YMCA response to the Chancellor’s Spring Budget 2024

Denise Hatton, Chief Executive, YMCA England & Wales, said: “In response to the Chancellor’s budget, the commitment to protecting nurseries and preschools from rising costs through guaranteed future funding is welcomed. However, there are areas where the budget could have done more to support early years education, particularly for 3—and 4-year-olds, and targeted investment in…

YMCA Issues Urgent Plea Ahead of General Election: Safeguard Youth Services Before It’s Too Late

YMCA’s latest report, sponsored by Vestey Holdings, reveals yet another opportunity missed for significant reinvestment in youth services. In the face of a marginal 3% real-terms funding increase, the sector remains stagnant with overall cuts of 70% in England and Wales since 2010-11, marking a total loss of £1.1bn. During a critical election year, YMCA…

Now’s Our Chance: YMCA Releases Manifesto for Young People Ahead of General Election

As the UK prepares for the next General Election, YMCA has today launched a bold plan to urge political parties and leaders to seize the opportunity to create positive change for young people. Using the timely call to action of “Now’s Our Chance,” YMCA emphasises the critical need for comprehensive and targeted policies to address…

Government’s Ambitious Childcare Expansion Is Currently Far From Reach And Urgent Action Is Needed, Warns YMCA

YMCA, the largest voluntary childcare provider in the country, estimates a 13.2% increase in qualified staff (45,000) is needed by September 2025 to accommodate the expanded 30 funded hours.   YMCA projection is a conservative estimate, based on the Department for Education’s predictions of new funded hours taken up, hinging on 2023 workforce levels remaining…

YMCA and Cadent join forces to support young people and communities to combat fuel poverty and isolation

YMCA, a national charity committed to supporting young people in their time of need, is thrilled to announce a ground-breaking new partnership with Cadent, the UK’s largest gas distribution network. As part of its commitment to tackling fuel poverty and supporting the most vulnerable, Cadent has funded a new ‘Safe and Well Communities Project’, which…

Fourth generation family business Vestey Holdings becomes YMCA’s first Corporate Roomsponsor Partner

YMCA England & Wales and Vestey Holdings have launched a transformative long-term partnership to inspire future generations. The partnership will ensure young people have a safe place to call home and a platform for their voices to be heard, giving them a chance to discover who they are and what they can become. The COVID-19…

YMCA response to the Chancellor’s Spring Budget 2023

Responding to the Chancellor’s Budget announcement earlier today, Denise Hatton, Chief Executive of YMCA England & Wales, said: “YMCA broadly welcomes elements of the Chancellor’s announcements today – in particular, responding to calls to support parents struggling with high childcare costs and early years providers that are struggling to keep their doors open. “We welcome…

YMCA calls for a strategic vision for young people as youth service spending revealed as significantly less per child in England than in Wales.

YMCA’s latest study into expenditure on youth services highlights a stark disparity in per-head spending between Wales and England. Analysis released today shows that children and young people in Wales receive more than double the real-terms spend per-head than those in England, at £91 compared to £45 respectively. The 2010s saw drastic cuts to local…

YMCA warns latest Early Years National Funding Formula and continued underfunding puts settings and family support at risk

A report released today by YMCA revealed that the Early Years Funding Formula (EYNFF)* 2023/24 falls far short of the support needed for providers to deliver the Government’s free childcare scheme, as inflation and National Living Wage effectively outstrip any increase across England.   YMCA found that the funding rate for three and four-year-old early…