Waterloo Community Hub: Pre-Development Phase Overview Elizabeth Boston Community Development Officer- Neighbourhoods

Background Not a “traditional” approach United Way KW’s role

Obtaining Community Feedback Before going any further, we needed to get feedback from the community Held a meeting in September, discussing: Common elements of community hubs Who should the hub should be for? What types of programs/services/spaces should be there and why? Values/philosophical characteristics of the hub Physical characteristics (ie. location) Ways in which people can be involved

Results The hub is a good idea because…: Increase sense of belonging Bring more resources to Waterloo Increase collaboration & connection between residents, groups, & organizations It’s a good way to integrate services specific to community needs It could make services more accessible (“one stop shopping”) It could provide affordable/free program & activity space Desired values/characteristics of the hub: Social inclusion Informal, casual, friendly environment Open evenings & weekends Diversity of services within the hub Willingness to be fluid & adaptable Cross-sectoral representation Accessible, centralized location Wide variety of meeting spaces A hub coordinator Staff member always on duty

Results Key concerns: The hub would be a duplications of services There is a lack of an identified need Was not a resident-led initiative Level of interest in being involved: Over half of the attendees reported that they may want to collaborate and take part in the planning discussions Almost 1/3 of attendees stated interest in office/program space within the hub Many attendees were part of a community/resident group that was interested in space and/or had ideas they wanted to share with the future planning committees Only a handful of attendees stated they were not prepared to be involved, but still wanted to receive ongoing updates

Hub Planning Planning Sessions Held two full day planning sessions to discuss authentic collaboration, define the shared principles, and begin to build a shared understanding for what this Hub could look like and how it might benefit the community Working Group Drafting the mission, vision and values statements Drafting a terms of reference and Stakeholder Communication Plan Interim Steering Committee Will be formed to guide the hub initiative for the next 12 months

Key Insights/Learning Language is important (“hub” means many things to many people) Everyone involved in this development has their own purpose for doing so, therefore transparency is crucial Every hub is unique; no two hubs are the same

Help! Evaluation and monitoring of hubs? Access to resources/capital funding Good models that are similar to what we have in mind for Waterloo?

Questions/Comments Elizabeth Boston, Community Development Coordinator United Way Kitchener Waterloo & Area ext. 294