Boys & Girls Clubs of The Battlefords held their Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, done virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“2019 was a year of significant growth for Boys & Girls Clubs of The Battlefords. With continued focus on our 2019-2023 Strategic Plan and aligning strategic directions and objectives, we attained the four pillars set forth in our plan,” said President, Neil Georget and Executive Director, Nicole Combres, in a news release.
The four pillars are Strong Clubs, Strong Voice, Strong Communities and Strong Together. On the first point, they pointed to recruitment and retention of diverse Board Members and staff.
This included Board Governance Training led by our National Team with Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada (BGCC), as well. They also pointed to recruitment of diverse frontline staff reflective of their membership, and investing in more comprehensive training opportunities.
The club bid farewell to their Executive Assistant, Erin Cooper, and hired on Tricia Kennedy in that position. Kelsey Larsen also joined as Operations Coordinator.
On the pillar Strong Voice, they state that “collaborating and participating in community conversations on issues facing children and youth has aided in effectively advocating for legislative protection and increased relevance. It has also led to increased partnerships with other child and youth serving organizations, thereby furthering our ability to holistically meet the needs for our families.”
The news release points to several program expansions implemented in 2019 including creation of an additional fee-for-service After-School Program at Holy Family School; their Non-School Days Program; and increased variety in Special Programs with the addition of Lacrosse, Music (Guitar and Piano), Yoga and Kid Food Nation.
The Ministry of Social Services provided a further funding commitment in 2019 as well.
Strong Communities: Making sure children and youth had access to Club programs and services was a priority and the club pointed to retention of youth, particularly for critical early- and mid-teen years (ages 10-14) through the Husky Energy Youth Program. T
“This program serves youth in a dedicated space, with dedicated staff and age-appropriate activities. Having a space to call their own, and positive role models in the form of our staff, has resulted in increased youth attendance, as well as an increase in retention of youth members. As we move into 2020 and 2021, we look forward to developing new ways to measure our impact, both within our membership and in our community. “
On the final pillar Strong Together, the club pointed to their moves towards a re-structuring within our Administrative Team, one that allowed for an increase in staffing. They added new positions: Office Assistant, Administrative Assistant, Operations Coordinator, Nutrition Coordinator, Director of Programs, Program Manager and Executive Director.
“Last, but definitely not least, to our community: THANK YOU! Without your continued input, support and belief in us, we would not have been able to proudly serve our community for over 43 years. We look forward to the decade ahead!”.”
