The 2023 Chronicle

ST MICHAEL AWARD WINNERS From left: Peter Oscroft, Chris McBridge, Antony Clark (Rector), Wayne Witherspoon (President of the OBC), Charles Phillips

at Natal University, where in his first year he was selected to play for the provincial under-20 rugby team and later for the university’s first XV. After moving to Cape Town he embarked on postgraduate courses at UCT and played rugby at the university. Competitive sport and outdoor activities, thus, played a big role in his life. At the age of 31, he was struck down by what has turned out to be an incurable and as yet undiagnosed neuro- muscular condition, which reduced his capacity to engage in active sport, but sharpened his focus on serving others in great need. Whilst this included activities in the Anglican Church, his key contribution to society over many years has been to the Association for the Physically Disabled. In a number of capacities, Peter has displayed courage and, rising above his incapacity, made an enormous impact on the lives of others. Initially Peter volunteered at the Paarl Association for the Physically Disabled, where he promoted the social care and development of people with disabilities. He engaged in the development of a day-care centre for children with severe disabilities and in the establishment of a protective workshop, where physically disabled women and men were coached to enhance their skills in making wood, metal, sewn and knitted products. These were sold on the open market to generate an income to supplement the pitifully meagre state subsidies that they received. Not only did this provide a source of income for men and women who found it exceptionally difficult to gain employment, but it raised their self-esteem enormously. One of the essential elements of the workshop was to facilitate social interaction beyond their very humble communities and to give them a sense of worth and independence. Peter’s work in Paarl provided the springboard for the birth of the Drakenstein Association for the Disabled. In this project, attention was largely given to furniture upholstery and repairs, sewing and skills training in administration, whilst the childcare programme was streamlined and parents were trained to take

the lead in providing better nurture and support for a range of disabled children. Peter gradually became further committed on a wider scale in steering other ventures as a member, and later chairman of the board of the Association for the Physically Disabled in the Western Cape. Working closely with the association’s professional social workers, he oversaw the restructuring of the association from a medical model of handing out services to its current consumer forum model. This latter model supports a range of initiatives to increase community awareness towards those with physical disabilities within their communities, and to optimize the empowerment and improvement in the quality of the lives of physically disabled persons. As a member of the National Council for Persons with Physical Disabilities, he chaired the Council Accessibility Sub-Committee which contributed to the drafting of the SA national standard for accessibility to buildings. During this period, he was selected to accompany a small group invited by China Disabled to share his experience and expertise in Beijing. In his day job, after most of his professional career designing and supervising the construction of a broad range of industrial and civil structures, the City of Cape Town head-hunted him as senior project manager to undertake numerous urban redevelopment programmes, where again he worked closely with members of disadvantaged communities to improve their quality of living. In short, Peter is a man of integrity and humility and, at the same time, through his courage and compassion for people in need, he has addressed issues of injustice on a wide scale. He has committed himself throughout his life to the upliftment of others and has demonstrated that he is a servant leader who is widely respected. We commend Peter Oscroft as a worthy recipient of the St Michael Award.

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