Our Values and Mission

Helping KwaZulu-Natal children thrive

Our vision is for young children KwaZulu-Natal to thrive and learn in healthy environments.

Our mission is to assist the provision of climate resilient Early Childhood Development programmes in KwaZulu-Natal by supporting those who foster education and a love of nature in young children.

Who we are

Our board of trustees comprises family members and dedicated professionals. The first trustees were Murray Grindrod (Chairman), Anne Marie Bury,  Josephine Grindrod, Sarah Rennie, Gary Noble and David White. The current trustees are:

  1. Sarah Rennie (Chairperson)
  2. Josephine Grindrod
  3. Gary Noble
  4. Fiona Raissig
  5. Amanda Lawson
  6. Jennifer Morrison
  7. Cate Carroll

Deepa Patel is the Grants Manager.

Our Focus

Our grant-making focus is on education in KwaZulu-Natal

We aim to help build a climate resilient, high quality early childhood development offering to young children in KwaZulu-Natal.

Our strategy shift acknowledges that future changes to climate in Kwazulu-Natal will make the provision of ECD more unstable, costly and complex. The GFCT seeks to build effective climate resilient strategies into the provision of ECD to mitigate against the negative impact of climate change on vulnerable communities, predominantly rural children.

Our short-term goal (3 years) is to build awareness and knowledge in the ECD sector in KZN of the importance of nature and the environment for children’s wellbeing.

Our medium-term goal (5 – 10 years) is to support the various opportunities and strategies that emerge from the knowledge-building process. This includes:

  • Supporting the inclusion of nature and environment into the ECD curricula
  • Supporting programmes that improve the natural environment of ECD centers and foster a love of nature in young children
  • Supporting nutrition programmes that are climate resilient and that offer early learning opportunities