Activities at Weston are well-attended
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This article was published 23/04/2019 (2328 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Unlike other clubs, where the resident sports teams are the crown jewels, it’s the community support programs that shine at Weston Memorial Community Centre.
“We’re a place to warm up, we offer food and snacks, I think it’s a pretty vital part of the community over here,” Weston facility manager Michelle Cooke said. “We’re open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., we’re consistent, we know people by name. It’s a little bit different than other clubs in the city… it’s almost like a second home for some.”
The club at 1625 Logan Ave. doesn’t have any structured sports programs — partly due to a lack of volunteer coaches and partly due to the high cost of participation — but it does have a slate of well-attended weekly drop-in activities for infants to seniors.
Year-round programming includes drop-in, free play and after-school programs for youth; bingo, drum group, yoga, zumba and ping pong for adults; and a weekly luncheon, computer classes and fitness classes for seniors. The club is also the hub for other groups like NorWest Co-op Community Health, which runs a Bright Start family program and seniors footcare clinic out of Weston; and Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata, which runs a violence prevention program for teen boys.
“The diversity that comes here and the fact that even though we don’t have any sports teams here, we’re always full of community members,” Cooke said.
While volunteer coaches are hard to come by, the community does lend a hand in other facets of the club. The biweekly food bank is volunteer-run and Cooke said she was impressed with the volunteer turnout for Weston’s inaugural community Christmas dinner last year. To attract more volunteers, she focuses on trying to win over folks who are already attending the centre.
“Building on relationships with people who are showing an interest or involvement with the community centre,” Cooke said. “It’s hard to chase people who don’t want the involvement, but if they’re here at least they’re showing a bit of interest.”
Weston is one of five community centres in the city run by the General Council of Winnipeg Community Centres, which means it doesn’t have its own board. The centre has four staff members along with some seasonal help.