Time Square focuses social investment efforts on education and children’s welfare

Having just turned two, Sun International’s Time Square in Menlyn Maine continues to live up to its promise to create shared value by encouraging community participation and collaboration in initiatives that lead to sustainable community building, and sustained change for the better. Since opening in April 2017, Time Square has invested over R1.2-million in corporate social investment projects primarily focused on education, in line with Sun International’s socio-economic development approach.

Amongst these include an investment of R537 000 in the Mamelodi East Pre-Vocational School; R200 000 in the development of a digital hospitality curriculum; R200 000 in the International Mandela Day food packaging initiative with Rise Against Hunger and R391 000 in a swimming programme to teach skills and improve water safety amongst underprivileged youngsters from nearby communities. In addition to these initiatives, Time Square has participated in several ad hoc projects that have the potential to make a positive impact. These have been geared towards to the upliftment and well-being of local youths.

“We have known from the outset that we have a role to play in helping to build and maintain a sustainable community by committing resources, support and skills to projects that ultimately lead to a better quality of life. Time Square takes a special interest in community life and tries to support projects that are focused on education and children’s welfare. Education is inextricably linked to economic growth because our young learners today are the future pipeline of crucial skills for both business and government."Brett Hoppé, General Manager at Time Square.

This year, Time Square’s will focus on promoting and uplifting the local community, socio-economic development, transparency and an equitable distribution of funding to Tshwane communities and to identify meaningful projects that will benefit local people. This will be achieved through the investment of financial resources, and also by working alongside community members to transfer skills and provide mentorship.

“Our strategic focus is to ensure that our investment align well with our core business objectives. For instance we will be hosting workshops for Hospitality Studies educators to ensure they effectively deliver the curriculum and better prepare learners for the business, as well as Culinary Skills Workshops for Grade 11 and 12 hospitality studies’ learners."

“By providing opportunities such as these for educators and learners, we hope to nurture a passion for the culinary and hospitality fields, and ultimately create a pool of qualified and employable people for the sector, which like many sectors, is faced with a shortage of skills,” says Hoppé.

He concludes: “To continue to be sustainable, we know that we must help build and maintain a community that is sustainable, contribute to the local economy, and promote a healthy environment. We take these obligations to heart.”

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