUPERSPAR Gonubie jumped on board to help ensure that an asset to the community did not vanish into the ocean.
“After taking some engineering advice, we decided it was possible to rehabilitate the walkway. With the council’s agreement, work went ahead with the understanding that the SUPERSPAR Gonubie would continue with maintenance after the completion of the project. After a few months of ‘intensive care’, the boardwalk was once again fit for use by locals and a ‘must-see’ for tourists,” says Thompson.
Today, with SUPERSPAR Gonubie still maintaining it, the walkway is once again the centre of community activities and a place everyone can enjoy. In addition to being a favourite recreational asset, the restored boardwalk also contributes to environmental conservation.
It provides a controlled access point to the beach, minimises people’s impact on the surrounding dune ecosystems, and allows easy access to the estuary of the Gonubie River, which is a favourite spot for birdwatching.
“For SPAR, the Gonubie boardwalk and the involvement of the local store perfectly illustrates how our independently owned SPAR stores become integral parts of their surrounding communities,” says Mpudi Maubane, National PR, Communications & Sponsorship Manager at The SPAR Group.
“We are proud that many of our store owners, like Anthony Thompson, are at the forefront of taking action when a need is identified in a community and that their local involvement adds to the vision and mission of The SPAR Group as a retailer committed to uplifting the communities in which we operate”.
About the SPAR Group:
The SPAR Group Ltd (SPAR or the group) is a warehousing and distribution business listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) in the Food and Drug Retailers sector. The group owns the SPAR retail brand but, essentially, supports a network of independent retailers who trade under our brand through our distribution centres. SPAR forms part of SPAR International, which is present in 44 countries and has 240 distribution centres that serve 13 million customers every day. The SPAR Group Ltd, headquartered in Durban, South Africa, is present in nine countries, has 10 distribution centres and serves 3 768 retail members through 14 store formats every day.
For more, please visit www.spar.co.za or https://thespargroup.com
LinkedIn: sparsouthafrica
Facebook: @MY SPAR
Twitter: @My_Spar
Instagram: @my_spar
The post Community action saves East London’s iconic Gonubie Boardwalk from washing away appeared first on The Home Of Great South African News.
For East London’s citizens and visitors alike, the Gonubie Boardwalk is more than a wooden walkway next to the Indian Ocean.
The post Community action saves East London’s iconic Gonubie Boardwalk from washing away appeared first on The Home Of Great South African News. Read More
