Dear Friends, During the last few weeks we have witnessed the world rise up in protest against racial inequality, sparked by the murder of George Floyd on 25 May in the United States. For many of us, it has opened old wounds; bringing up feelings of sadness, anger and frustration at the deep racial injustices…
I have been a Supported Lodgings Host for nearly one month and this is my first placement. It’s an exciting day today as David, the young person who has been living with me, will be introducing me to his girlfriend and he is cooking dinner for us all. Before I had a young person on…
Barbara has been a Host for nearly 2 years now. Having raised her own sons, it was a new experience for her having a female young person coming to live in her home. Here is her story.
Pam has had Ryan living with her for just over 6 months. During the COVID-19, lockdown, as a household they have used the time to do lots of activities together.
The YMCA places young people from diverse backgrounds and experiences. This occasionally includes young people who come to the UK as refugees and asylum seekers. Rose has had Abubakr, (from Sudan) living with her for 2 years now. She has provided a caring environment where Abu has been able to grow and flourish. They get…
During the COVID-19 lockdown, there have been some lovely accounts from our Supported Lodgings Hosts explaining how through opening up their homes, they have been making the difference in the lives of young people.
Read Naima’s account of how YMCA helped her as a teenager, experiencing family breakdown, and now as a YMCA Supported Lodgings Host. She is also helping others.
For any teenager, experiencing a family breakdown is one of the most challenging life experiences that they could ever face. However, the risk of homelessness for 16-18 year olds leaves them with an even more daunting prospect during the Covid-19 outbreak, as many teenagers are left wondering what will happen and where they will go….
What? The Global Photo Challenge takes place on our Birthday, 6th June 2020, and is part of the World Challenge activities. It’s a chance for you to show off your favourite YMCA merchandise, have fun, challenge friends and see the diversity within the YMCA. Here’s the schedule for the day How? All you need is…
We realise that this is a time of uncertainty for everyone and want to assure you that we have the welfare of service users, staff, volunteers and community members, as a priority at this very challenging time. What follows are the current arrangements for the different areas of our organisation, based on the latest government advice…
