THIS spring, the City of Surrey and its partners will launch the Surrey Youth Resiliency Program (SYRP), introducing eight new projects led by eight community organizations.
The SYRP program is receiving $3.95 million through the federal Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF) and will allow Surrey to grow its inventory of gang prevention programming.
“The City of Surrey is a leader in gang prevention programs, on track to provide direct support to nearly 5,000 young people and their families through our Surrey Anti-Gang Family Empowerment program since its 2019 launch,” said Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke. “This new investment of $3.95 million will allow us to expand these supports through the launch of the Surrey Youth Resiliency Program that will include additional after-school programming, youth outreach and mentorship, enhanced access to trauma counselling and new culturally sensitive services for youth. This work is now more important than ever and I thank [federal Public Safety] Minister [Marco] Mendicino and the federal government for its ongoing support of this work.”
SYRP is an expansion of the City’s gang prevention programming model that began Surrey Anti-Gang Family Empowerment Program (SAFE). SYRP partners will align with existing gang prevention services through weekly participation in Surrey’s Children and Youth At-Risk Table. Funded until March 2026, SYRP will address data-informed service gaps by increasing resources for one-to-one youth mentorship, after school programming for middle years aged children, culturally appropriate services for vulnerable populations, and enhanced access to trauma counselling and life skills support.
The federal $250 million Building Safer Communities Fund aims to create capacity for new gun and gang violence prevention activities targeting children, youth and families across Canada, supporting local initiatives that prevent crime and violence and help young people make good choices. Mendicino joined Locke at Newton Arena to announce the funding for Surrey on April 21.
