Newcomer workshop aims to build positive connections as County of Brant continues to grow

Casandra Turnbull

Managing Editor

As the County of Brant continues to see steady population growth, community partners are coming together to help ensure new residents feel welcomed, informed, and connected to local supports.

A Darmont GivesBack (DGB) Connect Newcomers Community Engagement Workshop will be held Jan. 22 at the Brant Sports Complex, bringing together newcomers, service providers, and community organizations for an evening focused on inclusion, safety, and access to services.

Over the past seven to 10 years, the County of Brant has experienced significant residential growth, with many families and individuals relocating to the area. Organizers say programs like this workshop play a critical role in helping newer residents navigate local systems and feel a sense of belonging in a rapidly growing community.

“The DGB Connect Newcomers Community Engagement Workshop is part of our broader commitment to DGB Connect’s mission: to create inclusive pathways that empower individuals of all backgrounds to connect, participate, and contribute meaningfully within the community,” said Darmont GivesBack CEO Tobi Adedayo.

The initiative is delivered in partnership with the County of Brant and Brant OPP, with funding provided through Ontario’s Community Safety and Policing Grant Program. Adedayo said the workshop is designed as a structured but welcoming space where newcomers and service providers can connect, share lived experiences and identify gaps in services.

“In the County of Brant, many newcomers face barriers such as limited awareness of local services, language challenges, and difficulty navigating systems,” Adedayo said. “This workshop addresses those challenges by creating opportunities for participants to access information, build relationships, and share their lived experiences.”

The workshop is intended for residents who have lived in the County for less than seven years, as well as community groups, service providers, and residents interested in strengthening inclusion and community well-being.

Essay Folami, programs director with Darmont GivesBack, said bringing multiple supports into one space is essential.

“Newcomers’ challenges are rarely ‘one-organization problems,’” Folami said, noting that employment, housing, education, transportation, and social connection often intersect. When services operate in isolation, she said, people can fall through the cracks.

The evening will focus on conversation and engagement rather than formal presentations. Participants can expect guided discussions, informal networking, opportunities to meet service providers, and ways to share feedback through surveys and dialogue.

Folami said the workshop also supports broader community safety and well-being goals by helping newcomers feel informed, welcomed, and supported.

“Safety and belonging start with feeling informed, welcomed, and supported,” he said, adding that insights gathered during the event will help inform coordinated action aligned with the County’s Community Safety and Well-Being goals

Adedayo said organizers hope attendees leave feeling empowered and connected, with clearer pathways to support and collaboration.

“This event is a starting point for stronger partnerships, better referral pathways, and ongoing engagement opportunities where newcomers are not just recipients of support, but co-builders of community solutions,” she said.

The workshop will take place Jan. 22 at 5 p.m. at the Brant Sports Complex, 944 Powerline Rd.