About Us

The Association was founded in Durban on 29 May 1952 as a service organization to assist the handicapped. The Association was named after Saint Giles, a seventh century hermit who worked among the cripples, beggars and lepers and who was canonized and came to be regarded as a patron saint of the handicapped.

In May 2000 the Association became a Section 21 Company, a purely technical change as it continued to operate exactly as before.

Saint Giles has always maintained complete independence of funding from the State, Province, City or any other source of official finance.

The Company is therefore completely reliant on the generosity of the public, of business and of service organizations for its continued operation.

Such support normally comes by way of donations, legacies, bequests and business from Work Centre customers.