Commonwealth Games Canada Program To Help Refugees
August 30, 2019
Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC) has unveiled its “Sport for Newcomers” project - designed to reduce or eliminate barriers to sport participation for refugee and migrant youth across Canada.
As a part of CGC’s mission to “enhance the lives of youth across the Commonwealth,” the organization has led 125 sport-for-development projects around the world. The latest addition to its international programming shifts home to Canada in the effort to enhance the nation’s services for migrant populations through sporting programmes.
Starting with two pilot projects in Edmonton and Toronto, CGC expects that the initiative will lead to increased sport frequency rates and retention of young newcomers to Canada.
"Our SportWORKS projects have impacted the lives of millions and transformed communities around the world,” said Richard Powers, CGC President. “We believe in the power of sport and its ability to transform lives, and know that newcomers to Canada will benefit from the social and health impacts of participating in sport.”
In Edmonton, CGC has partnered with Action for Healthy Communities (AHC), a registered charity serving the needs of children, youth, families and seniors with a unique community development model for the last 25 years. Its objective is to build the capacity of individuals and groups to improve their lives and communities through a community building process, including needs assessment, support, mentoring and skills development.
The organization works with all population groups including newcomers from the Greater Edmonton area and multiple small towns in northern Alberta in order to assess their needs and provide required assistance with a focus on building inclusive communities.
“We are proud to partner with Commonwealth Games Canada in the Sport for Newcomers initiative,” said Aftab Khan, Executive Director of Action for Healthy Communities. “SportWORKS has a great track record of using sport to effect change and we believe that in partnering with CGC in this project, we will be able to impact our community in a positive way by offering newcomer youth opportunities through sport.”
In Toronto, CGC is partnering with the Jane Finch Community & Family Centre, a multi-service, community-based organization with a strong focus on poverty reduction through resident engagement, capacity building and anti-oppression. “For over 40 years, our organization has been focused on health and well-being,” said Obosa Obaizamomwan, Settlement Worker, Jane Finch Spot Youth Centre.
The Sport for Newcomers Initiative is part of CGC’s SportWORKS Program, which sends Canadian sport leaders to host organizations in Canada and throughout the Commonwealth to deliver sustainable sport programs and build sport system capacity. SportWORKS prides itself on “Making a Difference and Becoming Different.” The Sport for Newcomers Initiative aims to not only assist the host organizations and newcomers, but also to make a difference in the lives and careers of SportWORKS Officers.