Sasol In Society Report - Book - Page 149
Feature
Story
Small business development Centre
at McNeese State University
Local, diverse small business development remains a focus of local leaders in Sasol’s fenceline
community of Southwest Louisiana. Sasol supports this focus area through several annual
community-based programs, the most significant through the Louisiana Small Business
Development Centre at McNeese State University in Lake Charles.
Sasol is the primary corporate sponsor of the Centre,
which offers confidential consulting and business
training to existing and potential small business
owners in the Southwest Louisiana area at no cost.
With the support of Sasol, the development Centre
counseled over 500 distinctive clients in FY23,
produced over 25 webinars and engaged over
800 attendees to support the development of
small businesses.
Community environment
and biodiversity programmes
Partners in Parks
Is a public-private partnership to support park
infrastructure and educational programming,
answering the call from our fenceline community,
employees and prospective employees for
revitalisation of public greenspaces and community
aesthetics following recent natural disasters.
Sasol has supported Tuten Park and Riverside Park
through the programme since 2018. As part of the
partnership, Sasol sponsored and assisted with
the development of an educational program, called
Nature in Focus, at the two parks. Nature in Focus
is a City of Lake Charles-sponsored experiential
environmental education and conservation
programme devoted to connecting the public of all
ages to the nature that Tuten Park and Riverside Park
have to offer. Nature in Focus uses natural wildlife
and nature habitats in Southwest Louisiana within
the area’s public park system to foster science-based,
hands-on learning. The City temporarily paused the
programme in 2021 following Hurricane Laura.
In the first quarter, Sasol’s joint volunteer event with
Lyondell Basell enabled the city of Lake Charles to
reopen one of Sasol’s Nature in Focus partner parks,
Tuten Park, four months ahead of schedule. After the
park was opened, the city relaunched the Nature in
Focus programme at Tuten Park.
Sasol partnered with the city of Lake Charles to host
three events for the relaunched Nature in Focus
educational programme at Tuten and Riverside
Parks. Over 400 community members attended
the programme’s events that provide hands-on
environmental activities and resources for all ages.
SASOL IN SOCIETY 2023 149
