The Pebbles Project was founded in December 2004 by Sophia Warner who came to South Africa following her sister Lucy, and has grown consistently to a very successful organisation, employing 84 dedicated staff and helping 1303 children and their parents throughout the winelands, Wellington, Citrusdal and Hemel en Aarde. 7 of the staff have been with the organisation for 8 to 15 years, and 12 for more than 5 years. Collectively they have over a hundred years of experience in Changing Lives. At the AGM held on Thursday 12 September, trustee and Treasurer Peter Blaine himself seemed surprised at how well the organisation has been doing. Sophia took us through the AGM focusing on the values of the organisation; Integrity, Commitment, Courage and Compassion, which are clearly at the heart of The Pebbles Project and its people.. One of the most recent projects was the launch of the Pebbles Academy Hermanus, the first school they have started, thanks to the hard work and funding from Freudenberg, Andre Du Plessis and Rotary Hermanus. The school already has 34 students enrolled and it looks like next year this is set to double. Thanks to Freudenberg for their massive contribution to the classrooms. Another great addition to the Pebbles Project portfolio is the Pebbles Kitchen, housed at Joostenberg, which has prepared 130 000 meals since January 2019, and are distributed to ECD and After School Club centres in the winelands, Wellington, Citrusdal and Hemel en Aarde, ensuring that children are well-nourished, as no child can learn on an empty stomach. FACET is one of Pebbles most ardent supporters and they too have contributed to more vehicles. The 6th vehicle is based in Citrusdal and will act as a tutor classroom where Pebbles can teach groups of learners for maths, literacy, life skills and also any groups of learners who need additional special needs support. The vehicle will cater for learners aged 7 – 18 years. The vehicle will also be equipped with an interactive whiteboard and projector for interactive teaching and computer applications. Look out for the next few events raising funds for Pebbles - as you can be sure the money is well spent. Get your Bling on in order to #ChangeLives The Crystal Ball - Fri 18th Oct at Lourensford Shisanyama with Bertus Basson - Sun 10th Nov at Remhoogte