The Kensington Centre is SHAWCO’s largest and oldest centre and has seen SHAWCO’s transformation from a Welfare to Development and Education.  Built in the early 1960’s the Centre has always been a hub of activity housing a variety of services for the community.

The Centre has networked and partnered up with several new roleplayers who assist the Centre to be a vibrant and productive community facility.  Huge strides have been made in consolidating SHAWCO’s relationship with the community, and ties with community structures have been strengthened. The Centre has also been involved in several joint initiatives which include the celebration of national days such as Youth Day and Family Day, large scale holiday programmes, Drug Awareness and HIV/Aids Campaigns, and Social Development projects.

Several service providers are also housed in the Kensington Centre.  PAWC and FAMSA  renders the family and social welfare services, and provides counseling support and intervention.  The Union of Jewish Women Creche provides day-care and educational stimulation to 100 toddlers and preschool children.  The Xulon Music School offers full time music programmes to out of school youth.  The Centre also has a small internet café and is the community service point for applying for government grants.  Other services offered at the Centre include an advise office, mental health and disability support groups, drug and trauma counseling, and an independent meal-on-wheels project.  The Centre is equipped with a large community hall, which is used for a variety of events, such as ballroom dancing, karate, aerobics classes, a softball club, a church band and a scouts group. Over the weekends, the hall is hired out for private and community functions.

The Centre is host to a variety of student-run projects for youth to join. The Education projects deal specifically with learners between grade 3 and grade 11. The Kenstep Project provides educational enrichment and life skills to 125 primary school learners.  The S.O. Live and Learn, and SMART projects provides tutorial support to a further 120 High school learners.

Our well established Adult Day Care Centre is open daily for senior citizens and the disabled, and offers a variety of activities. Members are engaged in sewing and handcraft, and receive lunch every day.  UCT Occupational Therapy students play an important role in running group and individual therapy for the members.

The Kensington Centre continues to serve a vital role in Kensington. With the harnessed strengths of the community, partnerships, UCT students, and the SHAWCO staff, the Kensington Centre will grow from strength to strength.