Not content with providing a play area for grown ups, the Grindrod Bank Berg & Bush has stepped up to provide an improved play area for children too - at the Emmaus District Hospital in Winterton. The Berg & Bush is a “proudly Winterton” event, with the event race village lying just 10 minutes from the northern Drakensberg town.

Last week, the paediatric ward at Emmaus District Hospital received a play area makeover, with Berg & Bush sponsoring the upgrades and working closely with hospital’s clinical manager Dr Olivia Donald to make the changes happen. The revamped child and recovery-friendly play space, which included new toys, was officially opened and handed over on 21 September. The Berg & Bush team, parents, ward staff and hospital managers were in attendance at the opening.  

The R50 000 upgrade means that children can now play outside and be entertained in a safe, fun environment, which promotes and encourages learning, play and recovery.

“Being able to uplift the paediatric ward at Emmaus Hospital was a wonderful opportunity, and just a small way for us to give back to the surrounding community,” says race founder Gary Green.

“We are a very community-focussed event. During the three Berg & Bush rides, all our water points are hosted by charitable groups and other organisations who are able to raise funds and awareness for their respective causes. You’ll find at the Berg & Bush you have to stop and eat because everyone is competing to put on the best water point. As an event that is proud of our region and community, we are constantly looking to give back in some way.”

The staff and managers at Emmaus Hospital were overwhelmed with gratitude, explaining that many of the children are kept in the ward for a minimum period of two months, with those suffering from malnutrition or burns often having to stay longer. During the recovery period, mothers of recovering children are required to move into the ward to help care for them as they regain their strength.   

Upgrades to the play area included a shaded outside area covered with Easigrass and filled with plastic climbing toys and blocks. “The improvements are fantastic, and make a big change to what the children played on and with previously,” says Dr Donald.

Inside the ward, puzzles, plastic tables and chairs, books and new plastic toys will now keep moms and patients entertained for their duration of their stay. Chania and Pawel Stempowski, Deneys Reitz Commodities and Winterton/Bergville communities contributed towards stocking the library.   

The Berg & Bush team, together with the hospital staff and management hope that the upgrades will go a long way in aiding the recovery of the young patients.

In keeping with their ambition to become the most iconic mountain bike event in South Africa, the Grindrod Bank Berg & Bush has partnered with revered KwaZulu-Natal artists Ardmore Ceramic Art to create a pleasingly elegant cycling jersey for the 2017 event. Riders will receive the jersey in their 2017 Berg & Bush goodie bag. 

The Berg & Bush has long been a favourite event amongst mountain bikers who enjoy quality trails and tranquil race village life. In keeping with the hallmarks that have made them so popular, the event has worked constantly to improve their trails and to always offer something special in the race village - for instance, last year free chocolate milk flowed from a bar overlooking the Tugela River. Now, in an effort, to reinforce the quiet country nature of the Berg & Bush and to also provide something fresh for participants, they have enlisted the help of renowned local artists. 

Ardmore Ceramic Art has been an institution in KwaZulu-Natal’s Midlands region since Zimbabwean-born ceramic artist Fée Halsted formed the company on Ardmore farm 1985. In that same year she was joined by Bonakele (Bonnie) Ntshalintshali, who was born on the farm and 18 years old at the time.

Ntshalintshali, who has since passed away, began a ceramics apprenticeship under Halsted and went on to help create the iconic style of the company’s art. “Ardmore became a success because of Bonny’s craftsmanship, skill and meticulous attention to detail,” says Halsted.

Over time Ardmore Ceramic Art and their off-shoot business has partnered with the likes of French luxury house Hermès and most recently Cole & Son, a British wallpaper company. Their designs have been displayed at sold out showings, snapped up at auctions and have been admired in galleries from Europe to the USA.

As neighbours to the Berg & Bush event, Ardmore now moves into a completely new playing field, one that adds a level of glamour to the usually gritty three-day stage race.  

“Our family grew up with the founding family of Ardmore in Winterton, so the brand is very close to our hearts and is also proudly from KwaZulu-Natal,” says the Berg & Bush’s Roxanne Green.

“It’s ultimately a family business, as are we. They have taken the world by storm with their innovation, and their designs are always associated with the highest quality and their roots in their community, which connects perfectly with the ideals and history of the Berg & Bush.”

For their part, Ardmore took inspiration from the local flora when considering the new Berg & Bush jerseys. The design features very subtle hints of the protea. “The protea bushes that we find on the mountain slopes and the African Ardmore designs of plants epitomise the Drakensberg ’s landscape and embody the natural beauty of this region, it also features in our latest collaboration with French luxury brand Hermes,” says Ardmore’s Catherine Berning.

So not only will riders blend in at this year’s Berg & Bush, but they’ll also stand out.