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Community development includes all activities, and Golden has a lot to offer

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The Golden Youth Centre hosts a variety of activities for youth in the community. Star Photo

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My name is Lynne Romano and I am proud to be your community development coordinator. I have been in the position for half a year now, and have been privileged to work with a number of organizations and community partners.

One of the things that I have noticed is that people often comment that they have missed an event or miss something that was going on that would have been of interest to them, had they known or been prompted to attend. It is our intention with this column to provide an opportunity to tell you about the awesome things going on in Golden and share what’s happening from the office of the community development coordinator, including what I’ve been up to, what I’ve noticed, what I’ve seen others doing, and the things I know are on the horizon for us in Golden.

As the community development coordinator, I am happily working towards a multicultural and multi-generational environment where we all benefit from the strength of each other. It is my intention to make as many linkages as possible over the next many years, connecting people to opportunities and expanding our adventures in the wonderful community we live in.

So what’s up?

I hope you didn’t miss the fantastic tea and art sale/lunch at the seniors’ centre in May. It was quite something to see so many people come and enjoy a lovely lunch and a beautiful art show put on by the Golden Art Guild. It is a privilege to work with people who are passionate about what they do and are willing to share their many talents.

We completed a youth survey with the help of the Interact Club of Golden, and have taken the results to help us plan events and activities for youth in Golden. The first result was 10 sessions of guitar lessons, which we did in partnership with the Columbia Shushwap Metis Association.

Soup day at the Seniors’ Community Centre was on June 29. The event is over for the summer season, but starts again in September, offering three different types of soup, with a bun and desserts. Don’t miss on this social event that welcomes everyone.

The teddy bear picnic ended up at the Mount 7 Rec Plex in June when it was rained out from the clown park. The agriculture group of Golden and Area A brought some chickens and goats that were part of the fun and activities. The Rec Plex was full of children who attended, got their face painted, did some hula hopping, and enjoyed delicious snacks. It was great to see many families come out to play. It was a great event hosted by the Early Years Centre team.

Four youth got to travel to Kimberley for the Columbia Basin Trust youth network event to learn about leadership and experience mini workshops including poetry, hip-hop, improv, and theatre. The performers, which included 140 youth from around the Basin later performed what they had learned. It was a lot of fun and has inspired the youth network to offer a few workshops over the summer to provide a little summertime enjoyment.

Here are few things that you may want to know that are happening this week in Golden:

Starting in July, there will be a few workshops going on for youth that you may want to get involved in including:

Be your own boss and start a business (workshops Tuesday to Friday July 10 to 13 running out of the Youth Centre from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Get Wild Camp (Check out WildSight for more details); Student Commission of Canada gives youth the opportunity to have their say about Youth in Canada on July 18 and 19; Wellness for Teens is on August 15; Weekly movies; Metis dancing; blanket exercises; making music; art Tuesdays; and more.

Connect with Lynne at lynne.cdc@gmail.com or stop in and check the calendar out.

The age friendly committee meets regularly and talks about issues that concern seniors. Check out the seniors calendar for more information.

The EarlyLearning Centre will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Thursday for newborns to six year olds that would like to come and play.

Don’t forget the wonderful Summer Kicks lineup that happens every Wednesday at the Spirit Square. They have been going on all summer, and are amazing and well attended.

The local hiking group meets on Wednesdays and take community members out to play in the mountains and is a fun social activity for all fitness levels.

There is art every Monday at the Seniors’ Centre through the Art Guild. Cards and crib are on Thursdays, and so much more.

I highly recommend picking up a schedule for the Early Learning Centre activities that are happening and getting familiar with the many family friendly things to do in Golden. Check out the seniors calendar, which has everything listed that you would need to fill your days with fun and excitement.

Watch for the summer youth activity calendar, which will be posted next week at the Youth Centre.

How can you get involved and make Golden even better? By sharing your knowledge of the Golden we enjoy. Say hi to the visitors and share your best Golden stories.

Connect with me if you would like to get involved, and I can help find the place that fits for you by e-mailing Lynne.cdc@gmail.com.