A new Boys and Girls Club is set to open in York next week and another one next summer in North York.
The Boys and Girls Clubs of Weston-Mount Dennis will start running programs out of York Humber High School on Emmett Avenue, west of Jane Street, beginning Monday, Nov. 16."It's a basic two-hour day from 4 to 6 p.m., five days a week for six to 12 year olds," said Chris Foster, executive director of St. Alban's Boys and Girls Club. "The program will offer arts, recreation and mentoring."Eventually, Foster hopes a stand-alone club house will be built on the school's property.In 1999, St. Alban's Boys and Girls Club partnered with the Jane and Finch Boys and Girls Club at Grandravine Drive and Jane Street and has raised $500,000 to build a new youth centre near the current club location. "We're trying to figure out the last details," Foster said, adding the new space will be two storeys and 2,700 square feet. The new site will house youth programs for individuals aged 13 years and up. The site will have a strong arts component, complete with a recording studio, along with a computer lab and assistance with homework.The current site will be used for children programs, Foster said, adding he hopes the new site will be open in the summer of 2010. According to its website, a Boys and Girls Club is a positive and safe place where children and youth can participate in quality programs and services that promote their healthy growth and development.Boys and Girls Clubs are community generated, "grass roots" organizations governed by volunteer boards of directors. They can be located in a dedicated Boys and Girls Club facility, school, church basement or community centre.Each club develops its programs in response to the specific needs of the young people and families in its local community. Programs are provided by qualified staff and volunteers and take a child-focused approach to skill development, self-esteem enhancement and character building.Boys and Girls Clubs generally operate during the hours when children are out of school and in need of a safe place to go where they can have fun and participate in constructive, stimulating activities.