With a $750,000 donation to be given over the course of five years, the Sun Life Centre for Healthy Communities (CHC) can continue its mission of providing affordable and accessible physical activity to children and youth in the community.
The Sun Life Centre for Healthy Communities, formerly known as the Sun Life Centre for Physically Active Communities, was founded in 2016 as a way for kinesiology and physical education students to practice their studies in the real world. “We have students utilizing their undergraduate educations to give back to the community” said Pam Bryden, professor of kinesiology and physical education at Wilfrid Laurier University, as well as the director of the CHC.
The centre offers a variety of programming to a wide age range to encourage physical activity for all. By providing programming the centre helps students to better understand what they are learning, while also supporting research projects within the university.
Two of the centre’s main focuses are affordability and accessibility. “We try to do as much as possible through free programming because everybody knows how expensive it is to put a kid through dance or hockey or summer camp” said Bryden. “And it’s not just financial pieces… but it’s also people that have any type of barrier to accessing”.
Bryden’s plans to increase affordability and accessibility are made possible with Sun Life’s donation. They are planning an expansion of the Laurier Brantford community, as well as expanding the range of programming offered. At the forefront of their plan is to increase accessibility through the hiring of new part-time and full-time positions focused on inclusivity.
With a bright future ahead for the Sun Life Centre for Healthy Communities, Bryden wished to highlight opportunities for the community to get involved. Anyone looking to take part in any capacity can email sunlifechc@wlu.ca.