SAFE Program wins UBCM Community Excellence Award

Surrey, B.C. – The City’s Surrey Anti-Gang Family Empowerment (SAFE) Program has received a Union of BC Municipalities’ (UBCM) 2023 Excellence in Service Delivery award. With a large population of children and youth living in Surrey, SAFE involves 10 partner agencies delivering 11 individual programs that work to disrupt negative pathways to gang violence. Since inception in 2019, SAFE has supported over 4,500 Surrey children, youth and parents with tailored support including meeting gender specific and culturally sensitive needs.

“With Surrey having the largest youth population of all municipalities in British Columbia, it is critical that we provide innovative, proactive, wraparound services for our young people,” said Mayor Brenda Locke. “The SAFE Program does that by helping children and youth build positive life skills and strong connections with family, school and community. I am glad this essential program has been recognized by my fellow members of the UBCM and I applaud the great work that is being done by the SAFE team.”

The five-year $7.5 million SAFE Program is funded by Public Safety Canada and led by the City of Surrey. SAFE services include youth outreach and mentorship, caregiver education and family support, clinical counselling, and opportunities for youth enterprising and peer leadership.

“Surrey is a leader in gang prevention programs, and it is an honour to see this first-of-its-kind program recognized by UBCM,” said Councillor Rob Stutt, Surrey Council liaison to the SAFE Program.  “This award underscores the importance of the SAFE Program and how it is helping keep youth on positive trajectories. I thank the SAFE team at the City and our community partners for their tireless dedication. Together, you continue to innovatively move the needle forward in gang prevention programming for our youth.”

The Community Excellence Awards recognize and celebrate UBCM member First Nations, regional districts and municipalities that have implemented projects or programs that go above and beyond in meeting the purposes of local government in BC. The awards are intended to showcase outstanding initiatives and share them with other members to implement in their own communities. The Excellence in Service Delivery award acknowledges programs that provide effective and beneficial services to the community in a proactive manner and draw upon performance measures, benchmarks and standards to ensure that service delivery is sustainable.