Charity of The Week - YMCA

Who are YMCA? 

Nottinghamshire YMCA is a regional not-for-profit charity dedicated to promoting youth development, healthy living and social responsibility for individuals, families and communities across the region.

Based on Christian core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility, they are a diverse and inclusive charity that delivers a varied range of frontline services – ranging from childcare, day camps and digital projects for young people to supported housing for young homeless individuals and residential care for at-risk children. Every programme is devoted to improving the mind, body and spirit of their community.

As each YMCA branch is autonomous, Nottinghamshire YMCA’s history dates back to 1871 when a group of friends made it their mission set up the local movement to support young people. 150 years later they are still here and developing rapidly to empower the community and support even more young people from all backgrounds and identities.

Last financial year, Nottinghamshire YMCA gave 1,073 homeless people a safe place to stay at the charity’s supported housing across Nottingham, Mansfield, Worksop and Goole. With their provision expanding even further across the East Midlands and East Riding of Yorkshire, they know that rebuilding a person’s life after homelessness is about so much more than giving someone a safe place to sleep. That is why their trained staff team provides residents with everything from daily bespoke keyworker support to skill-boosting activities such as art classes, cooking in the charity’s training kitchen, budget management and much more.

During the pandemic, social isolation has posed a real challenge to residents’ mental health and wellbeing, and so YMCA staff at our hostels in Mansfield and Worksop have worked hard to launch COVID-safe outdoor activities such as their cycling scheme to keep residents engaged, positive and sociable.

Meanwhile, the charity’s Children’s Residential Care service offers a safe home and 24-hour support for at-risk young people to help them develop into the best versions of themselves they can be to belong, contribute and thrive in their communities.

At their 24-hour YMCA Gym in Nottingham city centre, their mantra is that their members are not just lifting weights when they work out with their charity, they are also lifting lives as membership costs go directly back into the delivery of their life-shaping frontline community services.

The engagement of our local supporters to help protect our community’s most vulnerable members has never felt so important. YMCA would like to thank everyone who donated Christmas gifts to their 2020 appeal as they were able to ensure that every YMCA resident received a present to open on Christmas Day; for many, it was the first Christmas present they had ever received and so the impact of your generosity cannot be overstated.

If you want to support a formerly homeless young person today, the organisation warmly invite any donations to their YMCA hostels (clothing, food, toiletries, stationary etc. all go down well) or you can make a donation online on our website here.

If you want to get involved, please email mpr@nottsymca.org or follow them on social media:

· Facebook – @NottinghamshireYMCA

· Twitter – @nottsymca

· Instagram – @nottsymca

· LinkedIn – @nottinghamshireymca