We Are George reclaims Unity Park

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GEORGE NEWS & VIDEO - Following repeated clean-up efforts (in more ways than one), Unity Park at the top of York Street is once again an attractive option for office workers looking for an outdoor venue to enjoy their lunch hour without harassment or annoying smells.

On Monday at 13:00, when the George Herald paid the park a visit, people were sitting on the benches in the spring sunshine amid neatly cut lawns with not a single plastic bag, syringe or 'tikkop' in sight.

The changes at the park in the Central Business District (CBD) have come about through the intervention of the recently formed civic organisation, We Are George. Regular park clean-ups and the appointment of shared security guards have made a huge difference in luring people back to this former 'den of iniquity'.

Street Eyes security guards are employed by Mediclinic George, Oakhurst Insurance and Total Courtenay to patrol parking lots and adjacent areas.

George Business Chamber CEO Dennis Farrell and We Are George spokesperson Mikaila Hendrikz plan to meet business owners and managers in the CBD one by one to get them on board. "If businesses club together to appoint guards to patrol sections of town, the security will soon improve. We want a complete revival of the CBD and George as a whole. The only way Georgians will achieve this is to fill the streets and parks with good law-abiding citizens."

We Are George will be hosting a zero tolerance, crime-free night in the centre of town as part of its transformation mission for the CBD.

Hendrikz says all major security and safety role players will be taking part. "The police, law enforcement, the traffic department, alarm companies and the community policing forum will come together for eight hours to patrol the CBD overnight. This is being planned for November and we have already received excellent responses from the parties involved."

To find out more about We Are George, contact Mikaila Hendrikz at mikaila@badgerins.co.za.

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