For two years, Cole has been a youth leader and role model at BGC St. Anthony & Area Club in Newfound & Labrador. 

Living in a small community with a population of only 2,500 and growing up as an only child in a white, single-parent home, Cole experienced barriers learning about his history and culture. The local school in St. Anthony has a total of 250 students, with only 2% of them identifying as Black. This can be challenging not only for Cole, but also for other Black youth growing up in their community. 

Published on Cision Oct. 4, 2021

New video & campaign raises awareness about the life-changing impact of BGC Clubs across Canada

Toronto, ON, October 4, 2021 – Working with Toronto-based ROUND agency, BGC Canada (formerly Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada) today released a new campaign that showcases the confidence BGC Clubs instill in 200,000 kids and teens every year. Available in English and French, No. More. Barriers. is our first national campaign after recently rebranding to BGC—a renewed identity that embraces the inclusive practices we are known for across the country.

SEE THE VIDEO HERE

All kids face barriers. BGC Clubs help them understand and overcome those barriers through community-based services, life-changing programs, and positive relationships with peers and caring adults.

“The young people in the video are not actors or musicians. What you see is the confidence of actual Club members—and the same could be found in any Club across the country,” says Owen Charters, President & CEO, BGC Canada. “Removing barriers and creating opportunities for all kids and teens is at the heart of what we do, which is also encapsulated by our recent brand refresh to BGC. We are grateful to the Club youth in the video for so strongly representing all Club members across Canada.”

BGC Clubs give young people a platform to tell their own stories. The No. More. Barriers. video was filmed with Club youth, who also created the campaign’s soundtrack with the help of MJMS music school, and Club member testimonial inspired the illustrations. A behind-the-scenes video is also available, along with a graphic for media use.

“My experience at a BGC Club helped me realize my potential and see that I could become a leader,” says Valentina Shamoun, National Youth of the Year and member of BGC East Scarborough. “The No. More. Barriers. theme is empowering and reminds youth that the opportunities and support provided by our Clubs can help them overcome anything. I am excited to be part of such a powerful and meaningful campaign.”

As trusted community organizations, BGC Clubs continue to support young people and their families, virtually and in-person, by removing barriers and creating opportunities:

• In 2020, BGC Clubs across Canada provided 6.1 million healthy meals and snacks and increased food relief efforts in communities nationwide
• Club staff produced over 75,000 hours of high-quality virtual programming at the height of the pandemic
• BGC Clubs across the country run job readiness programs for youth and directly employ thousands of young people
• BGC Canada further embedded anti-discrimination practices across our organization, including an anti-racism toolkit, Truth & Reconciliation activation guide, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion training, microgrants for youth-led anti-racism projects, and more

And it’s working—young people who attend a Club struggle less with academics and are more engaged in learning, avoid risky health behaviours, and have less interaction with the justice system.

Our rallying cry? Opportunity Changes Everything. Learn more at opportunitychangeseverything.com.

About BGC Canada
For 120+ years, BGC Canada has been creating opportunities for millions of Canadian kids and teens. As Canada’s largest child and youth serving charitable and community services organization, our Clubs open their doors to young people of all ages and their families at 736 locations nationwide. During out-of-school hours in small and large cities, and rural and Indigenous communities, our trained staff and volunteers provide programs and services that help young people realize positive outcomes in self-expression, academics, healthy living, physical activity, job readiness, mental wellness, social development, leadership, and more. Opportunity changes everything. Learn more at bgccan.com and follow us on social media @BGCCAN.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jared Morrow, BGC Canada
jmorrow@bgccan.com
905-477-7272 x2202

By Owen Charters

At BGC Canada, our broad brand direction is inspired by the idea of “no more barriers.” In communities across the country, our Clubs are critical in helping kids and teens overcome any number of barriers that are often found in their way.

Many of these barriers come from pervasive systemic racism. Clubs witness the detrimental effects of systemic racism every day. They see youth that cannot access the opportunities that others have. They see the messages and behaviours that continually diminish the expectations and possibilities for young people. They witness the effect of inequity, especially in racialized communities. We see it most starkly right now, as reports of COVID-19 cases are rising most quickly in racialized neighbourhoods. Early on, this was evident in Toronto, and now data from Alberta is showing the same thing. Why is this? Because these communities often have multi-tenant dwellings with poorer ventilation and less access to outdoor space. Because workers in these communities are often frontline workers who have increased exposure due to working conditions. And these are just a few examples of the systemic challenges these communities face.

This is why we have launched our Systemic Opportunity campaign. Our Clubs play an essential role in combatting inequity, in navigating paths to opportunities that aren’t otherwise available for so many young people and families.

As spokesperson for our the Systemic Opportunity campaign, Canadian icon Jully Black penned an op-ed that was recently published by the Toronto Star online and in print (we also posted it on our website if you can’t access the Star). Through the lens of growing up in the Jane & Finch neighbourhood in north Toronto and attending BGC when she was young, Jully has written about the importance of opportunity, now more than ever, and the need to invest in young people if we are going to make changes to a system that disproportionately underserves BIPOC communities. This is not the first time Jully has championed our Clubs—she was a powerful presence for our Unplug to Connect events in 2018 and 2019 and she has a strong connection with our St. Alban’s Club in Toronto. Jully is living proof of how access to opportunity and removing barriers can change everything for a young person. This is the crux of our Systemic Opportunity campaign: in the face of ongoing systemic issues exacerbated by the pandemic—racism, poverty, discrimination, inequity—our Clubs offer systemic, long-term, life-changing solutions. To quote Jully, “if we create opportunities, especially for young people, we change lives, we change communities, we change our country.”

I can’t say it better than that.  No. More. Barriers.