Scott, 14 years old, attends a YMCA run open access youth club on Mondays and Thursdays. Gang crime is very prevalent in the area in which Scott lives in and therefore, isn’t an area deemed safe enough to play out. Scott and his friends rely on the youth club to hang with one another and…
Alan is 28 years old and is a youth worker at YMCA Hayes. Alan arrived to the UK from South Africa (Alan is originally from Zimbabwe) as a refugee and an unaccompanied young minor at just 17 years old. Alan was in care up until the age of 21, where Alan was deemed responsible for…
Taybah is 16 years old, has just started studies at her local college and attends YMCA Coventry and Warwickshire’s Foleshill Girls Open Access Provision. Before Taybah attended any sort of youth group, her self-esteem was pretty low due to depression and isolation from peers. Growing up, Taybah experienced and witnessed a lot of domestic violence,…
Kieron has experienced stress, depression and anxiety since hitting his teenage years. As part of #IAMWHOLE, Kieron shares his experience to raise awareness of mental health stigma, in his own words. It’s been a part of me since I hit teenage years. Stress, depression, I just couldn’t really hold it back half the time, so…
Sophia Zahra first came to YMCA when she was 17 years old, during one of the lowest points of her life (read her story here). Here she tells us what she has been up to since winning the Young Achiever of the Year Award at YMCA Youth Matters Awards, and how it has since had…
“Being on the street is scary, very scary. When I was about 14 years old, I used to suffer with major anxiety because of bullying in school, I could not go into crowded places at all, I’d stay inside the house 24/7, I wouldn’t leave.” Lewis’ story is featured as part of our mental health fundraising…
“Before I went to YMCA, I was beyond depressed. Both my parents abused me as a child – psychological, physical, sexual abuse.” Rachel’s story is featured as part of our mental health fundraising appeal, which you can find out more about here. Please donate today to help young people like Rachel. “Looking back, I must…
Chelsea was sexually abused by a family member when she was just six years old. This horrific trauma was at the root of her multiple and undiagnosed mental health difficulties; she was hearing voices in her head and having flashbacks. Chelsea’s story is featured as part of our mental health fundraising appeal, which you can…
This time last year, after the relationship with his family broke down, Ray found himself homeless. He wanted nothing more for Christmas, than to have a roof over his head, where he was safe. Instead, Ray was living in an abandoned car where he was bitterly cold, where he had nowhere to wash and barely…
Dannielle’s story Dannielle was 19 years old when she came to YMCA. She was incredibly depressed due to problems at home, and when her brother was violent towards her, Dannielle realised that she could no longer stay there. Thankfully, she contacted YMCA and we were able to provide her with somewhere to live in our…
