Quayside Court Project Story- Our planning committee is made up of 6 volunteer neighbours of all ages living at Quayside Court, including one of our teenagers!
We are a friendly neighbourhood. Some of us have known each other since Quayside Court was built in 1989. But our mission was to improve on this. We wanted everyone to know his or her neighbours and discover how enriched our lives are when we reach out to others.
Our goal was to welcome newcomers, share our names, experiences and backgrounds in a relaxed environment that encourages forming new friendships. We truly believe that a better world starts with a strong sense of family and community. Neighbourhood Small Grants that helped us accomplish these goals.
Planning
Once we were approved for the Grant, planning began immediately in anticipation of a successful community gathering. We had a series of fun meetings as a committee and got to work.
As a committee we planned a food menu and assigned shoppers considered entertainment and educational activities, assembled promotional materials and assigned teams for distribution of the materials.
Promotion
Everyone got involved in promotion of our event. Our youth created signboards that we posted around the complex and they personally invited our neighbors in a systematic way with flyers we printed. Of course, word of mouth till works well! Committee members made it a goal to remind everyone personally at every occasion.
The Event
We felt the day was a huge success! Everyone got involved. We had teams that tackled various tasks: some set up tables and food supplies earlier in the afternoon, others barbecued, everyone ate and enjoyed conversation and still others cleaned up at the end of the night.
We have neighbors with special talents to share. We are privileged to have a bassoonist from the VSO living among us. She put on an amazing mini concert for us. Because a generous neighbour supplied recorders for all of the children living here, she was later able to teach the children a simple song. It was an inspiring moment for everyone, especially the proud parents.
We also wanted to encourage our children to know each other and hopefully form meaningful relationships. We did this by planning games and activities they could enjoy together. We had craft tables so they could paint and draw and be creative. We even had a designated area on the blocked off driveways for them to do their own street chalk drawings. It was an outdoor art gallery!
We decided to include a raffle this year so we gave out tickets as everyone arrived. At the end of the evening, we did the draw and presented the gifts. Once again, our youth worked hard weeks ahead selecting and wrapping the gifts we had put together.
How did we do?
We feel it was a great success! It was the highest attendance yet for this event. We had a few new neighbors move into Quayside Court. They were introduced to all by our Strata Council President. It was a great first impression for them. Some said they had never been to an event like this. Parents expressed how much they appreciated the games and entertainment that was designed for their children.
Thank you again, Neighbourhood Small Grants! We feel that with your help, we were able to create a truly positive neighbourhood experience.
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