The ablution facilities at Nahoon Reef are receiving a much-needed facelift courtesy of a project organised by Dean Knox and Andrew Stratford.
Knox said he had been in meetings with BCM since October last year to discuss the state of the facilities. The renovations received the municipality’s approval.
The renovations are well-timed with the Sea Harvest Nahoon Open set to take place this weekend.
“There was a bit of panic from the organisers as well and they were trying to bring in portaloos and a water truck with a shower for the surfers,” Knox said.
Funding so far has come entirely from private donations and the necessary materials are being sourced from local stores.
At the time of going to print, the renovations at the Nahoon Reef site were still a work in progress but Knox was optimistic that it would not take much longer.
“If we can get this done before the surf contest, I would be very happy,” he said.
Reporters drove down to Nahoon Reef on Wednesday morning to see the progress.
The original peach walls had been painted a fresh shade of light blue and both entrances were sporting shiny new security gates, complete with sturdy locks.
The tops of the wall are ringed with shard spikes to prevent would-be vandals from climbing over.
The old plumbing is still in place and Knox said they planned to replace it by the end of the day.
Once the work is complete at the Reef facilities, Knox said he planned to move on to the ablution block at Nahoon Corner.
Afterwards, he will then work on fixing the other ablution facilities around Nahoon.
Security was a primary concern and the ablution blocks were previously subject to crime.
“The municipality had some challenges such as when they fixed the bathrooms in the past, they were vandalised,” Knox said.
To combat this threat, the renovations will include new security gates as well as spikes along the wall.
“The fittings will be plastic which should hopefully deter the metal thieves,” Knox said.
For Knox, renovating the ablution blocks is about more than just giving beachgoers a safe space to relieve themselves.
“It’s one thing to moan about it and try to knock the municipality down but it’s important that people who use the beach regularly take some sort of ownership and pride,” he said.
He added that Nahoon Beach was the “crown jewel” of East London’s tourism attractions and having facilities that matched this status was important.
The project to renovate Nahoon’s ablution blocks is ongoing and donations are still welcome.
All donations are made to the Nahoon Point Nature Reserve account so any surplus funds can be used for other worthy projects.
For more information, contact Knox at 083-305-2590 or Andrew Stratford at 072-735-5979.
BCM could not be reached for comment before going to print.
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