The pupils of Laërskool Excelsior in North End have even more reason to practise good hygiene and listen when their teachers tell them to wash hands, with bright, freshly revamped bathrooms thanks to their neighbour, Pier 14 Shopping Centre.

After upgrading and re-surfacing the school’s netball court to competitive standard last year, Pier 14 has adopted Laërskool Excelsior with a commitment to an annual improvement project as part of the centre’s social development involvement in the community it serves.

Excelsior is the closest school to Pier 14 and centre manager Melanie Harvey said their support for the school, many of whose parents and teachers live in the area and shop at Pier 14, was part of “us being a good neighbour, and giving back to the neighbours who support us too”.

This year’s project saw the boys’ bathrooms, in a somewhat dilapidated state, given a sparkling makeover – complete with motivational posters to inspire confidence and kindness.

With the current severe drought situation in the Bay, the bathroom upgrade included replacing waste pipes and ensuring that the plumbing is in good shape, with no leaks wasting precious water, said Harvey.

The bathrooms all got a fresh coat of paint on walls, doors and ceilings; new aluminium windows, tiling and energy efficient LED lights.

Harvey said the project had been chosen to ensure a clean and hygienic environment for the learners, and the girls’ bathrooms would receive a similar makeover early next year.

Laërskool Excelsior principal Dan Carstens said the school had a good relationship with Pier 14 and greatly appreciated the bathroom revamp which had turned a dull, gloomy space into a bright, cheerful and easy-to-clean facility for the learners to be proud of.

“We don’t have the funds for big projects like that – we would have had to do it a little bit at a time, and it would have taken a big chunk out of our budget that we just don’t have. Pier 14 managed the whole project, taking the worry out of my hands, and now our learners have a facility that is well-lit and ventilated, clean as a hospital, something to motivate pride,” Carstens said.

Regular suppliers to Pier 14 supported the project too, including Dynamic Projects (painting), Baypower (LED lights), Kreative Décor (tiling), Hannagen Aluminium (all-new windows) and Kallvest (cleaning up afterwards).