The History of Connects

In 2002 United Way of Regina published “Building on our Strengths” in partnership with the Regina Inter-Sectoral Committee.  That report provided a clear picture of what the community expected United Way to do, including setting aside space and devoting resources to the idea of building a culture of collaboration.

In 2003, in the follow-up Regina Connects report, people were asked how they understood “collaboration” with respect to solving the root causes of the community’s top issues, and what United Way’s role should be.  The answer was:  United Way is a trusted broker, and “neutral ground”.  People believed that it was time to take the next stop and make the perception a concrete reality.

Thus, the idea of United Way Connects, initially termed the “Centre for Collaboration”, was born.  The search for the right space was based on a set of criteria gleaned from our research. 

United Way of Regina moved its administrative offices into the building in July 2005, and work on the finer details for use of the community space has been ongoing since that time.