Martin Houghton-Brown has been elected as the new Chair of the National Council of YMCAs.
Martin has been on the Board of Trustees of the National Council of YMCAs since 2011 and is Chief Executive of youth homelessness charity Depaul UK.
YMCA is the oldest and largest youth charity in the world, founded in London in 1844. Across England and Wales, it runs as a federation with 133 local YMCAs working independently to support young people to belong, contribute and thrive in their communities.
Martin said: “It is an honour to be elected as Chair of the National Council of YMCAs. YMCA has a unique history, one that we are rightly proud of. The work which started all those years ago, supporting people into employment and helping those in need, has never been more relevant and needed than it is today.
“I look forward to providing the leadership and governance we will need to strengthen our national council and, through our members, impact on and support young people and communities who access our services on a daily basis.”
While YMCAs work and respond locally, YMCA England acts as the national council, supporting each local charity within the federation and acting as a national voice with Government and decision makers.
Earlier this year, Martin was also elected to the Executive of YMCA Europe, which serves to strengthen YMCA National Councils across the continent.
Find out more about Martin’s career at YMCA here.