New Dawn Enterprises

Earlier this fall, Anchor Youth Space Sydney opened its doors at the New Dawn Centre in Northend Sydney. It’s one of eight Integrated Youth Services sites set to open across the province and provides supports for youth aged 12-25, whether that’s mental health resources, employment assistance and skills training, help finding housing, or general life skills like cooking.

Recently, CBC Radio’s Information Morning Cape Breton invited us to share the story of Anchor Youth Space Sydney, complete with a tour of the space with one of our Youth Support Workers, Al Cusack, and Youth Advisory Committee members Liam Burke and Summer Pentecost. Both Summer and Liam were involved in developing the space and shared their feelings seeing their vision come to life.

“It’s incredible. Honestly, it’s exactly what we’ve been hoping for from the beginning. I know there’s a lot of people who really make use of the space that really need a space like this to call home or to just come for a couple of hours, whatever they need,” said Summer Pentecost, a first year CBU student.

“We wanted everyone to feel like they were part of the space and that they were welcome and that they could find something they enjoyed,” she said.

Summer Pentecost speaking at the opening ceremony at Anchor Youth Space Sydney in September. (📷: Steve Wadden)

The space includes a large teaching kitchen for cooking classes, as well as a kitchenette for preparing snacks.

“As most folks in Sydney know, a big challenge facing our youth would be food insecurity, so we want to have that available at all times,” Al Cusack shared on the tour.

There are also different areas for quiet studying and reading, group activities like board games and movie nights, a sensory room for decompressing, The Zen Den for relaxing, and a movement room.

The staff has been working with youth and their caregivers to develop regular programming, which currently includes one-on-one counselling sessions, a weekly hot dinner, a trivia night, and two weekly drop-in times.

For Al, it’s important that the space and programming has something for everyone.

“From the beginning, we really prioritized and centred the voices of youth and caregivers and making a space where they feel comfortable to go, even if they don’t need anything, so that they know we’re here to support them when they do,” he said.

🎧 Listen to the full CBC Radio interview here.

🔗 Learn more about Anchor Youth Space Sydney and Integrated Youth Services here.