How did we start?
Children’s Campaign Trust (CCT) was birthed in 1999 and first registered in 2000. It commenced with one of the trustees, David Morgan from Wales, seed funding the trust with £200 000, which enabled the purchase of a house in Green Point. In late 2000 a second property in Claremont was purchased. Both of these properties have Montessori Pre-schools operating out of them.
We currently rent two other properties in Claremont, Cape Town, and a third in Sunridge, Table View. We operate three pre-schools and a primary school from these premises. In 2010 we purchased a big piece of land in Sunningdale, Table View, and are currently building a new pre-school and primary school on the property.
The assets controlled by the trust are now worth over R20 million and debt of less than R3 million leaves a net asset base of at least R17 million. Turnover now exceeds R10 million and free cash of over R1 million is generated from the schools. There are more than three hundred pupils across the four campuses.
The assets controlled by the trust are now worth over R20 million and debt of less than R3 million leaves a net asset base of at least R17 million. Turnover now exceeds R10 million and free cash of over R1 million is generated from the schools. There are more than three hundred pupils across the four campuses.
Social Enterprise
Before the term social enterprise was coined, CCT with a track record of 15 years now, has pioneered in this market segment.
A social enterprise is defined as:
"A business with a social end rather than a purely capitalistic, profit-driven motive."
What makes CCT a social enterprise is that the beneficiaries of the trust are the children of Cape Town. To this end, Connect Network was started in 2004 which networks with organisations predominantly aimed at women and children at risk in the Greater Cape Town area. Over the last ten years CCT has contributed close to R2 million of funding to the network.
A social enterprise is defined as:
"A business with a social end rather than a purely capitalistic, profit-driven motive."
What makes CCT a social enterprise is that the beneficiaries of the trust are the children of Cape Town. To this end, Connect Network was started in 2004 which networks with organisations predominantly aimed at women and children at risk in the Greater Cape Town area. Over the last ten years CCT has contributed close to R2 million of funding to the network.
Connect Network currently networks with 115 projects that have a combined reach of 280 000 children and 43000 women in a year. The main focus is to work with the leadership of these projects to help them sustainably deliver better services to women and children at risk.
The combined budgets of these 115 projects is over R140 million per annum.
The combined budgets of these 115 projects is over R140 million per annum.
New projects and businesses
CCT is in the process of starting three new businesses:
Reporting Solutions (Pty) Ltd.
This business is designed to provide accounting and administration services to CCT and the 115 organisations in Connect Network as well as to outside companies. Reporting Solutions houses an intellectual capital in the form of its employees to assist not only medium sized businesses but large entities too.
Reporting Solutions have become the pioneers in NPO accounting. Focusing on the Goodwill of an NPO, Reporting Solutions structures its clients’ accounts in a manner to truly reflect the value of the NPO by adding financial values to the time, energy and external recourses given to NPO’s that belong on the balance sheet of the NPO. The true value of an organisation is then reflected in its accounts.
This business is designed to provide accounting and administration services to CCT and the 115 organisations in Connect Network as well as to outside companies. Reporting Solutions houses an intellectual capital in the form of its employees to assist not only medium sized businesses but large entities too.
Reporting Solutions have become the pioneers in NPO accounting. Focusing on the Goodwill of an NPO, Reporting Solutions structures its clients’ accounts in a manner to truly reflect the value of the NPO by adding financial values to the time, energy and external recourses given to NPO’s that belong on the balance sheet of the NPO. The true value of an organisation is then reflected in its accounts.
Connect 2 Solar (Pty) Ltd
This business has been registered and set up to install solar (PVC) panels onto the roofs of NGO’s and businesses to generate power to supplement their electricity needs. With a donation of $8 500, we have commenced the installation of PVC panels onto the roof of the Philippi Children’s Centre, a pre-school in the agricultural area of Philippi. The purpose of this installation is to create a track record of the costs and savings so that a cost-benefit model can be developed as a sales case.
This business has been registered and set up to install solar (PVC) panels onto the roofs of NGO’s and businesses to generate power to supplement their electricity needs. With a donation of $8 500, we have commenced the installation of PVC panels onto the roof of the Philippi Children’s Centre, a pre-school in the agricultural area of Philippi. The purpose of this installation is to create a track record of the costs and savings so that a cost-benefit model can be developed as a sales case.
We plan to raise funds for all projects in the network that have a north-facing building and a roof structure that can hold the weight of PVC panels, with a roll-out. Connect Network will then earn a revenue stream out of the savings made on electricity in these organisations.
African Volunteer Services (Pty) Ltd
The primary goal of this business is to attract foreign volunteers and interns to Cape Town to work in the Connect Network organisations.
A revenue stream is derived from volunteers paying for services, accommodation, transport and entertainment whilst working as a volunteer. Typically a volunteer pays between $900 and $1100 per month for full board and lodging in Cape Town. We are currently converting a house in Claremont to accommodate 12 to 14 volunteers.
The primary goal of this business is to attract foreign volunteers and interns to Cape Town to work in the Connect Network organisations.
A revenue stream is derived from volunteers paying for services, accommodation, transport and entertainment whilst working as a volunteer. Typically a volunteer pays between $900 and $1100 per month for full board and lodging in Cape Town. We are currently converting a house in Claremont to accommodate 12 to 14 volunteers.
In each of the above businesses, CCT owns 51% with the balance of the equity going to the capital providers and management.
