Woolworths Childsafe Research and Educational Centre now open
Yesterday 15 May 2014, the Woolworths Childsafe Research and Educational Centre opened in Western Cape. The Woolworths Trust donated R1.45 million towards the R6.4 million the Children's Hospital Trust needed to build the Centre. This is Africa's first centre dedicated to child safety and injury prevention and will provide Childsafe with the infrastructure it needs.
The Woolworths Trust supports the Children's Hospital Trust, an independent organisation that raises funds for the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and paediatric healthcare in the Western Cape. The Children's Hospital Trust has played an instrumental role in the development of The Woolworths Childsafe Research and Educational Centre.
According to in-depth research done by Childsafe South Africa, a high number of accidents that injure children are recorded every year, many of which could have been avoided by taking simple safety precautions.
All its preventative work is based on its analysis of accidental death and injury statistics and it has been maintaining a database with this information since 1991. This database serves as a national surveillance system on childhood injuries in South Africa.
In order to run their much-needed child safety skills training programmes and research projects more efficiently, the rapidly growing staff at Childsafe required more space and resources than their modest offices at the Red Cross Children's Hospital could accommodate.
"Addressing child safety is a key focus of The Woolworths Trust and working with Childsafe has been rewarding. It has made great strides in creating a safer South Africa for children with its research, workshops and government engagement," said Sam Ngumeni, Woolworths COO and chairperson of the Woolworths Trust.
The centre has been designed to include a Safety Demonstration Room, a model of the ideal design and furniture needed to create a child-friendly environment. Childsafe president and head of the Trauma Unit at the Red Cross Children's Hospital, Professor Sebastian Van As explains, "Our research has shown that about 80% of child injuries occur around the home. The Safety Demonstration Room will be used to give the public useful tips on how to prevent easily avoidable child injuries at home."
Louise Driver, CEO of the Children's Hospital Trust, is confident that opening of the Centre will have a positive effect on child safety in South Africa. "We're expecting fewer accident-related trauma admissions at the Red Cross Children's Hospital now that Childsafe is able to increase the impact of its educational programmes."
