How colour is helping raise awareness of thyroid disease
Creating environments that support wellbeing is an important part of how people connect with a space. Through its corporate social responsibility initiatives, leading coatings brand Plascon continues to support community organisations by helping transform spaces where meaningful work takes place.
Earlier this year, Plascon partnered with the Thyroid Wellness Organisation of South Africa, a Soweto-based NPO dedicated to raising awareness of thyroid disease and supporting people living with the condition.
The organisation, founded by Palesa Motloung, recently acquired a former school building in Soweto and set out to convert one of its classrooms into a dedicated resource centre for the community. Before the space could be used, however, it required significant repairs, including replacing two broken windows, repairing a damaged ceiling, rewiring the room, repainting the walls and ceiling and installing new lighting.
‘As you can imagine, this was a significant undertaking,’ says Motloung. ‘We believed that the resource centre would be a valuable asset to our community, and we were excited to bring it to life. However, we couldn’t do it without the help of generous donors.’
To support the renovation, Plascon donated paint from its trusted interior range, Plascon Double Velvet, in the colours Himalaya Sky G6-B1-4 and Peach Melon R6-A2-1. The colours were carefully matched to the organisation’s chosen palette of pink, teal and blue, which carry symbolic meaning within thyroid awareness initiatives.
These colours are embedded in the NPO’s butterfly-shaped logo and were intentionally selected to create a calming, meaningful environment for visitors and staff. Pink is widely considered a nurturing colour associated with compassion and emotional healing, while blue is often linked to the throat area in Eastern healing modalities. Teal (a blend of blue and green) combines these associations, with green commonly regarded as a healing colour.
‘The paint was delivered promptly and efficiently, and we appreciate the excellent service provided by the Plascon team,’ says Motloung. ‘The feedback from our team and visitors has been overwhelmingly positive, with one of our volunteers commenting that it is one of the best paints they have worked with.’
Thyroid disease itself remains widely misunderstood and often goes undetected. The condition occurs when the butterfly-shaped thyroid gland in the neck produces too much or too little hormone, or develops structural issues such as nodules or cancer. Symptoms can include fatigue, weight changes and mood fluctuations, and they frequently develop slowly, making them difficult to identify.
According to the organisation, up to 60% of people living with thyroid conditions may not realise they have a problem. This makes education and awareness essential; a mission at the heart of the organisation’s work.
Supporting organisations like the Thyroid Wellness Organisation of South Africa forms part of Plascon’s broader commitment to contributing positively to the communities in which it operates. Through various initiatives and partnerships, the company aims to help create uplifting environments while supporting organisations that work to improve the wellbeing of South Africans.
According to Plascon’s Head of Marketing, Leslie Frank, ‘We’re proud to offer CSR assistance to this worthy organisation and to see our paint being put to extra-good use. We’re happy to have Plascon’s quality products in action and to connect more deeply with The Thyroid Wellness Organisation of South Africa around the shared value of quality and their mission to aid others.’
Through colour and collaboration, the newly renovated resource centre now offers a welcoming environment for education, support and community connection, demonstrating how thoughtful spaces can help amplify important causes.
