Eleven community groups from Halifax and Colchester counties are receiving over $250,000 in Prevention Innovation Grants.
Community Services Minister Joanne Bernard announced the recipients today, May 2, at the Northbrook Community Centre in Dartmouth. Ms. Bernard also highlighted other work done through the Sexual Violence Strategy over the last year.
The grants support community groups and organizations, including youth and underserved populations such as African Nova Scotians, First Nations and the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) community, to reach out to their peers and help put creative prevention initiatives into practice.
The recipients are:
— Youth Art Connection, Youth Arts Leadership Project, $22,250
— Avalon Sexual Assault Centre, Strong and Safer Together project, $50,000
— Alex Coley and Cameron Ure, Campus Sexual Violence Prevention training, $4,954
— Centre for Housing and Residence Life, Saint Mary’s University, SMU Residence Consent Project, $2,500
— Central Nova Women’s Centre, Engaging Youth in a Violence Free Future project, $5,000
— Northern AIDS Connection Society, LookOUT Photovoice project, $12,000
— Music Liberatory, Women Safe and Sound project, $30,000
— AIDS Coalition, Totally Outright in Nova Scotia training, $10,000
— YWCA, Girls Space Zine project, $5,000, and Youth onLine Overcome Violence education $15,000
— Heartwood, Cultivating a Community Network for Working with Boys and Young Men, $50,000
— Chebucto Connections, Boys Circles/Girls Circles program, $40,000
“Avalon Centre is committed to working with service providers, community members and youth to prevent violence against women and girls in Dartmouth,” said Jackie Stevens, executive director of Avalon Sexual Assault Centre. “The funding for this one year project enables us to continue this important work.”
An additional $600,000 for these one-time grants will be made available again in the fall, for a total investment of more than $1.2 million over two years.
“The Sexual Violence Strategy is an active project that is working with communities to help victims and survivors of sexual violence get the support they need, and helping everyone through education and awareness,” said Ms. Bernard. “I’m so proud of the work we’ve done so far, and look forward to the accomplishments of year three.”
Since development of the Sexual Violence Strategy began two years ago, the province has:
— supported community networks across the province through $1.25 million in Community Support Network Grants
— held professional development sessions for staff of 211 and 811, training them on how to respond to calls related to sexual violence in a compassionate and trauma-informed way
— struck an interdepartmental committee within government to better support the work of communities through an inventory of policies and procedures related to sexual violence. These are being analyzed for alignment and a plan is being developed for the fall
This fall a public awareness campaign on sexual violence will also be launched.
More information on the sexual violence strategy can be found at novascotia.ca/coms/svs/
Source: Release