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At community centre, team spirit rules

New programs and old, kids to seniors, facility is buzzing with action BY JENNIFER CHORNLEY The VOICE With Pelham’s community centre now chugging full steam ahead, it’s been the Recreation, Culture and Wellness team’s mission to implement programming
Quints
The quintet that’s ready to rock From right, Vickie vanRavenswaay, Devon Elcomb, Sally Jaeger, Jodi Hendriks, and Alison Brown. VOICE PHOTO

 

New programs and old, kids to seniors, facility is buzzing with action

BY JENNIFER CHORNLEY The VOICE

With Pelham’s community centre now chugging full steam ahead, it’s been the Recreation, Culture and Wellness team’s mission to implement programming and activities that make full use of the facility.

Coordinating programs and event planning are Active Living Programmer Alison Brown, Culture and Community Enhancement Programmer Jodi Hendriks, Special Events and Festivals Programmer Sally Jaeger, Recreation and Wellness Programmer Julie Cook, with Devon Elcomb providing administrative support. Vickie vanRavenswaay is the department director.

Alison Brown organizes children and youth programming, including March Break camps, summer camps, and the pool. Now a large part of her role is implementing new programs. One new program that began last year was Santa’s Workshop, which “went really great,” says Brown. “We had more kids that we thought we were going to have and we received some really positive feedback from it.”

She says that they hope to do it again next Christmas and potentially offer multiple dates to accommodate larger numbers of participants.

Brown is also working on a youth open gym drop-in program for Monday evenings between 4 to 5 PM.

School Professional Development Day Day Camps is another idea Brown is thinking of spearheading to begin in the 2019-2020 school year. Working also with the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council, Brown said they suggested that the Town offer certification courses, such as CPR and First Aid, on PD Days also.

Some of the summer camp offerings are also themed and include TOP Chefs, bike camp, firefighter camp, and the triathlon club.

The group says program attendance is good.

“The seniors’ programs are packed, even the walking track, which isn’t a program, is busy all day.”

Sally Jaeger says she sees her neighbours at the track every morning.

Brown noted that the programs are even busier because of the winter weather.

She also said that usage by seniors is high and there are even those who stay for a majority of the day.

Plus, once 4:30 rolls around, the centre is filled with youth participating in the various sports programs the centre facilitates, Brown said.

The community centre also offers a variety of recreational sport and fitness opportunities, including pickleball, which is popular among seniors, shinny hockey for all ages, volleyball, learn-to-skate programs for adults, stick and puck for youth to practice their hockey skills, Zumba, adult and preschool skate and public skating. Upcoming, Brown says, badminton will be added and the department is sourcing out shuffleboard equipment.

Another offering the community centre has are birthday parties. Residents can have a party during public skate times and use the Kinsmen Room.

Jaeger said because of the centre’s facility capacity, especially with two ice pads, multiple programs can run simultaneously, something that could not have happened in past years.

Jaeger added the program offerings are growing all the time as people are providing the department with suggestions.

Coordinating programs does have its challenges.

Jody Hendriks said that arts and culture programs are on a “zero-dollar budget,” which she tries to work with. “So I rely on a lot of partnerships and community organizations in order to make things happen. It’s being creative with little to no money, and yet still providing a high-quality service or program to the residents.”

Jaeger added that, “It’s finding out what people and what we think we know they want. We need to get feedback, which we are experiencing and that’s working.”

Another challenge is reaching out to the community and getting the message out to all ages, especially since there are so many outlets, hence needing to mix print with digital initiatives.

Hendriks added that the community centre is designated a “seniors active living centre,” which gives the department access to grants for seniors’ programming.

There are no membership fees to use the centre, just drop-in fees or a punch pass for specific activities like Zumba, volleyball and pickleball.

Jaeger has been working with the Town of Pelham for 25 years—six in Recreation, Culture and Wellness, with almost five years as its festivals programmer. She co-ordinates the logistics for annual events outside of the community centre, including Canada Day, Summerfest, and the Christmas Market, adding that there may be more events held at the centre.

“You never know what the future will hold.”

Brown started in the department as an administrator and grew into her role as Active Living Programmer. She enjoys that her position is something different everyday and it’s not a, “typical sitting at your desk all day” job.

Hendriks has been with the department for four years and works with events and activities relating to arts and culture. She works with the Public Art Advisory Committee, implements the Love My Hood programs, green events such as community clean up, community tree planting, and Adopt-a-Road program, and works closely with Jaeger on other projects.

Many of the initiatives Hendriks is working with derive from the Town’s Cultural Master Plan established in 2013.

vanRavenswaay says the department is establishing a partnership with E. L. Crossley Secondary School to implement programming combining youth and seniors. The school has submitted its report and it is now under the Town’s review.

With any activities, programs or events the department organizes, vanRavenswaay says they work with the community, volunteers and service clubs. “They are great to us and so supportive.”

She also adds that it is the festivals and Pelham’s culture that attracts new residents and supports the town’s economic growth, which she says has seen a significant change over the past 29 years.

Any time she and staff attend events such as municipal conferences they hear, “You do so much in that little town and that’s phenomenal.”

vanRavenswaay added that any senior who doesn’t drive and requires transportation to the community centre can hop aboard the Pelham Transit bus and advise the driver.

Brown says potential program ideas are always welcome—along with volunteers who would like to assist facilitating them.

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