The Beacon Youth Centre (BYC) got a welcomed and needed financial boost courtesy of Brighton council recently.
On April 7th, Brighton Mayor Brian Ostrander stopped by the Alice Street facility to deliver a grant cheque for $6,500 on behalf of council. It’s part of a grant program where Brighton non-profit groups can apply for grants as part of Brighton council’s budget process policy.
After two long, difficult years during the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down the Centre and its programming between March 2020 and March 2022, the Centre has reopened two evenings each week, said David Green, the treasurer of the Centre, who was on hand for the cheque presentation.
The money, said Green, will literally keep the doors open and help with the operational costs of the facility.
He explained that although the BYC’s landlord has been good to the non-profit group throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the rent and related bills still had to be paid. And, because the Centre had to be closed for the two years of the pandemic, it was “difficult and awkward’ to reach out to sponsors and supporters for financial support.
“We are 100 per cent charity based and that’s how we get our income. Five local churches in Brighton support the Beacon Youth Centre financially and with volunteers,” said Green.
Mayor Ostrander said the Centre is simply ‘vital’ to the youth of Brighton.
“We help that organization with various things, operationally they need some help. I know the churches assist with keeping the doors open, but it’s a vital part of the community. It keeps kids busy when they otherwise might not be,” said Mayor Ostrander.
Established in 2006 at its 10 Alice St. location, the Centre has a staff of more than 35 volunteers and was open two evenings a week and also hosted a lunch-hour program prior to the pandemic, said Green. It has primarily served the needs of youths aged 12 to 19 who attend Brighton Public School and East Northumberland Secondary School.
While the evening programming has returned in earnest — with youth coming to the Centre to play pool or foosball or take part in its programs — the lunch program has not. The Centre hopes to reinstate the lunch program at the start of school in September.
“It is our hope that in September 2022, we can reopen our lunch-hour program, which was very popular and we would often have 50 to 60 young people there during our lunchtime,” said Green.
“One of the things we found was that many times when the young people showed up, this was the first meal that they’ve had of the day. We wanted to give them some form of nourishment. We’re not sure how COVID will affect this going forward, but this is how we have operated since 2006.”
The Beacon Youth Centre operates under the auspices of Northumberland Youth for Christ and receives funding from five community churches in Brighton. The Centre, however, is less about religion and more about helping the community’s youth, said Green.
“Although we’re a Christian-based organization, we don’t preach to the young people. We meet them on their level. And our motto is to actively see the good in all young people,” he said.
(Written by: Alan Rivett)
