News
MEDIA Release
November 13, 2023
$15,000 from Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities and $5,000 from 407ETR to support Jane/Finch children and youth in accessing physical activities over the winter months!
Toronto, ON – we are thrilled to announce that we will be partnering with the Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities once again to support our children and youth in accessing tennis over the winter months. In addition, we would like to welcome 407ETR, a new corporate sponsor, to our family of partners! Together, we will provide over 150 children and youth an opportunity to engage in our flagship winter league program for over 12 weeks. Not only will this program provide affordable and geographically accessible services, it will also serve to provide leadership development and employment opportunities for our older youth!
“Over last the 14 years, the Winter Tennis League has become more than a tennis program. It has become a vibrant hub where you will find intergenerational and intercultural connections as neighbors from different walks of life share the latest news over warm tea, budding youth honing in on their coaching skills, and participants dancing and singing after each successive point. This program is a testament to the power of sports. Thank you to Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities for supporting this program for over a decade and 407ETR for joining us in this endeavor,” said Alan Ma, Manager of Special Projects and Initiatives at Jane/Finch Community Tennis Association.
The Jane/Finch Community Tennis Association’s mission is to promote physical activity, education and employment opportunities by operating structured and recreational programming for children and youth in need in the Jane and Finch Community. Visit www.janefinchtennis.ca to find out more about its programs and services.
Jumpstart is more than just about getting kids active. It’s about giving kids from families in financial need the same chance to participate as their neighbours, their classmates and their friends. Whether it’s the chance to try a new sport or to continue with a favourite one, no kid should be left out. Visit their website to learn more about how they provide kids a sporting chance.
407 ETR sponsors kids ages four to 18 in the GTA who participate in team activities spanning from dance to hockey. In 2022, 407 ETR sponsored over 130 youth teams. Visit their website to learn more about their work.
Organization Contact for Media Inquiries:
Alan Ma, Manager of Special Projects & Initiatives
Jane/Finch Community Tennis Association
416-650-7969
MEDIA Release
February 24, 2023
$10,000 from Ted Rogers Community Grant supports Jane/Finch youth in accessing physical activities and reducing barriers to employment!
Toronto, ON – With the support of Ted Rogers Community Grant, the Jane/Finch Community Tennis Association will be able to support regular access to physical activities which will lead healthier lives for youth from ages 15-29 from the Jane/Finch community. The youth will train twice a week and receive professional development opportunities to become paid tennis coaches for the summer season. The program will reduce financial and employment barriers while increasing access to regular physical activities and opportunities to lead a healthier lifestyle. More importantly, this project will create equitable access to services not readily available to our Jane/Finch community.
“With the support from the Ted Rogers Community Grant, our association will be able to address barriers in accessing physical activities and employment opportunities for our young people in the Jane/Finch neighborhood,” said Alan Ma, Manager of Special Projects and Initiatives at Jane/Finch Community Tennis Association. “As we continue to build back better, we are utilizing our programs and services in creative means to also support economic development opportunities.”
The Jane/Finch Community Tennis Association’s mission is to promote physical activity, education and employment opportunities by operating structured and recreational programming for children and youth in need in the Jane and Finch Community. Visit www.janefinchtennis.ca to find out more about its programs and services.
Ted Rogers Community Grants enable registered charities and non-profits to support youth ages 15-29 through programs in education, health and sport, entrepreneurship, and digital literacy. This provides support helps empower young Canadians to achieve their highest potential. The grants support organizations that are making a meaningful difference in the lives of more than 50,000 Canadian youth annually, from coast to coast. Rogers is proud to have awarded hundreds of Ted Rogers Community Grants since launching the program in 2017. Visit their website to learn more about their impact.
Organization Contact for Media Inquiries:
Alan Ma, Manager of Special Projects & Initiatives
Jane/Finch Community Tennis Association
416-650-7969
MEDIA Release
September 25, 2022
$68,400 Seed Grant and $47,600 Community Building Fund from OTF Enables the Jane/Finch Community Tennis Association to Test New Pilot Program and Return Better!
Toronto, ON – After delays due to COVID19 with in-person programming, the Jane/Finch Community Tennis Association has now been able to finish a pilot project it planned to run in 2020, thanks to receiving a $68,400 Seed grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) that year. The pilot initiative provided training for local youth over seven months in preparation for a customized training workshop run by Tennis Canada’s facilitators. Last year, the Association received another grant from the Government of Ontario and OTF, a $47,600 Community Building Fund to help with operational costs.
“The Jane/Finch Community Tennis Association has developed an innovative approach to instruct youth on how to effectively teach tennis and become community leaders,” said Tom Rakocevic, MPP for Humber River-Black Creek. “Through the passionate efforts of this association, interest in the sport of tennis continues to grow in our community, giving our youth new and exciting opportunities.”
Funds from the Community Building Fund grant, awarded in the Fall of 2021, were used to support the Association’s innovative delivery of its programming and services, enabling it to initiate discussions with other like-minded anti-oppressive organizations in addressing system changes. Funds were used to help with staffing costs, as well as purchasing a Zoom license, sanitizing materials, and buying equipment that could be loaned out to youth in the community.
“With the support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Seed grant, our association was able to pilot an new approach in training tennis coaches for the Jane/Finch community,” said Alan Ma, Manager of Special Projects and Initiatives at Jane/Finch Community Tennis Association. “Although adjustments were made due to the interruptions of the pandemic, we were able to test and demonstrate that a custom approach can be done at-cost and effectively. With this new approach, we were able to train 19 participants as Community Tennis Facilitators with our national governing body, Tennis Canada. In addition, the Community Building Fund grant provided the Association with increased capacities to build-back-better as we returned to in-person programming. It also gave us the capacity to begin preliminary discussions with other organizations in developing collective action and proposals to address inequities facing our community members”
The learnings from the pilot project will be shared with the governing bodies in the hopes that other non-traditional tennis communities may benefit from this model to increase local capacities in different neighborhoods and increase earning power for their trained community members. The legacy of OTF’s support can be seen in the current discussions taking place between youth representatives and staff members from three different organizations.
The Jane/Finch Community Tennis Association’s mission is to promote physical activity, education and employment opportunities by operating structured and recreational programming for children and youth in need in the Jane and Finch Community. Visit www.janefinchtennis.ca to find out more about its programs and services.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) mission is to build healthy and vibrant communities across Ontario. As an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations, last year, OTF invested nearly $209M into 2,042 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund. Since 2020, OTF has supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non-profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19. Visit otf.ca to learn more.
Organization Contact for Media Inquiries:
Alan Ma, Manager of Special Projects & Initiatives
Jane/Finch Community Tennis Association
416-650-7969
