Westlake United Church Trust receives kitchen upgrade

Westlake United Church Trust (WUCT), a social development non-profit serving Westlake Village, has received a R75 000 investment to upgrade its kitchen.

The renovated kitchen, which was unveiled last Thursday, April 3, is a Constantia Rotary Club-led project achieved through the collaborative effort between the Rotary, WUCT, and several businesses.  

According to Constantia Rotarian, Gordon Slater, the renovation was initiated by the club in November but executing the plans began last month. 

“We initially asked for a couple of second-hand cupboards, but a local business that specialises in bespoke kitchen designs invested in the project. Their designer was here, she came and measured up, did the design, and on Monday March 3, they started installing in the kitchen and by the end of March it was finished,” says Mr Slater.

“In addition to this, a local tile store donated all the floor and wall tiles which WUCT’s staff laid down. An urn for hot water and 38 pieces of crockery of cutlery, knives, forks, spoons, plates were donated by a local storage container supplier. Three Rotarians paid for the installation of a new stove.

“This is a project where everybody pulled together,” Mr Slater says, “Pieter (Greyling) organised electricians, plumbers and tilers, using artisans from the local village which was a great help, instead of bringing in outsiders they used the local workers.”

WUCT general manager Pieter Greyling says the kitchen was last updated 15 years ago and is used by a number of programmes including the Hilltoppers, an elderly club of 50 to 60 people who meet twice a week and a childcare and protection programme that serves 95 primary school pupils during the week and 35 youths on Fridays.

He says the upgraded kitchen gives the trust a chance to boost income by renting out the hall for funerals and other community gatherings.

Sister Louette Maccullum, who is the health and wellness coordinator and runs a mom and baby support group, says the group helps moms introduce solids to their six month olds. 

“A butternut will feed a baby for a week, whereas the average store bought baby food will feed them for about two meals. We use the kitchen to teach the mums, instead of spending a fortune on baby foods, how to make their own food, with no additives or spices, and freeze it. So they are able to give that to their children. Ultimately by 10 to 11 months they are eating the same cooked food as their parents. 

“Now that we have a beautiful kitchen, I am hoping, trusting and praying that people will respect what has been put in place and will use it and look after it.”

George Smith, a community worker who runs the childcare and protection programme, says it was previously difficult to prepare food for over 90 children that come each week, divided in their age group from 8 to 18 over separate days. The programme aims to teach children life skills. The oldest group of teenagers have the opportunity to learn how to prepare their own food but the place was “never good or big enough."

“There wasn't any place to store a lot of our cutlery and crockery and tupperware but now if you go in, you'll see there's a big ample amount of space for us to store the stuff.

“One of the girls walked in the kitchen and she said she feels like she's on Expresso, it doesn't feel like I'm in Westlake. It's been such a great initiative and it's very exciting to just see what's going to come of the kitchen and how many other people it will help.”