Building Boys and Girls Clubs

About Us

The vision that created St. Alban’s Boys and Girls Club in 1949 and built its Clubhouse in 1960 has successfully grown to reach other under serviced and at risk communities. The Building Boys and Girls Clubs campaign aims to raise $3.5 million over the next five years to build/expand three new Boys and Girls Clubs and renovate two existing Clubhouses.

We are very excited about continuing the founding vision of the Club and hope that you feel inspired by the knowledge that you can make a positive impact on so many young lives.

The tireless efforts of countless dedicated volunteers founded and funded St. Alban’s in the Bathurst and Dupont community. This Boys and Girls Club has brought quality programs and services to the children and youth of the area for almost 60 years. The spirit of the vision that created St. Alban’s has grown to develop and support new Boys and Girls Clubs in the Jane and Finch and Weston-Mount Dennis communities.

It is time to build Clubhouses in these under serviced and at risk communities, allowing us to offer more diversified programs such as drug and gang prevention, homework assistance and employment readiness. The new Clubhouses and services will have a tremendous impact on young people in these communities for years to come.

For many young people, the Jane and Finch Boys and Girls Club is a home away from home. Although Club staff often fills the role of family, the building itself hardly feels like a home.

On most nights, the Club is overflowing with children and youth who come to participate in the many varied programs offered there – homework assistance, mentoring, computer and life skills development. The Club is housed in a small, three room, Toronto Community Housing (TCHC) unit and operates at full capacity.

It is a daily struggle to maintain top quality programs in a building that does not have enough space in an at risk community. Families are being turned away because there is no room for existing programs, much less critically needed new ones. Recently, TCHC has offered us additional space that, with a lot of work and renovations, can be utilized for youth programming space in the Jane and Finch community.

An improved Jane and Finch

Our vision leads to a storage garage of approximately 1350 square feet in the Jane and Finch community. We have secured a long term lease for this space, and it is close to several schools, our existing site, and in the middle of a Toronto Community Housing complex.

A supportive community of residents, volunteers, youth, TCHC staff, politicians, police officers, Club staff, members and families agree that the development of this youth centre will meet the needs of local youth for years to come.

After building it, the renovated and expanded 2700 square foot facility will become a vibrant Boys and Girls Club youth centre. It will feature dance and sound studios, a games room, a computer and employment centre, a kitchen, access to an outdoor basketball court and beautiful landscaping. It will serve over 100 youth per day. The construction of this youth centre will most certainly energize the Jane and Finch community and its youth.

We are a safe, enriching and caring place to go
We are available and affordable to all children and youth
We have a unique approach to helping children and youth
We instil values
We connect to community needs
We provide professional staff and dedicated volunteers

A community agency where member children, youth, families and adults meet in a safe supportive environment to share and experience a sense of community, belonging and a healthy lifestyle, Our emphasis is on children and youth programming as we believe that confident and healthy children and youth become responsible members in the community.