FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Foundry Burnaby Receives RBC Foundation Community Spaces Grant
Burnaby, BC – BC Centre for Ability (BCCFA) is pleased to announce that Foundry Burnaby is a recipient of the RBC Foundation Community Spaces Grant (CSG). This grant will support the renovation of 6889 Royal Oak through funding the upgrade of the centre’s entrances to the building, helping ensure that individuals using mobility aids, strollers, or those with limited strength can enter independently.
At present, there are barriers to accessing the future site of Foundry Burnaby. Accessibility is a key priority in renovating the space, and our architectural plans account for this. By acquiring funding through RBC Foundation’s CSG, we are thrilled to make this priority a reality.
“More than half of all buildings in Canada are either inaccessible or only partially accessible,” said Martin Thibodeau, Regional President, British Columbia, RBC. “Through the RBC Foundation Community Spaces Grant, we’re proud to help bridge that gap by supporting organizations like the BC Centre for Ability and Foundry Burnaby. Together, we’re working to create fully accessible entrances and help build more inclusive communities where everyone belongs.”
“Accessibility and inclusion will always be at the core of what we do. Making sure we can remove all barriers to Foundry Burnaby supports that work and, on a wider scale, supports our vision of inclusive, thriving communities. We are immensely grateful for the RBC Foundation’s support of Foundry Burnaby through the Community Spaces Grant.” – Joshua Myers, CEO, BC Centre for Ability
In April 2024, CSG was launched as part of RBC Foundation’s ongoing commitment to helping create more accessible and environmentally sustainable community spaces.
CSG helps provide support for retrofits, repairs, or upgrades to existing public community buildings, as well as construction of new public spaces, focusing on two key objectives:
- Improving environmental sustainability: Funding high-impact capital projects and improvements to community buildings that use engineered and nature-based solutions to help improve energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and build climate-resilience.
- Improving accessibility: Funding high-impact capital projects and improvements to community buildings to help enhance accessibility.
Organizations eligible for funding include hospitals, cultural institutions, community centers, and other registered charities in Canada. For full funding guidelines and eligibility criteria, please visit: http://www.rbc.com/communityspacesgrant.
BC Centre for Ability (BCCFA) has been delivering quality services for children, youth, and adults with disabilities, and their families, across BC since 1969. BCCFA is the largest community-based provider of child development services in BC and is considered a provincial leader in the field. BCCFA serves clients with a variety of different neurodevelopmental conditions including Autism, ADHD, FASD, brain injuries, Down syndrome, and cerebral palsy, although services are needs-based and a diagnosis is not required to access services. With Foundry Burnaby, BCCFA is excited to expand its existing counselling services to include young people specifically seeking mental health and wellness services.
Contact:
BCCFA Development & Communications
Tina Chiao, Director of Development & Communications
Tina.Chiao@bc-cfa.org