The Issue

Youth in low-income communities lack adequate social infrastructure resulting in insufficient opportunities for sports, civic engagement and enrichment programs.

Did you know?

Racialized youth are disproportionately impacted by spatial inequality and play inequity. The lowest 10% of fundraising elementary schools raise $1 for every $49 raised by the top 10% of schools. This is especially true for the communities we serve, Flemingdon Park and Thorncliffe Park, both apartment communities. There is an absence of quality outdoor infrastructure to serve the diverse needs of the large population. This was especially apparent during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when large families were confined to small apartments.

What We Do

By fundraising for the Go Green Cricket & Sports Field and animating the space in partnership with the Toronto District School Board, we aim to create and maintain an environmentally sustainable outdoor not-for-profit sport and recreational facility. To date, through private foundations, corporate donations and government contributions, we have fundraised over $2.5 million dollars for capital improvements.

Social infrastructure can help fight inequality, polarization, and the decline of civic life by creating inviting spaces for diverse populations. To learn more, we recommend reading, Palaces for the People by Eric Kleinberg.

Other Quick Facts

Poverty & Social Exclusion

One in four children live in poverty in Toronto (2016 census)
In schools where the median family income is $40,000 a year, overall Schoolyard Quality Scores are, on average, ten points lower than schools where the median family income is $175,000.
Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park are often considered "arrival cities" as they welcome many waves of immigration to Toronto
Flemingdon Park is often referred to as Canada's first completely planned "apartment city"

Our Organization

GGYC is one of the only few not-for-profits with an exclusive partnership with the Toronto District School Board to build and operate a cricket & sports field on the schoolyard of Valley Park Middle School (VPMS)
VPMS is one of Canada's largest and most ethnically diverse middle schools serving grades 6-8
GGYC originally started off as an environmental project focused on stormwater management at VPMS
We do not have any core operating funds and rely on grant-specific project funding and corporate donations