The YMCA has served the community for 145 years and has responded to social, economic and political changes throughout that time. Homelessness and drug & alcohol abuse has left many people damaged. Our response to the challenges, in 2006 was to rebuild our outdated premises on Whetstone Lane to provide a place of safety with facilities that could cater for the needs of people from all walks of life. This has enabled us to plan for the future and ensure we meet the demands of 21st Century life.We manage a hugely successful volunteer program, Our in-house team deliver practical advice, training and support to our clients. We provide a night shelter for up to 15 street homeless people each night, 365 nights a year. We offer a controlled drinking environment (CDE), which has been highly successful in reducing alcohol dependency. These are just a few of our initiatives that help engage our clients, whilst serving the community as a whole.All of this does come at a cost and the challenges of the present economic climate make it more complex in securing external funding. We are extremely grateful to local businesses for their ongoing support and we value the work of our staff and volunteer teams. To encourage one off or even repeat giving, we have recently launched a modern route to donations, directly from your mobile phone. Every £1 received by the charity is used to support our work and indeed helps save lives. Imagine a homeless environment when its minus 10 degrees outside. If you can give just £1 from your mobile phone, PLEASE TEXT and help us to save lives and make your community a safer place to live.
