- Acting principal Stephen Price launched a R2 million campaign to transform Lotus High School’s unsafe and overgrown sports ground into a functional field for soccer, rugby, and athletics.
- The Claim Your Square initiative encourages individuals and businesses to sponsor sections of the field at R150 per square metre, funding essential upgrades like grass, irrigation, goalposts, and equipment.
- Price emphasizes that a proper sports facility will offer learners a positive outlet, keeping them engaged and away from the daily challenges of gangsterism and domestic violence.
A new campaign aimed at transforming an unkept and hazardous sports ground at Lotus High School into a “field of dreams” – by bringing sports back to learners – is the brainchild of acting principal Stephen Price.
Price, whose passion for education has seen enormous inroads at the school which was once listed as the “worst performing school in the Western Cape” has set his sights on a new R2 million sports field.His achievements, since he was called out of retirement in July 2023 to take over as acting principal at the school, included the matric pass rate jumping from 32% in mid-2023 to 65% by the end of last year.
“We have a large field which has been the school’s property for more than 20 years,” he shared with the People’s Post. “But it is bumpy and overgrown, a fire hazard and unkept.”
In order to turn the field into a well-run and maintained sports ground to play soccer, rugby and athletics will require a lot of work.
According to Price, while learners play for various soccer clubs they do not have a dedicated soccer team at the school.
Being transparent, Price broke down the costs of not only grass but an irrigation system, goal posts, a borehole and tractor.
“The field needs an irrigation system, it needs a pump, it needs water and a power system for automatic irrigation,” he explained. “The grass alone for the entire field costs R750 000.
“Once we have grass, then we need something to cut the grass, so we need a tractor to mow the fields and keep it in good order. . . we will need a borehole for water and a timer system that will run our watering automatically.”
A marking machine, to paint markings on the grass for athletic tracks, will cost another R25 000.
“We need soccer and rugby goal posts because we are currently using wood and shade cloth,” he added.
“We have set ourselves a target of eight months to reach our fundraising goal and hope that corporates, parents and Capetonians will get involved.”
The Claim Your Square campaign allows individuals, families, and businesses to sponsor sections of the new sports field.
“By claiming a square, you’re investing in the potential of Lotus High School learners and leaving a lasting legacy in the community. Together we can grow the field and grow the future,” Price added.
How does it work?
“I’ve divided the square metres, per field, and I’m encouraging everyone to invest R150 per square metre,” Price explained.
Referring to an incident at the school, where a group of boys and two girls were seen allegedly beating a girl in a widely circulated social media video, Price said it was vital for learners to have a sports field as they are often subjected to violence which spills into the classroom.
“We need this field because these kids are going home to gangsterism, violence and domestic violence every day and I want my children to stay in school and play sport.”
For more info or to support the campaign click on https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/lotus-high-school-field-of-dreams
