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During the month of February – Forever Strong Durbell wanted to spread the love a little further. The gym collected blankets, clothing and toys for Heaven’s Nest – Temporary Child…
There was more good news this month for the Little Optimist Trust in the week that it opened its new sailing academy at the V&A Waterfront. The Trust has received a grant of almost R500 000 (27 500 euros) from the Paris 2024 Olympics in association with the French Development Association.
On a perfect Saturday morning, 10 excited students arrived from the 9 Miles project!We spent the day together learning how to tie knots, ocean cleanliness and how to protect the…
https://youtu.be/V3Wwjf9wuTo
The Little Optimist Sailing Academy in Cape Town recently received close to R500 000 from the Paris 2024 Olympics. The charity is the only one worldwide that offers sailing therapy to…
The Little Optimist Sailing Academy @ Battery Park V&A Waterfront. The celebrities and boating and sailing legends rolled in to celebrate this amazing milestone and the first of its kind in…
Top yards throw weight behind Bertish initiative. Two of South Africa’s top yards have thrown their weight behind a new ‘sail therapy’ initiative for disadvantaged South African children at the…
Astra School is very close to our hearts for many reasons! On 15 March 2022 10 excited learners arrived for their Sailing Therapy and Aquarium experience! The day was filled…
Greg Bertish is an inspiration to all of us at Italtile; a Multiple Heart Surgery Survivor, Big Wave Surfer, Ocean Activist, SA Champion Lifesaver and Stand Up Paddle Boarder. But he will tell you that his greatest joy is The Little Optimist Trust – Italtile’s chosen CSI partner – where he and his inspirational teams help to keep hope afloat for some of South Africa’s most at-risk children. Sick, poor, frail or differently abled, every child touched by the programme learns skill sets that empower them to survive and thrive, and become Little Optimists. Although much of the Trust’s work happens in the Red Cross Children’s Hospital and in township outreach events, some of the programme is run on the water, in the brave little boats that gave the Trust its name. An annual race event helps raise awareness and much-needed funds, and Italtile’s own Optimist sets sail at every event!
The Little Optimist Sailing Academy will soon be launched at the popular V&A Waterfront. The academy is a flagship programme of the Little Optimist Trust, which aims to inspire children…
The Little Optimist Sailing Academy, a flagship programme of The Little Optimist Trust, will soon be permanently based at the V&A Waterfront’s Battery Park. For the past three years the…
Just when you thought the V&A Waterfront couldn't offer up anything more... an exciting new venue is set to open its doors next month at Battery Park. Cape Town’s premium…
On the 9th December the kids of the Durbanville Children’s excitedly arrived at the Waterfront for their Sailing Therapy Day. As they entered the conference room, their eyes lit up…
04 December 2021 10 Kids aged between 9 and 12 got to sail for the very first time. In fact, 8 out of 10 had never been on a boat…
On the 17th November a group of Grade 3 learners from Constantia Primary could not wait for the home time bell to ring, as they were super excited for the…
On Tuesday the 23rd of November, The Little Optimist hosted one of their Inspiration Days at Constantia Primary. These days are intended to inspire kids to survive and thrive. It…
On the 10th of November The Little Optimist team along with the Forever Strong Durbell team did a massive toiletry donation to Durbanville Children’s Home.Durbanville Children’s Home houses 115 at…
The kids from 9Miles Project arrived very excitedly at the Sailing Academy at the Waterfront on the 2nd November bright and early and ready for what the day had to…
Despite a wet and chilly start to our Sailing Therapy Day on the 16th October 2021, it turned out to be a beautiful day full of sailing, learning, smiles, laughs,…
Forever Strong Durbell are hosting a bootcamp on 30 October to gather toiletry donations for Durbanville Children’s Home.Forever Strong has recently come on board as a permanent donor location for…
As the clock struck 9am on the 9th of October 2021, the Excellence Team arrived at Holy Cross, Children's Home ready for Phase 1 of our project, full of energy,…
Its installation week at Luntu Educare in Philippi. Spotlight Joinery has been hard at work getting the cabinetry fitted and ready for the next phase. Next up - Infin8 will…
For the month of August HIIT Fitness did a Sanitary Towel Drive for St Michael’s Children’s Home for girls. The home houses 25 girls between the ages of 13 –…
Bishop Lavis Paradise was lovingly run by Mrs Brikkels for over 20 years. She ran a weekly feeding scheme for children in the surrounding community. As Mrs Brikkels is well…
Last year a terrible fire destroyed the girls housing at Holy Cross Children’s home. Since the fire the girls have been housed in the Therapy Centre house on the property.…
