Recreation Study

Message from Gert BamDIRECTOR OF THE SPORT, RECREATION AND AMENITIES DEPARTMENTThe vision of the Sport, Recreation and Amenities Department of the City of Cape Town is to enhance the quality oflife of citizens and visitors through the provision of world class facilities and programmes. Recognising the importanceof recreation in achieving its vision, the department has commissioned this research to inform how we allocate ourlimited resources in accordance with the needs of our communities. This will ultimately allow us to make an effectivecontribution towards enhancing the quality of life of our people.It gives me great pleasure to present this Recreation Research Study to you. In freely sharing this information, it is myhope that many other organisations and institutions can apply the findings of this research to their own work, as weare already doing, with the goal of better serving our communities in the metropolitan area of Cape Town. Wewelcome your comments, and are open to discussion and suggestions. We as a department recognise the massivepositive effects of working together in partnership with each other, and I hope that this research can serve as a catalystto the formation of such partnerships and collaboration.Many of the research findings confirm that many aspects of sport and recreation facilities, programmes and eventsthat we provide are well targeted, and are making a positive difference to the lives of many people, both young andold. Conversely, some of the findings identify areas for improvement. My staff and I will not shy away from these challenges;we intend to address them head-on. To this end, the researchers have created a series of indicators, againstwhich we intend to measure the success or failure of the corrective actions we are already planning to take.Serving a population of 3,6 million people in a metropolitan area covering 2500 sq km is not for the faint of heart!Rest assured that Sport, Recreation and Amenities, and our political leadership, are serious about making a differencein the lives of the communities we serve. I trust that you will find this research informative and useful.Gert BamDirector: Sport, Recreation & Amenities DepartmentCity Council of Cape Town021 400 50902CITY OF CAPE TOWN RECREATION STUDY