Volmoed RetreatCentre for Healing & Reconciliation

REPORT: Volmoed Retreat Centre JANUARY 2022

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR GENEROUS DONORS!

We are grateful that the fourth Covid-19 wave ended in 6me for the summer holiday season. Over the past three months, Volmoed Retreat Centre has thankfully experienced an increase in bookings, especially over the fes6ve season, and even a couple of group retreats during a week and over a weekend.

We welcomed a group known as ‘The Journey’ and the band from Manenberg Church of Reconcilia6on. The band came on the weekend that they played the music for our now annual Christmas Carol picnic, which was helpful as we organized the event!

Volmoed embarked on a long process of dealing with alien vegeta6on on our property, a mammoth project. Sadly it does mean cuOng down trees, and we are plan6ng new indigenous trees in their place. In the area where many pine trees were cut down, there is now new vegeta6on, and new bird species have been spoQed there. The beau6ful bluegum/eucalyptus trees near the office, which have been painted and photographed by many ar6sts and photographers over the years, are sadly now in process of coming down. They are old, very tall, and roQen inside,

We welcomed a hundred and fiLy people, many first 6mers, bringing all their own picnic fare onto the field in front of the pond. The strong winds died down and it was a beau6ful, magical way to celebrate together and stay safe in Covid-19 6mes.

presen6ng a huge danger to people and property. The process is so costly that we are tackling it over a two year period.

The trustees decided at a mee6ng in early January to make plans to bring our new director, Tony Schnell, up to a full 6me posi6on as of March or April 2022. Over the past year he has been working only two days a week, due to our weak financial posi6on. The trustees are in the process of making a financial plan to do this.

Volmoed joins South Africa and the world in mourning the loss of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Mpilo Tutu, who died on 26 December 2021 and was our patron from 1990 – 2021. He aQended our weekly service for a few years when they lived nearby. We extend our deepest condolences to Mama Leah and the Tutu family. We are privileged to have enjoyed his presence with us on a regular basis and to get to know him. We celebrate this extraordinary global icon, giant of jus6ce and faith and joy. We pledge to con6nue his legacy by striving to live out his values, especially that of reconcilia6on, which is at the heart of our Volmoed vision and mission. The trustees will deliberate on who to invite to be our next patron.

We are hopeful about this year that many are now calling 20Tutu. We look forward to the coming months.

AS ALWAYS, A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OUR GENEROUS DONORS!