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 In
1968 Sheila Suttner,
a social worker at the Selwyn Segal
Centre,
a home for the intellectually disabled people of the Jewish
faith, was regularly receiving desperate pleas from parents
to admit their children to the Centre.
But the hostel
was limited to members of the Jewish faith only, although
the day-care facilities were open to all.
Sheila was so moved by the obvious plight of these families
that, with the assistance of a hard-working committee, she
set about establishing a pilot scheme which allowed five or
six children to live in a home environment and attend day-care
at the Selwyn Segal Centre.
It was early in 1970 that the Avril
Elizabeth Home was officially opened in Pandora Road, Kensington,
even though a few children had been admitted the previous
year. From these small beginnings, the Home has grown to a
large, well-equipped centre in Fishers Hill, Germiston, caring
for some 158 residents of all ages and races. Many of the
pioneer residents are now veterans of the Home, which has
become the focal point of their lives.
The Avril Elizabeth Home is no institution:
it is a warm and welcoming home for its residents. Another
feature that has developed over the years is an active, modern
stimulation programme, every aspect of which is tailored to
suit the many different needs of the residents. In this way,
each resident is lovingly nurtured to expose his or her full
potential.
With the increasing amount of applications received for residential
care, the need for a larger property became vital. It was
then that someone heard about a convent for sale in Fisher's
Hill, Germiston, which proved to be ideal. A massive fundraising
drive got underway to raise the R1 million needed for the
new Home and the convent was transformed into a suitable safe
haven for the residents. The move took place in November 1981.
Where does the name come from?
Her name was Avril Elizabeth. She
was a bright, bubbly young girl who was struck down by encephalitis,
an inflammation of the brain. When she recovered she had entered
a twilight world, a world that she never left until her death
eight years later.
Avril Elizabeth was on
the waiting list for entry into the first home in Kensington,
which was to house 21 intellectualy
disabled children. Unfortunately
she died before she was able to take up residence. After her
death, the Home was named for her. Over thirty years later
her name has become synonymous with outstanding care of the
intellectualy
disabled.
Our Mission
Statement
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