GRAAFF-REINET NEWS — The Giant Flag project is well underway and the Trustees are very excited to be able to provide some feedback on some of the project highlights since the official launch of the project in October 2014.
Funding received from the Lottery Foundation allowed them to produce a series of 60-second episodes featuring Trustees, partners, stakeholders and supporters of the Giant Flag Project.
These episodes are being broadcast across the DStv channels through a MultiChoice sponsorship. Much of the media and communications success of the project thus far has been as a result of the Trustees ongoing partnership with the communications group, FCB Africa, and their relationships with their other sponsors, such as Toyota, remain strong.
Funding for the communications has been made possible through a grant of R5 million (of which they have already received 50%) from the Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform. In addition to communications, the funding has been provided to establish a head office for the Giant Flag Trust in Graaff-Reinet. The Trust has subsequently rented a property in Graaff-Reinet manned by Cindy Roux (administrative assistant), Thobeka Booysen (community liaison) and Monica Speelman (house manager).
From October 1, 2016, Jimmy Joubert will be assuming a full time position as the General Manager of the Giant Flag Trust. His role will be to manage all Giant Flag activities in the Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality and the broader Eastern Cape. Guy Lieberman, Founder Trustee, will continue to fulfill his role in managing the national and global activities of the project.
More tangible activities have been on the go.
In particular, the site of the Giant Flag has been demarcated with an 8.2km road outlining all perimeter as well as the internal lines. The new website is under development by digital agency ThoughtWorks, which is being done pro bono. The Trustees believe that the updated site will be more user-friendly and address some of the issues experienced on the current site.
The new website (www.giantflag.co.za) will be live from September 23, 2016, in preparation for a nation-wide Heritage Day campaign on September 24 to promote the Giant Flag.
"We hope that it will encourage more people to adopt plants for themselves and as gifts in our bid to raise funds from the ‘crowd’ for the botanical component of the Giant Flag." says Samatha Jankovich, Giant Flag Trustee.
PowerX, South Africa’s only independently licensed renewable energy exchange has signed a 20 year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the Giant Flag at a very favourable tariff. This means that the project is now viable and sustainable and once the right capital has been sourced, the Project will be able to begin with the development of the solar field.
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