Partner Table Progress: Supporting Newcomer Youth in Surrey

Building upon the collaborative efforts initiated through the newcomer-centric partner table hosted in fall 2023, significant strides have been made in supporting newcomer youth in Surrey, BC. From new initiatives and programming, to ideas for expansion and grant applications, organizations at the table have found new ways to ensure their organizations can impact and engage as many youth as possible.

Creating Cross-Organizational Connections

Reflecting on the organic evolution of partnerships within the partner table, Mike Lally emphasizes the pivotal role of these connections in facilitating access to essential services for newcomer individuals and families. Through collaborative efforts, organizations have identified synergies and established referral pathways, ensuring that clients receive comprehensive support tailored to their unique needs.

“Organically, through the table, we created relationships with certain partners. If they have certain clients that fall within the newcomer/new immigrants/refugee individuals or families, we can connect them to a service that can support them,” Mike Lally, DiverseCity’s Manager of Employment Training, said.“Everyone is taking the opportunity to engage, create that awareness and just keep continuing to keep those lines of communication open.”

Connecting different services helps newcomers access sports and activities more easily—and has been a catalyst for more cross-organizational events, like the ongoing relationship between the Ismaili Youth Soccer Association (IYSA) and Dacious Richardson, creator of the Rise Above Reality Expectation, its Soccer Tournament and local youth leader.

“We did a lot of events together, where we have the youth from our group, and youths from the Ismaili Youth Soccer Association get together; we went to the Canada women’s and the Vancouver Whitecaps soccer game, and did some fun activities like taking the kids to the arcade,” Dacious Richardson said. “I was able to learn a lot from many organizations who do similar work, and also get support and help from other organizations, like the Whitecaps Foundation who were able to donate some equipment, soccer balls, jerseys, etc., which we have been using, to give back to the kids in our programs.”

“Not many grassroots initiatives get the opportunity to be in a space where non-profit organizations and professional sports organizations are. That’s the biggest thing I am grateful for: making the connections.”

Encouraging Activity with Accessible Gym Memberships

DiverseCity, in collaboration with Sports for Life, has undertaken a transformative initiative aimed at empowering newcomer youth through sports. Since the partner table meeting in the fall, and leveraging support from Sports for Life, DiverseCity has been able to offer 8-month YMCA memberships to over 40 youth in the area. These memberships offer free access to the facility’s weight room, drop-in programs, orientation sessions, and discounted participation in further programs in the facility.

Moreover, discussions at the partner table have paved the way for further enrichment of newcomer youth experiences through sports. Plans are underway to leverage remaining funds and establish a sampler program, offering participants exposure to a diverse range of sports over 4-6 weeks like soccer, basketball or volleyball, for example. From there, DiverseCity could support their participants’ engagement in other programs, with support from other organizations to cover registration fees and remove that barrier to access.

“That sampler is going to really provide that landscape for them to try something out, give it a go, what’s the feeling with it? Is there interest? Do they want to pursue it a little bit more? And then we can help them take the next steps from there,” Lally said.

Expanding Existing Programming to Reach New Youth

For Dacious Richardson, the table provided a space to reflect on what the next steps are for his work, and how he can continue to support youth in his community. Since the partner table meeting, his summer Rise Above Reality Expectation (R.A.R.E.) Soccer Tournament has expanded to now offer weekly soccer programming for youth, as well as new programs for mentorship, dance and theater arts. There is even a group of his program participants working on a fashion show.

Richardson regularly sees 30-35 participants at the weekly soccer program, 25-30 participants in the mentorship group, and 10 or more participants in the dance program.

“We have a mentorship group for Black and immigrant youth that we have been running every Sunday where we are having a lot of good, positive conversation; the kids are loving it, the numbers have been increasing. A few months ago, we (R.A.R.E.) and (the Black Student Union (BSU) at Frank Hurt Secondary) did an event for Black Excellence Day, and then for Black History, we put together another event in Surrey which hosted many Surrey School District BSU groups —over 300 students came to participate in that space.”

To date, spaces for these activities have been found through Richardson’s own connections in the community—like local coffee shops or school gym’s for the mentorship program. But, with growing numbers across programs, he acknowledges the next step is really to apply for non-profit status to make grant applications much easier—an idea sparked from those initial conversations at the partner table in the fall.

We look forward to seeing the continued progress of this partner table in the coming months and years!