Alton Fisher
Chairperson

 Alton originally qualified as a Forklift Technician with two National Technical Certificates in Electronics and Automotive Trade Theory. He quickly realised that he had the skills to start and run his own companies. His first business was a Forklift and Machinery maintenance company after which he also commenced businesses in the Outdoors Medium Advertising, Luxury Foods Supply, Venture Capital Investment Marketing and Financial Services areas as well as setting up a Bakery and a Bread Distribution company.

Alton currently manages a Civil Investigations company called National Asset Recovery Unit that specialises in asset recovery and risk mitigation for large Financial Institutions.

Alton pastors a church in Diep River and is also the Chairman of Active Social Assistance where he not only heads up the organisational side of things but also runs courses in the area of Family Restoration. He also serves as a director of Equip Community Projects and Investments, which seeks to harness enterprise development and corporate social investment contributions.

Alton’s core competencies are in Business Administration, Marketing, developing Business Systems and Information Management Tools but it is his passion for people that drives him to be actively involved in transforming society.

Alton’s favourite pastimes are Adventure Motorcycling and making music as a Jazz Bass player.
Alton lives in Diep River, Cape Town with his wife and their three children.

Ian Bennett

Deputy Chairperson

Ian currently holds the rank of Inspector at Athlone SAPS and has been in service for over 24 years his experience and passion has since grown in and for community developement . He also holds the following portfolios

• Social Crimes officer
• Victim Support Officer
• Support Councilor
• Local & Provincial Spokesperson for SAPS

Ian has always been actively involved in the Substance Abuse Arena networking with Organizations Small & Large, Young & Old Persons hence being one of the Western Cape’s biggest Events Co-ordinator in the Greater Athlone District. Doing Exhibition Awareness, Motivational Talks & bridging the connections between network partners or service providers, always going beyond the call of duty.
Ian lives in Gatesville with his wife Juleen, son Ryan and Daughter Lisa.

Lolita Bennett

Treasurer

Lolita is a strong individual, holding her role as a wife and mother of three children a priority in her life. She has lived all her life in the Athlone area, a community for which her heart is grown fond of.


In 2002 she has been awarded a distinction of 95% in Bookkeeping at Varsity College School of Business & Technology. Lolita is meticulous in her function as Administrator and bookkeeper in the job that she currently holds.

In an unexpected turn, she has witnessed some of her loved ones being enslaved to drugs as a result has affected everyone around them negatively. In her passion to help them she has formed relationships with many organizations who deal with substance abuse and violence against women and children. Lolita has been the guest speaker of many such organizations at events geared to educate and empower individuals. She has also tailored her own short programmes to teach young children life skills as an early intervention method.

She teaches Sunday school lessons at the Church is attends in Diep River.
Some of her other interests are designing and dressmaking and various arts & crafts.

Lolita is not only Treasurer for Active Social Assistance, but also partakes in many of the organisation’s programmes, specifically empowering abused women & children.

Michael Bullock

Secretary

Michael is originally from England, but spent his childhood in Zambia. After gaining a law degree from Warwick University, in 1997 he qualified as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England. He holds a Practising Certificate from the Solicitors Regulation Authority on consults generally on English law. Michael co-founded Mason Bullock Sollicitors in 1991.

In 1997 he resigned his partnership to return to Africa. After a year of voluntary service Michael joined Mason Bullock as a consultant and began MBS Recoveries, a cross border debt recovery practice for South African Banks. In 2001, he founded Paradigm, which now has 6 divisions, Consulting Secretarial, Training, Trust Administration and FMCG Distribution.

In 2005, client demand for comprehensive B-BBEE strategies led to the formation of B Cubed E Squared, a specialist broad based black empowerment consultancy to assist enterprises with strategic transformation. The company is 75% black owned and operates in Gauteng, Western Cape and Kwazulu Natal. Michael lectures on B-BBEE at the University of Cape Town's Graduate School of Business.

Michael is part of Rep, an International transformational consulting network, and a director of Equip Projectswhich handles socio-economic investments. As part of his interest in non profit organisations, Michael sits on a number of governance boards including "Active Social Assistance", a registered NPO working with substance abuse issues.

Michael lives in Sun Valley, Cape Town with his wife Julie. They have two children, Joel and Michaela.

Royston Bennett
Project Co-ordinator

Royston is the heart of the organization, as he lives by the philosophy: “There is no greater love than he who lays his life down for another”. He personally understands the destructive lifestyle of substance abuse. He too suffered through the journey of this lifestyle and most importantly, overcame it. While recovering, Royston witnessed this journey of thousands of other people as well. In fact, many addicts gained control of their addictions, pieced their lives back together, and re-established relationships with their family and friends. His life is a testimony that help is guaranteed when applied.


The joy of being alive, sober and full of limitless potential inspired Royston to setup support groups in various areas and started networking with other organizations and attachment groups, focusing mostly in the poorer communities.

Royston played an integral part in modifying the program’s various concepts over some time now. Initially the program was designed to offer support & teaching tools to addicts & family. The concept further developed to promote and accountably reconstruct the individual and the family into an effective unit. This program encompasses many more healthy and positive activities for addicts and victims of substance abuse including dance and art and recreational activities.

In March 2008, Royston functioned in his role as the Project Co-ordinator, adding an exciting new element in two schools in Hanover Park. The program provided information on drugs and alcohol and educated students on many of the issues that teens regularly face. He also played a major role in setting up the learners of these schools to partake in a mid-year challenge, networking with the Eoan Group, to showcase their talent. This proved to be an absolute success.

Royston’s strong skills is evident in networking with other organizations and over time have formed strong relationships, such as Child Welfare, SAPS, Future Factory, National Prosecuting Authority, etc.

Royston resides in Athlone. He and his wife have three children, Jade, Reece and Ashnah.