Man donates seaside holiday to deserving family of four

A holiday in a beachfront apartment in Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal, for seven days has been gifted to family of four by a man who recalls the generosity he received during his childhood.

The family of four comprises a wife who founded and runs a small school for children with special educational needs. She does not draw a salary. The father has his own business but has not been working because of illness (not Covid). They have two children.

Graeme Codrington, a futurist and scenario planner, is sponsoring the trip. The family only have to pay for their food in the self-catering timeshare accommodation.

Codrington said he couldn’t use the holiday due to business, so he resorted to giving it away on Facebook.

“So many people around the world, but here in SA in particular, have been working so hard this year to help those less fortunate than themselves. It’s been a tough year, obviously, but one of the bright spots has been to see ordinary South Africans doing what they can to help their fellow citizens,” he said.

“I had some RCI points that were expiring, and if I didn’t use them I would lose them. I couldn’t personally make use of the holiday, as my own business requires my full attention without breaks this year in order to survive, but I thought that someone else might be able to use a break. So I asked my Facebook network to help me find someone who really deserved a treat.”

Codrington said giving to others is something that he has always done.

“I grew up in a family that had very little money — my mother didn’t work, and my father was a school teacher who became a church pastor. We often had people helping us, and we would help other people when we could. In fact, I have always found poorer people are much more generous in sharing what they have than the rich,” he said.

“We started a foundation through my company about 10 years ago, and have been able to help many organisations, from a township football club to a primary school in Alex, where we built a library and provided computers for the teachers, among other things.”

Codrington said he is also hosting a whisky tasting live stream this Friday.

“I am promoting a small whisky business that has been affected by the pandemic, called WhiskyBrother, and we are asking people who come along to the free online whisky course to donate money to an upcoming musician who needs support during these tough times ... I have also assisted other musicians and artists during lockdown,” he said.

“Personally, I believe in helping other people as much as possible, and using the privileges I have to make life better for those who are less fortunate than I am.”

TimesLIVE