Anchor Youth Space Sydney marks first year with nearly 5,000 visits

SYDNEY, N.S. — One year after opening its doors, Anchor Youth Space Sydney has recorded nearly 5,000 visits from youth, caregivers, community partners and others accessing its programs, services and supports.

Located inside the New Dawn Centre on Nepean Street, Anchor Youth Space Sydney provides youth ages 12 to 25 and their caregivers access to mental health and addictions support, primary care, counselling, peer support, housing and employment resources, life skills, structured programming and other community services all in one place, without fees or referrals.

In its first year, Anchor Sydney recorded 4,930 visits, including more than 2,500 youth visits and 550 caregiver visits. The space also welcomed over 1,700 visits from community partners and external participants.

Over the year, Anchor Sydney also delivered:

• 43 partner programs, with 787 participants
• 36 internal programs, with 350 participants
• 108 youth accessing intake or one-on-one counselling

“Celebrating one year of Anchor Youth Space Sydney is really a celebration of the incredible team behind it,” said Larissa Rodriguez, Director of Youth and Family Care at New Dawn. “Anchor would not be what it is today without our staff — their ideas, creativity, passion and belief in what this space could be. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together and, even more importantly, the sense of belonging and community our team has created for youth and families.”

Anchor Youth Space Sydney is part of Nova Scotia’s Integrated Youth Services (IYS) model, which brings health, wellness and social services together in community-based settings. The model is intended to make it easier for youth and caregivers to access the right support at the right time, without having to navigate multiple services or systems independently. Anchor Youth Spaces are led by local community organizations with support from IWK Health.

Youth and caregivers have also played a central role in shaping the model. Provincial and local advisory groups have informed the design of Anchor sites and the services offered within them, helping ensure programming reflects the needs and experiences of the communities they serve.

In Sydney, that approach shaped both the physical space and its programming. Youth and caregiver advisory committees contributed to the design, creating an inclusive, youth-centred space that includes areas for counselling and support, recreation and movement, sensory regulation, studying, cooking, gathering and informal connection.

“Being part of Anchor’s first year has been an incredibly rewarding experience,” said Corrie Bunin, Anchor Sydney’s Family Support Worker. “I’ve seen firsthand the importance of creating a space where youth and caregivers feel heard, supported and connected to the resources they need. As a local caregiver myself, I’m especially proud to be part of an organization that is building meaningful connections in our community and putting youth and families at the centre of everything we do.”

Support for caregivers is an important component of the Anchor model, recognizing their role in the well-being of young people and the need for caregivers to have access to support themselves. Anchor Sydney’s caregiver programming and supports provide opportunities for parents and caregivers to connect, receive support and take time for their own well-being.

“As a caregiver, we are often forgotten and we feel unheard and unseen,” one local caregiver shared. “It’s difficult to care for our children when our tanks are empty. Anchor Youth Space is the first place to begin to fill our tanks as caregivers, and my mind and body and souls are healthier because of it. Thank you, Anchor, for seeing the invisible and allowing us to care in a healthier way for our children!”

Anchor Youth Space Sydney is one of three IYS sites across Nova Scotia, with another five planned to open, including a second Cape Breton location in Eskasoni. In Sydney, New Dawn leads the initiative in collaboration with Undercurrent Youth Society, BGC Cape Breton and the Cape Breton Youth Project, bringing together organizations with longstanding experience supporting young people in the community.

As Anchor Sydney enters its second year, New Dawn will continue to build on the relationships, partnerships and programs established during its first, creating more opportunities for youth and caregivers to access support, strengthen connections and find a sense of belonging in their community.

The work is part of New Dawn’s ongoing commitment to supporting children, youth and families across Unama’ki–Cape Breton, with programs and services that respond to community needs at every stage — from after-school programming and youth mental health and wellness supports to supportive housing and the new Youth & Family Centre in Glace Bay.

Anchor Youth Space Sydney is located at 37 Nepean Street in Sydney. Walk-in support is available Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with dedicated drop-in times and scheduled programming for youth and caregivers. For more information, visit newdawn.ca/youth-family/anchor-youth-space/.

To mark its first anniversary, Anchor Sydney is inviting youth, caregivers, and community partners to an anniversary barbecue on Tuesday, September 22, from 4 to 6 p.m.

The event is an opportunity to celebrate Anchor’s first year, meet the team, spend time in the space and connect with the people and organizations that have helped shape its first year in the community. All are welcome.

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ABOUT NEW DAWN

New Dawn is Canada’s oldest Community Development Corporation. Since 1976, we’ve been working to create a more just, healthy, and self-determined community by responding to local needs and driving long-term, systems-level change. Today, New Dawn continues to focus on self-reliance, resilience, and community-led transformation. Every day, we engage thousands of community members and employ over 150 Cape Bretoners through programs and services that are practical, creative, and grounded in care. Our work spans health and social care, housing, the arts, youth, immigration, and community development. Some of these services generate revenue, which we reinvest into our organization — fueling sustainability and deepening community impact.

ABOUT ANCHOR YOUTH SPACE SYDNEY

Anchor Youth Space Sydney is part of a provincial Integrated Youth Services (IYS) initiative designed to provide community-based programming, resources, and services to support youth aged 12 to 25. The IYS model offers a “one-stop shop” where youth and their caregivers can access a range of services without the need for appointments or fees. Anchor Sydney is a safe, welcoming space where youth and their caregivers can access mental health and wellness services and supports.