2011 Community Excellence Awards
/ 2011 COMMUNITY EXCELLENCE AWARDSPARTNERSHIPS
______
Name of Local Government: The City of Surrey, Community Development Services
Project/Program Title: Tours for Newcomers: Developing Friendships, Building Communities
Select Your Category:
Partnerships – accessibility & inclusion
PROJECT SUMMARY
Tours for Newcomers is a collaborative program created and administered in partnership with Options Community Services (OCS) and the City of Surrey Community Development Services (CDS). Participants are referred to the program by both OCS and external settlement organizations. The aim of this program is to provide newcomers a welcoming introduction to City facilities, programs and services, while simultaneously developing new friendships and building community.
The program consists of a three-hour interactive tour each week for three weeks. On the tour participants visit and take part in activities at a local recreation centre, library, art centre and either a historical park or a museum. During the tour, participants build new friendships and learn how they and their families can become more engaged and active in their new community.
Over 700 people have participated in the program and 100% of participants indicated they would attend a facility in the future.
PROJECT ANALYSIS
1. ACCESSIBLE
Research has demonstrated that newcomers to Surrey did not feel comfortable and welcome accessing City facilities, programs and services. Research has also demonstrated newcomers are at risk of deteriorating health upon settling in Canada, due to both a lack of information about facilities, and a discomfort with accessing facilities. Furthermore, City staff faced difficulties communicating information to newcomers unfamiliar with the use and programming available at City facilities.
Prior to the program 46% of participants indicated they had never participated in a recreation center, and 83% indicated neither they nor their families had ever registered in a City program.
After experiencing firsthand how to use a recreation center, and the services and programs offered to them and their families, 100% of the participants indicated they would definitely visit a recreation center again. After taking part in the tour, participants were enthusiastic regarding the opportunity to start accessing facilities and programs in their new community. Feedback from past participants includes:
· “The tour provided me information that I wouldn’t have been able to find on my own- thank you!”
· “Surrey’s recreation facilities are very easy accessible!”.
· “I learned there are many places for recreation and to keep healthy.”
Not only have the newcomers gained a great deal from this program, but the staff involved have also benefited significantly. Staff has learned what manner to interact with newcomers in order to better assist them, and have learned to be more welcoming and inclusive.
2. INCLUSION
Through this program, both City staff and tour participants have learned the importance of creating a welcoming and inclusive community.
Newcomer participants are now aware of the importance that the City places on inclusion of all residents regardless of race, gender, nationality, ability, sex, age or experience. Participants saw firsthand the programs offered by the City to ensure all people feel included, weather it is through women only programs, programs for people with disabilities or programs for seniors. Participants understand the City aims to ensure all people can be healthy and engaged in their community.
City Staff have noted fundamental changes in attitudes on what it means to be inclusive after taking part in this program. Prior to this program, recreation centers, libraries, the art centre, and the museum did provide short tours; however, these tours were not specifically planned and offered for newcomers needs in mind. Review of the existing program and newcomer needs highlighted a need for change including:
· Conducting tours in an informal manner;
· Inviting translators if required;
· Ensuring participants learn about and use any recreation facility equipment;
· Providing time for dialogue and questions;
· Ensuring those conducting the tour were welcoming ambassadors to the City; and
· Providing time to meet and talk to the front counter staff, weight room attendants, librarians, art centre staff, museum docents and librarians, in order to feel more comfortable to attend these facilities in the future.
Since meeting the newcomer participants and meeting with the immigrant settlement agency, City staff are now more aware of the challenges newcomers face and have made significant progress to ensure that they are more welcoming and inclusive to all customers.
3. EDUCATION
The City of Surrey has taken many steps to educate staff about people of all abilities and backgrounds. Listed below are just some examples of how the City has been educating staff on diversity and inclusion:
· Diversity and inclusion training provided to all Parks, Recreation and Culture department staff;
· Adapted sport demonstrations;
· “All Abilities Welcome” Training;
· Diversity & inclusion events held throughout the year at City Hall, to educate City staff on inclusion and diversity. Events include: Access Awareness Day, Eid, Diwali, Christmas, Anti Bullying, Hanukah, Black History Month, International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Easter, National Aboriginal Day, Canada Day, Ramadan, Domestic Violence, World Refugee Day;
· Review of diversity & inclusion policies.
4. BENEFITS
This program has raised awareness for vulnerable populations in our community by demonstrating the need to ensure that we are being inclusive to ‘all’ people. By examining how inclusive we are, the City has refined its knowledge on the physical and mental barriers residents face on a daily basis. This has led to an improved understanding that the City can continuously improve its processes and practices to better meet the needs of its residents.
By providing a program of this nature, we are ensuring that the thousands of newcomers arriving to our City each year are aware of the services and programs the City offers them and their families including women only programs, seniors programs, programs for children or programs for people with disabilities.
Overall, the Newcomers Program has served to open the minds of City staff to all people’s needs and abilities, and has increased their propensity to be more inclusive to all people.
What other benefits has the community gained from the program/project?
Through this program, there have been significant community gains. Some examples are listed below:
· Increased physical exercise of participants and their families.
- As a result of learning about the multitude of programs and services offered through the City, focus group research has demonstrated that participants have since registered themselves and their families in a variety of programs, and have been visiting the recreation centers more frequently than before.
- As a result of the program, newcomers with family members with disabilities are now aware of the many services and programs offered to these individuals, as well as other family members with unique needs.