Unlocking the value of under-performing assets
In 2012 Scripture Union (SU) approached Peter Williams to help them set up the SU Business Entity. A small group of seasoned businessmen have been appointed by SU to leverage business opportunities from under-performing and "lazy assets" that are owned by SU.
Amongst the assets of SU is a property portfolio of over R50 million and the business entity is currently investigating alternative revenue streams from these properties.
Amongst the assets of SU is a property portfolio of over R50 million and the business entity is currently investigating alternative revenue streams from these properties.
SU has four campsites in its property portfolio. This area of work lead to a discussion with the Uniting Christian Student Association (UCSA) who, like SU, have an under-performing property portfolio of over R200 million. UCSA have asked to be included in the process of investigating alternative revenue streams.
The SA Scouting movement has 60 Scout halls in the Western Cape. CCT is in the process of signing a lease over the Claremont Scout Hall to run a Montessori school from the premises. This will be rolled out into other Scout Halls once a track record has been created with the Scouting movement.
Clearly we are in demand as we have successfully created businesses that can be run from assets in the property portfolios of established and well supported NGO’s.
Island of Hope Proposal
This property is one of those under-performing assets, mentioned above, belonging to the Salvation Army and heavily invested in by the Rotary Club of Paarl. CCT believes it can transform this site into a vibrant contributor to the fortunes of a number of NGO’s in the Paarl district whilst at the same time keeping the property available for children at risk.
CCT seeks to lease the property for a 15 year period during which period it aims to establish a Montessori Pre-school serving the poorer community of Paarl. The school will cater for between 100 and 120 pre-school children aged from 3-months to 6-years and will be run out of the church and church hall. We will target families whose combined income does not exceed R3000. We will seek funding from the Department of Social Development for children up to age four and the Department of Education for Grade ‘R’ pupils.
To help fund the school we aim to re-open the thrift/charity shop. We will not only sell second-hand clothing, but also investigate a range of food items that are normally purchased by the poorer communities of Cape Town. We aim to supplement the schools income by up to R20 000 per month, if not more.
Finally, we aim to run a branch of African Volunteer Services from the 34-bed residence. International volunteers will be our target market with these volunteers being placed in projects belonging to both the Valcare Network of NGO organisations and Connect Network.
The social enterprise aim is to facilitate a flow of income into the organisations that accept volunteers from African Volunteer Services. CCT owns 51% of African Volunteer Services and the profit attributable to this share will be re-distributed to participating organisations through a small grant scheme.
The social enterprise aim is to facilitate a flow of income into the organisations that accept volunteers from African Volunteer Services. CCT owns 51% of African Volunteer Services and the profit attributable to this share will be re-distributed to participating organisations through a small grant scheme.
The Management Team
Peter Williams was schooled at Bishops and UCT. He has a B.Com with honours in Financial Management and a MBA. A 25-year career span has seen him work in big and small enterprises in Cape Town. He set up a joint venture in China for a British multinational company and listed a company on the JSE. At the age of 39 he went into semi-retirement and started the social enterprise which has become Children’s Campaign.
Jevron Epstein completed his articles at Noland’s Incorporated. He studied a double-major in finance and organisational psychology. Focussing on finance, he enrolled to become a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Staying on after his articles, he assisted the business development division of Noland’s, looking at their clients' synergies and business opportunities. Jevron left Noland’s and spent six months in Johannesburg working for a corporate finance house assisting with the listing of entities and their compliance. He has a passion for business and social responsibility. Jevron is the youngster in the team, but lives by the old adage “If you want to climb a mountain, then ask someone who has been up before.”
Staying on after his articles, he assisted the business development division of Noland’s, looking at their clients' synergies and business opportunities. Jevron left Noland’s and spent six months in Johannesburg working for a corporate finance house assisting with the listing of entities and their compliance. He has a passion for business and social responsibility. Jevron is the youngster in the team, but lives by the old adage “If you want to climb a mountain, then ask someone who has been up before.”
Andre Malherbe did his B Com at Stellenbosch University and then worked in the banking and insurance sector for 15 years. He left to start his own business, Cape Braai Distributors, which made and sold bricketts and fire-lighters. When he sold the business he had a range of 17 braai products in every single Pick ‘n Pay, Shoprite-Checkers, Spar, OK and 7-Eleven across the country. Now semi-retired, he spends his time enriching Children’s Campaign Trust with his many and varied contacts.
Henk Dokter grew up in Zambia and matriculated in from boarding-school in Johannesburg. He graduated from the University of Natal (Durban) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Quantity Surveying in 1980. He spent two years with Grinaker projects and then started his own construction/project management company which he ran for ten years. He ran major construction sites such as Saldanha Steel and Mozal in Mozambique. He also started, and was a shareholder, in a division of Royal Sechaba called Royal Site Services. Following that he opened and owned five Harvey World Travel agencies.
This team brings a wealth of business knowledge and experience to the fore. They have been selected based on their ability to start companies and manage them successfully. This team will continue to grow as Reporting Solutions grows.
Conclusion
Over the last 15 years CCT has morphed and grown into the meaningful organisation that it is today and it will continue to grow in the area of social enterprise over the coming years. What makes it exciting is the business influence and impact on social upliftment.
We are seeking partners to grow at an increasing rate over the next few years. Please contact Peter Williams on 021 6892813 or 083 554 1503 or email him at williamsp61@gmail.com
We are seeking partners to grow at an increasing rate over the next few years. Please contact Peter Williams on 021 6892813 or 083 554 1503 or email him at williamsp61@gmail.com