YMCA is preparing to celebrate 172 years of giving young people a voice with a series of events all over England and Wales.
Young people, YMCA staff, volunteers and supporters are coming together under the #GiveaVoiceYMCA campaign designed to highlight the work YMCA does in supporting young people to have their say locally and in democracy across the UK.
It is part of a worldwide campaign coordinated by the World Alliance of YMCAs to mark the 172nd anniversary of YMCA, on 6 June. Events are also planned in YMCAs across Europe and the rest of the world throughout this day.
You can get involved by signing up to YMCA’s social media Thunderclap campaign, which helps to get a single message communicated to the masses, at the same. Once signed up a post will automatically go out at 14.00 on Monday 6 June on either Twitter, Facebook or Tumblr.
In the UK, young people supported by YMCAs are telling their stories to members of the national council at the tomb of YMCA’s founder, George Williams, at St Paul’s Cathedral.
In addition, local YMCAs are inviting MPs and business leaders to debate youth issues with YMCA residents while YMCA’s national twitter account will be run by young people throughout the day at www.twitter.com/ymca.england.
Denise Hatton, Chief Executive of YMCA England, the national council of YMCAs in England and Wales, said: “YMCA is proud of its history and heritage and marking our Founder’s Day in this way this year is a wonderful opportunity to do just that while also looking forward to the future.
“A big part of what we do at YMCA is to help young people make positive changes for the better. This can only be done by giving them both holistic support and greater confidence to speak out on the issues that matter most to them.
“Nationally, we do this through our policy work, including our manifestos that give our young people the chance to speak out on the issues that most affect them. And locally, it is great to see hard work also being done to engage young people in their local communities.”
YMCA was founded on 6 June 1844. It now operates in 119 countries, supporting or working with 58 million people every year.
In England alone, it supports more than 200,000 young people every year and, with almost 10,000 beds is the largest provider of supported housing to homeless young people in the country.
Follow YMCA’s campaign on Twitter at #GiveaVoiceYMCA.