Empowering young minds through literacy

A badge or emblem for The Benard Centre of Learning featuring a lighthouse with red light beams, and the slogan 'Empowering Young Minds Through Literacy' around the bottom.

About Us

The Benard Centre of Learning Trust is a non-profit educational trust established in 1996 by Lorraine “Lorrie” van Veen. Inspired by her passion for children, Lorrie saw how many young learners in Mount Pleasant, Hermanus, were struggling academically and often drawn into cycles of crime and poverty.

With the support of an Australian donor, Mr. Benard, she founded the centre to provide remedial reading support. For more than two decades, the centre has offered hope, skills, and confidence to children who might otherwise fall behind and drop out of school.

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Meet the Team
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Our Approach

We use a computerized remedial reading programme alongside individual attention from qualified teachers to:

  • Strengthen reading, writing, and comprehension.

  • Build confidence and self-belief.

  • Support the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) curriculum.

Get Involved

Our Mission

  • To enable every young child to read fluently with comprehension at an age-appropriate level.

  • To nurture confident, well-rounded young people prepared for the future world of work.

  • To provide an alternative to early school dropouts, gangs, and crime.

ABOUT US
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Our Core Values

  • Pride and self-confidence

  • Independence and responsibility

  • Respect for differently abled learners

  • Belief in each child’s potential

Impact & Success Stories

  • Teachers see the difference: Grade 1 and 2 teachers confirm that learners show marked progress in reading, confidence, and determination.

  • Learners gain pride: Children enjoy the programme, love the stories, and celebrate their achievements.

  • Academic improvement: Results of systemic and Egra tests show measurable progress, reinforcing that the programme works.

MAKE AN IMPACT
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Our Dreams for the Future

  • Expand to support both Afrikaans- and English-speaking learners.

  • Provide financial assistance for learners attending schools of skill or vocational schools.

  • Establish satellite centres in neighbouring schools.

  • Employ more teachers to meet growing demand.

JOIN THE FUTURE

Meet Our Team

Our work is made possible by dedicated remedial teachers and trustees with decades of experience in education and community upliftment.

OUR TEAM
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Portrait of a woman with short gray hair, glasses, wearing a patterned blazer, blue turtleneck, and a colorful scarf, standing against a plain light-colored wall.
A woman with long black hair, wearing glasses, a red blazer, and a colorful scarf, standing against a plain off-white wall.
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How You Can Help

Together, we can continue Lorrie’s legacy and transform children’s futures.

You can assist by:

  • Donating: Help sustain the centre, fund teachers, and keep programmes running.

  • Volunteering: Spend time listening to children read or engaging them in reading games.

  • Sponsoring: Support a classroom, computer, or new reading programme.

  • Providing stationery: Supply learners with the basics they need to succeed.