Friends of the Bitou Trust,

I wanted to share with you the remarkable impact your support has helped create in our Bitou community this year.  In a year marked by challenges, your generosity has enabled remarkable achievements across our healthcare and conservation initiatives. You can view our Annual Report here.

Let me share just a few highlights of what your support has made possible:

Our Hospice Plett team conducted over 8,700 home visits, caring for a record 307 patients and their families. Each visit represented not just medical care, but moments of comfort, dignity, and hope for those facing life’s most challenging moments. From pain management to bereavement support, our team has been there every step of the way.

In our communities, the Plett Wellness team performed over 47,500 health screenings during 25,000 household visits. These vital checks helped identify health issues early and connected over 1,700 community members with the care they needed. Additionally, we supported over 13,000 individuals in managing chronic conditions like HIV, diabetes, and hypertension.

This year also saw the expansion of our crucial First 1000 Days project, supporting child development from conception to age three. Working with partners like the Knysna Education Trust, we’re ensuring our youngest community members get the best possible start in life while supporting parents with the skills they need.

As we approach the end of the year, we are very pleased to be able to further support our commitment to child safety and to the support of families facing bereavement with the following programmes:

Protective Behaviours Workshops
A workshop focused on developing Protective Behaviours for children, conducted by the internationally recognised Protective Behaviours practitioner, author and trainer, Hilda O’Callaghan will provide valuable insights and strategies that empower children to navigate their surroundings safely by upskilling parents, teachers and caregivers to teach them appropriate life skills. It is essential for all of us to foster a safe environment where children can thrive, and this workshop is a great step towards that goal.

Bereavement Support Groups
In line with the paradigm of continuous care, we have introduced our first ever Bereavement Support Group in October. Linda Lifson, a therapist who has worked with Knysna Sedgefield Hospice for some years as a bereavement counsellor, has agreed to assist us initially. These groups will be open to all community members eventually, but to start with, they will only accommodate family members of Hospice Plett patients.

While the Department of Health supports our wellness programs, our essential Hospice services rely entirely on community generosity. This Giving Tuesday, we’re asking for your help to ensure we can continue providing these vital services to everyone who needs them.

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At the same time, the Robberg Coastal Corridor Protected Environment has achieved significant conservation milestones:

• Received the prestigious Cape Nature Biodiversity Stewardship Award for excellence in conservation
• Successfully passed the rigorous Cape Nature protected area audit
• Documented the presence of rare species including aardvark and leopard through wildlife monitoring
• Cleared over 175 hectares of invasive vegetation to protect our unique fynbos ecosystem
• Protected significant archaeological and paleontological sites
• Enhanced the Inqua Trail as a vital link between conservation, education, and community engagement

You can also have a look at the stunning photos taken on a customised hike along the Inqua Trail led by the palaeoecologist Dr Jan de Vynck and systems ecologist Dr Matthew Zylstra accompanied by members of the RCCPE Committee. The experience was profound, incredibly well received and a huge success for the Inqua Trail and the Robberg Coastal Corridor Protected Environment.

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Our Giving Tuesday appeal

The Bitou Trust has a dual mission that recognises that the health of communities and of the environment are deeply interconnected. Both face growing challenges which means your support becomes more crucial than ever.

It is most especially at this time that we are ever more aware of the impact of loss on families facing the holidaty season. Whilst the Department of Health supports Plettaid’s wellness programs, theessential palliative care and hospice services rely entirely on community generosity.

This Giving Tuesday, we’re asking for your help to ensure we can continue providing these vital services to everyone who needs them. Whether your passion is community wellbeing, primary healthcare, palliative care or conservation, your support ensures that the vital work of our beneficiaries continues.

Your gift this Giving Tuesday can make a real difference:

• £10 / R250 provides a day of home-based care for a hospice patient
• £20 / R500 supports health screenings for 10 households
• £50 / R1,000 enables a month of bereavement support for a family
• £100 / R2,500 helps train a community health worker
• £200 / R5,000 supports the continued conservation and engagement of communities on the Robberg Coastal Corridor Protected Environment.

You can donate directly here or find direct deposit details on our website. If you are a UK taxpayer, please remember to complete the Giftaid Declaration so that we can receive an extra 25% from the HMRC. If you want to support us from South Africa, please email us at info@bitoutrust.org and we can provide you with banking details.

Join us to support the people and places that make Bitou special. Whether your passion is community wellbeing, primary healthcare, palliative care or conservation, your donation ensures that our vital work continues.

Thank you for being part of our community of care.

With grateful appreciation,
From all of us at the Bitou Trust

P.S. All donations made on Giving Tuesday, December 3rd, will support our integrated approach to caring for both the people and places of Bitou. Together, we’re building a more resilient and sustainable future for all.