YMCA In Canada committment to Community

My first thoughts turn to our Canadian hosts, were I would just like to say a big thank you for the way in which they are supporting us. THANK YOU…

Over the last few days I have been inspired by the spirit and commitment to  the community thatour Canadian cousins deliver. They have great feelings and beliefs on delivering an inclusive society where everyone, regardless of their background, experiences, or circumstances, participates fully and their passion to deliver is shown throughout all the projects I have seen so far. The work they have described and shown us, clearly defines a positive approach that builds towards a community characterised by strong supportive connections between individuals and groups.

A thing that always comes to mind whenever you are with a  group of like minded individuals discussing engagement, is that more often than not a discussion about diversity usually emerges. One point I found particularly interesting with the team in Canada is there programs are built around inclusivity by Involving the community through a range of mechanisms that ensure the issues and concerns are understood and considered as part of the decision-making process. Through collaborating with the community to develop strong partnerships that formulate options and provide recommendations, and by empowering the community to make decisions that implement and manage the required changes.

I did also manage to get up the CN tower today an amazing experience…………..

Looking forward to visiting some projects and attending further discussions today…

Posted on behalf of Mark Owens Nottinghamshire YMCA