The reason I applied for the Neighbourhood Small Grant was that I wanted to host a workshop to teach people in my community about recycling and upcycling by making products from recycled materials. I chose to teach my neighbours how to make a spinning top, because it’s a fun activity that allows everyone to be creative by colouring and decorating their tops while also learning about recycling. To prepare, I collected unused wooden chopsticks and cardboard from shopping and deliveries so there would be enough materials for everyone. By the start of September, I had gathered enough supplies and began making the materials and posters to promote the workshop. I put up posters around my community (Marpole) and shared some with Marpole Community Centre and Marpole Oakridge Family Place.
At first, I planned to hold the workshop outdoors near the Marpole Community Centre, but because of the rain, I had to move it indoors. Thankfully, the Marpole Community Centre provided a room for me and also helped promote the event, which made a big difference. I was worried that the sudden change and bad weather might affect the number of participants, but it actually went really well, and many people came. I was happy to see everyone enjoying the activity, having fun making and playing with their spinning tops, and spending time together. One of my main goals was to bring neighbours together and encourage more interaction, and I feel this workshop really achieved that.
I also want to thank my family and friends. Since I’m still young and don’t have much experience running workshops, my family supported me a lot by helping prepare materials and organizing many things with me. My friends were also a big help during the workshop. They co-taught and assisted with the setup, which I couldn’t have done alone.
In conclusion, this project gave me the chance to share something fun and creative with my community while also raising awareness about recycling and reusing materials. It was inspiring to see so many neighbours come together and enjoy making something simple but meaningful. I’m very grateful to the Neighbourhood Small Grant for giving me this opportunity, and I’m happy that the workshop turned out to be such a positive and memorable experience for everyone involved.
