Building Partnerships in the Western Communities

The Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children has built two Child, Youth and Family Centres in the Western Communities of Victoria.  Among the first facilities of their kind in Canada, these centres are a new way of helping children and families.  Each centre brings together agencies offering specialized services to children in need and their families.  By sharing resources, agencies in each centre avoid duplication, enhance co-operation, and are much more accessible to those who need them most. 

This extraordinary undertaking fondly known as the "Western Communities Project" began in the fall of 2000.  The Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children invited all of the non-profit child, youth and family-serving agencies in the Western Communities, west of Victoria, to a meeting to discuss the possibility of building a new facility for child, youth and family services.

The group quickly realized two things: first, that three buildings were needed to meet the unique needs of three different communities - the West Shore, Sooke and Port Renfrew; and secondly that working together under one roof was a chance to work differently—and to work better for the children, youth and families in their communities. The Queen Alexandra Foundation embraced the vision of the Western Communities group and pledged its support. Since then, the group has been building trust and relationships across sectors, implementing collaborative models of practice, and establishing local governance.

The Western Communities project is made up of:

The Sooke Child, Youth and Family Centre was officially opened in the summer of 2004. Filled with children, youth and families from morning until night, the eight agencies housed in the Centre are bringing much needed services to the community of Sooke.

The West Shore Child, Youth and Family Centre  opened in Colwood in the fall of 2005. The eleven partner agencies are developing new ways of working together in the West Shore.

The Port Renfrew Building Project partners have reached a consensus to work towards revitalizing the community's recreation centre and establishing a Community School designation for the community's elementary school.  Corporations, government, individuals and the Queen Alexandra Foundation are now working together to secure funding for the project. 

In the Western Communities, with new facilities and new ways of working firmly in place, the child and youth agencies that are working together are in the best possible position to meet the challenges facing families today.

For more information on the Western Communities project, please contact:
Joy Spencer-Barry, President & CEO
Phone: (250) 519-6721

Joy.Spencer@viha.ca