· Increased participation and engagement of newcomers in the community.
- The tour educates participants about how they can get more involved in their community through volunteering and attending the various free events that the City hosts throughout the year. As a result, many participants have become City volunteers in order to meet new people, build their resumes and meet new people.
- Newcomer families have visited the many free events held throughout City with more frequency.
· Increased knowledge of newcomers needs.
- City employees are far more knowledgeable about the needs of newcomers and are far more open and understanding to all people.
5. INNOVATION
This program is innovative and creative because it draws on the experience and resources from Options Community Services (OCS), and the City of Surrey, as well as information gathered through research prior to the program.
The Newcomers program was shaped through research. Prior to the program start, City staff and OCS staff held focus group sessions to investigate the feelings and attitudes of newcomers to City facilities and programs. Combining this research with external data, publications and other sources resulted in the development of a program ensuring newcomers feel included in the City of Surrey.
6. GOALS
Program goals included the following:
· Increase awareness of the City of Surrey’s facilities, parks, programs and services;
· Increased understanding of other cultures and abilities;
· Increased participation in the City’s programs and services;
· Increased sense of connection and inclusion to a Newcomers community.
The program has realized success by its numbers with over 700 people participating. Importantly the positive benefits extend well beyond the participants. Participants relay information to family and friends, which enlarges the reach of the program. For example, when using the City facilities, participants will often bring a friend along.
The goals of the program have been achieved and continue to be achieved as the program moves forward. Research conducted by way of feedback forms demonstrates that:
· 92% of participants learned something new about the Cities programs and services
· 76% learned something new about the programs offered through the Art Centre.
· 88% of participants indicated that they learned something new about the libraries.
· 90% of participants indicated that they feel more comfortable now to visit City of Surrey facilities and programs.
· 100% indicated that they would like to attend a recreation centre in the future
The following are just a few examples of comments from participants:
· “The variety of activities available for both adults and children.”
· “We have a lot of places in Surrey that we can enjoy with the family.”
· “I now have a library card and I know how to use it.”
7. SUSTAINABILITY
The tours program is administered with a longstanding partner organization, Options Community Services. Through this partnership, both organizations provide financial support to ensure the operation of the program, which is conducted at minimal cost. The City of Surrey also provides free facilities access to participants while on the tour, along with free information on community and City resources.
To ensure that the participants continue to access the resources and facilities the tour also informs participants of the City’s Leisure Access Program (LAP). LAP provides families in financial need (as well as clients involved with the Ministry of Housing and Social Development, Immigrant Services Society and Community Schools) access to Surrey recreational facilities for $12.25 per year, as well as a 75% discount on all City programs. The full-cost of a pass over $800. By applying to this program, families can continue their involvement in the City’s facilities and services at a minimal cost.
Due to the success of this program, and demonstrated community need, the Tours for Newcomers Program has been successful in attaining significant grants from the Surrey Foundation’s Welcoming and Inclusive Communities Program, as well as continued support from OCS and the City of Surrey. The financial support combined with the minimal cost operating the program contributes to the long-term sustainability of the program.
8. TRANSFERABILITY
Newcomers are common in many communities. A newcomer program such as Tours for Newcomers Program is a cost-effective way of building a welcoming environment for newcomers and developing greater community engagement. Establishing a partnership with a local immigrant settlement agency and gaining support of the staff at local facilities are two important success criteria.
The Tours for Newcomers Program can easily be transferred to any local government. By replicating or building on the approach adopted by the City of Surrey and its partner, OCS, other local governments would be able to:
· Increase awareness of the city’s facilities, parks, programs and services;
· Increase understanding of other cultures and abilities;
· Increase participation in the city’s programs and services; and
· Increase the sense of connection and inclusion to a Newcomers.
The City of Surrey is committed to working with any interested local government to share knowledge and establish an equivalent program in their own areas.
9. KNOWLEDGE SHARING
We advise conducting a community needs assessment or environmental scan in order to fully understand what the program should entail. In order to ensure that the program suits the needs of the individuals that the program seeks to assist, it is vital to ask them what is most needed and to always seek feedback from program participants and community stakeholders.
Program coordinators have constantly requested feedback through feedback forms, focus group sessions with program participants, and meetings with community stakeholders, such as immigrant settlement agencies and representatives from the City involved in the program.
10. TELL US MORE
The City of Surrey values diversity and seeks to ensure all residents feel welcome and included. With this in mind, it is with great interest that we work with community partners to ensure that all people in the City feel their needs are being addressed and they feel included.
This program has been instrumental both in its development and implementation in providing the City of Surrey and its partners with the knowledge and the impetus to ensure that all members of the community are being included in ways that are both meaningful and engaging.
While the initial intention of this program was to provide newcomers with a welcoming and inclusive introduction to Surrey, results have reached far beyond this target group, and have reached many more people in the community then were predicted. Due to participation in this program, past participants have put both their immediate and extended families and friends in touch with resources and services that they learned about through the program; something that we have learned through our relationship with our partner organization.
With this in mind, it is with sincere interest that we seek to grow and develop this program in a manner that always has the community’s interests and needs in mind, and ensures that at all times people feel both welcome and included.
11. PARTNERS
Options Community Services (OCS) - Options Immigrant Settlement Services helps newly arrived immigrants and refugees to settle in Canada by providing orientation to their new communities, and guidance and support to access government and community services.
2