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When a large group of fairly young people met at Allan Hardie’s Pinelands’ home in early 1967, a great movement was born through exceptional dedication and spiritual empowerment.
- Rev Peter Storey – originator, teacher, counsellor, chairman and director. Later spiritual counsellor to Madiba.
- Rev Theo Kotze and Jack Cook (both deceased) – who agreed to disband their Suicides Anonymous service and to allow integration with LifeLine.
- Rev Ken Rutherford (deceased) – first Chairman – wise guidance in the face of much negativity – especially from medical field who described us as “amateurs playing God in people’s lives”.
- Rosemary van Niekerk – who miraculously ran the first office in Church Square flat – organized the training with Peter Storey, attended to the roster, only about 17 people who manned the phone 24 hours AND tithed their money to support the overheads.
- Ivan Carey (deceased) – the attorney who though not a member, guaranteed the overdraft at the bank.
- Allan Hardie – who was Peter’s right-hand man and brother-in-law, patrolled the office, attended to queries and general growth problems and started the origination of LifeLine’s training procedures, course and dedication service.
- Ros de la Hunt – who took over from Rosemary van Niekerk – I think after her two year stint – and who became the strong first full-time Director.
- Barbara Stuart (deceased) – who besides being a counsellor and trainer, was the one who searched Cape Town for a permanent home for LifeLine and found 56 Roeland Street. With her find, we must thank the professionals of St John’s Ambulance – the then owners – for advising them that the structure was about to crumble.
- Louis du Plessis (deceased) – who sold his home in Steenberg, which was also a home for reforming alcoholics, and gave us the proceeds to get our Centre up and running.
- The SA Permanent Building Society – who provided the near 100 percent bond for LifeLine and did not require any surety from anyone. So much had our integrity grown in a very short time in Cape Town.
- Theo Jansen and Gerd Andreas – who almost singlehandedly – and by that I mean using their own hands – worked weekends and other days and nights to make 56 what it is today. Theo was the first coloured member of LifeLine, who went on to become Chairman of Western Cape, despite his experiences of the ruling whites.
- Claude Katz (deceased) and Asher Shapiro (emigrated to Australia) – who became our prompting team to ensure that the Constitution of LifeLine South Africa should be amended to allow full participation of all members of faith, particularly Jews.
- Francis Thompson – who, together with our colleague and friend from Durban, George Christie, attended the International Conference in Canada and achieved the miracle that exists today.
- Long-term members – who have stuck by LifeLine through all the huge ups and downs:
- Keith Roberts
- Di Andrews
- Alan Knighton-Fitt
- Stephen Paul
- John Lowenherz
(besides the earlier staff members, like Jeanette Taljaard and many many others)
While LifeLine (Cape Town), now Western Cape, grew and became so relevant, the national stage saw:
Hannes Botha - Johannesburg - 1969
George Christie - Durban - 1970
George Irvine - East Rand - 1971
Paul Welsh - Pietermaritzburg - 1972
Rev Ray Light - Pretoria (N Tvl) - 1975
George Irvine - Port Elizabeth - 1977
Etienne Vlok - West Rand - 1981
Derek Puffet - Namibia - 1980 |
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