Luntu Educare’s needs were brought to our attention by Gina Leinberger – who has been working to improve Luntu Educare along with SAEP.The Little Optimist Trust together with our prodfuct…
“I had the privilege to visit a small rural town in the Transkei, South Africa called Malungeni. I got to meet this champion Onwaba. What a sweet, joyful, full of…
The smiles of these children residing in the Paarl East Area were priceless when receiving a teddy bear and easter eggs today! They loved it and were so thrilled and…
On Thursday 15 July, the children of Redhill enjoyed a visit from Greg and listened to his story ”The Little Optimist”. They really enjoyed the opportunity to hear the inspirational…
22 / 06 / 2021Sentinel Ocean Alliance visits The Little Optimist"This is the best day of my life. I want to become a captain of a boat and save all…
The Little Optimist Trust ran its first ever , full day Sailing Therapy Program on 22 May.After years of research, developing the training material and acquiring the boats , we ran…
My name is Erin and I am 8 years old. I make necklaces for other girls because it makes me feel like I am doing the right thing. I hope…
Vitamin Sea and Sailing for Cape Flats kids Winter may have arrived in Cape Town, but that didn’t stop a group of Mitchells Plain children from discovering the joy that…
We had an amazing Day on Saturday. The first Full day Sailing Therapy Program run at the V and A waterfront.10 kids from the Cape Flats spent the whole day…
10 Mitchells Plain children experience a dose of sailing therapy
Masiphumalele - South Africa; 22 April 2021Greg and Laura visited Rainbow Educare for this weeks' Inspiration day. 30 smiling kids got to experience an awesome morning of movies, talks and…
Easter eggs were the order of the day for 80 children at SOS Children’s Village in Cape Town - but so were toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, face cloths and lots of…
Greg Bertish from The Little Optimist visited our ECD program, along with 1 of the informal creches in Masi today. He was full of energy and the children had a fun-filled…
7 / 4/2021 IMIZAMO YETHU with James House and The Little Optimist Trust. Kids at Imizamo Yethu were so happy to receive easter eggs via the James House Easter hand…
Hangberg – Hout Bay 2 April 2021 Theresa is “mother” to 50 small “semi abandoned” kids in the Hangberg Township of Hout Bay. These kids are clothed, fed and looked…
Maitland Cottage Children's Hospital - 31 March 2021 The kids at Maitland Cottage Hospital were surprised with a visit from The Little Optimist Team just before the Easter weekend. Each…
1 April 2020 – Hout BayThanks to our amazing collection boxes manufactured by The Excellence Group we were able to collect over 2000 Easter Eggs in Hout Bay alone.The Little…
WED 24 March 2021 When the Little Optimist Trust team rolls in, you know that the FUN and SMILES have arrived! 25 Kids who are the children of primary caregivers…
Bling for Bravery is an initiative by Harfield Harriers Running Club in collaboration with the Little Optimist Trust; where we celebrate and reward the bravery of the orthopedic patients at…
This little Edu Care Creche is lovingly run by Mama Linda, who built the home and creche with her own bare hands. We visited the little creche to a warm…
10 March 2021. It was a stormy rainy day . Many of these kids live in small houses or shacks in the vicinity of the school. Many did not make…
On 2 February 2021, Greg and the Little Optimist team of volunteers, Rafilwe and Gloria, visited James House in Hout bay . James house is a youth care facility…
LITTLE BRINKS Foster Home Visit NPO 176-343 26/02/21 On Friday the 26 February we visited Little Brinks NPO and Foster care facility. This little farmyard houses 6 young kids and…
The Little Optimist Sailing Therapy Program is fun, educational and inspiring. We bring the sailing to the kids! At hospitals, schools or even a tidal pool. The program allows kids…
2020 Christmas toy delivery was a little different because of Covid - but keeping our sick kids safe was top priority.
Thanks to the V&A Waterfront promotion and our Crazy Store partnership our Teddy Bear Drive was able to collect over 1000 Toys and Teddies. We ran a Christmas promotion in…
Due to Covid we are unable to hold our annual event – Paddle for Presents.This event is the main drive to get teddies in for kids in hospital over Christmas.This…
From ages two to 82, South Africans of all ages, shapes and sizes took to the water in the Little Optimist Global Challenge. Dams, swimming pools and even fish tanks hosted…
Bertie Phillips set out to row in the open ocean from Kommetjie to Bakoven all in the name for raising funds for The Little Optimist Trust and NSRI. On 17…
Cape Town - For the past two years the by-invitation-only Great Optimist Race has been held in Cape Town, and has involved experienced sailors, celebrities and medical survivors sailing for…
Bertie Philips, proud supporter of The Little Optimist Trust and NSRI, plans to row from Kommetjie to Bakoven via Noordhoek, Hout Bay, Chapman’s Peak, Sandy Bay and Llandudno all in…