OUR STORY
Establishment and Growth of Jan Richter Centre
In 1952 Dr Jan Richter had a leading role in founding the Jan Richter Centre as a non-profit organization. Through his involvement with the community he became aware of the need for accommodation, particularly for young people. A building with 60 rooms was erected on the corner of Pietermaritz and West Street. When this building became inadequate, a new building was built in 1970. The new facility on the corner of New Scotland Rd and Stalkers Alley had 230 rooms.
Over the next 40 years Jan Richter Centre adapted to changing needs in a changing Pietermaritzburg society. The need for accommodation and care for the elderly became more prominent. Jan Richter’s face changed from a place exclusively for young people, to a place for young and old. The realization that young and old can live together with mutual benefit, is of importance. We now cater for a more representative slice of the ages in our community.
The first manager of the new Jan Richter Centre was J.J.Hanekom, affectionately known as the legendary ‘JJ’. He faced many hardships to establish Jan Richter Centre as one of the best facilities of its kind, with unparalleled value for money. In 1995 ‘JJ’ started a frail care facility with a 40 room capacity.
Jan Richter has now developed even more by adding a dementia and Alzheimer’s facility on the ground floor with a lovely garden for them to make use of. The frail care has grown in such a demand that we are starting to move up toward the second floor to assist those who need a little extra care.