Congratulations to our 2018 Youth Matters finalists
After hours of careful deliberation by the judging panel, and over 10,000 votes, we are excited to announce our finalists for this year’s prestigious YMCA Youth Matters Awards.
It’s time to stop stigmatising apprenticeships as a second class option
Words by Denise Hatton, Chief Executive of the National Council of YMCAs Deciding what to do after leaving school can be a daunting task for many young people. Figuring out the rest of your life is never an easy decision but, for today’s generation, it’s probably harder than ever. For most young people who are…
Creating body confident schools the first step in tackling body image anxiety
Young people care about how they look. I know what you are thinking and, yes, this is a relatively unsurprising fact, particularly to me when I recall how long I used to take to get ready as a teenager and when I look today at my own daughters’ behaviour where very similar traits appear to…
YMCA supporting young people with mental health difficulties
Towards the end of 2015, YMCA England conducted a body of research to inform its YMCA Manifesto for the General Election, and mental health was a key consideration for us and the young people we serve. For while much of our work is centred on helping disadvantaged young people off the streets, into a safe…
YMCA at Greenbelt: a new chapter begins
Words by Andy Winter, Chief Executive of YMCA Coventry and Warwickshire This Bank Holiday weekend, YMCA returns to the faith, arts and music festival, Greenbelt.
Blog: ‘You’ve got to be in it to win it’ – 2015 Youth Matters winner on taking home his prized award
Hi, my name is Tom Truman and I am honoured to be the current YMCA Young Worker of the Year. I was nominated for the award in 2015 for work in my previous position as Service User Involvement Officer at YMCA Birmingham.
YMCA commemorates its civilian volunteers as the world remembers the Battle of the Somme
Friday 1 July is the 100th anniversary of first day of the Battle of the Somme, one of the fiercest battles of World War One. As the country commemorates this and remembers those who lost their lives, Ken Montgomery, Head of International Affairs at YMCA England, looks back on YMCA’s civilian involvement in this battle…
The Big Ban Theory – why the Psychoactive Substances Act does not go far enough
This week, YMCA releases its latest research report, The Big Ban Theory. In the largest project of its kind looking into the impact and use of legal highs among young people, YMCA sets out 14 recommendations to Government, asking them to look beyond the Psychoactive Substances Act, due to come in place on Thursday 26…
Mental Health Champions – when the numbers speak for themselves
It was just over 12 months ago that YMCA England was successful in attracting a Department for Education (DfE) grant to deliver a mental health programme that looked to fill a void created by the reduced capacity of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
Get Set for Community Action: Just Say Yes
Graham Oatridge, YMCA England’s Health and Wellbeing Contracts Manager, blogs about a new programme YMCA is delivering all over England, Scotland and Wales to help young people give back to their communities…
The importance of physical health in your New Year’s resolutions
Blog by Graham Oatridge, Health and Wellbeing Contracts Manager at YMCA England, for National Obesity Week.
YMCA proves that Youth Matters at national awards
And so it’s over for another year. Youth Matters 2015 – or #YMA2015 for those of you who work predominantly on social media – you’ve been a good friend to us. We’ll miss you (loads).
Mental Health: the hidden disability
As we mark World Mental Health Day 2015, John Brunswick, Health and Wellbeing Programmes Manager at YMCA England, talks about how innovative mental health services across YMCAs are helping to transform the lives of hundreds of vulnerable, young people…
Young people speak out on proposed changes Housing Benefit entitlement
Young people in YMCAs all over England have been speaking out about proposed cuts to Housing Benefit for 18 to 21-year-olds for the past few months. Here’s what a few of them have had to say to YMCA and to newspapers all over the country. Sam Lee, from YMCA Humber, in Grimsby: “What about the…
A Budget for young people? Not according to Zara, 18, from Grimsby
Zara Wilkinson is a young person living in YMCA Humber accommodation in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire. She moved into YMCA in January after spending a week sleeping in a tent on the streets of the seaside town. Here, she gives her views on the three aspects of last week’s Budget that may affect her…
YMCA OnSide – helping young people with disabilities get into sport
As we celebrate Disability Awareness Day, Lisa McGuigan, Inclusive Sports Project Manager at YMCA England, talks about what our sports programme, YMCA OnSide, is doing to help young people with disabilities all over England…
Championing mental health
Late last year, YMCA England’s Policy team spent a lot of time out on the road, hosting events, speaking to staff and working with young people to determine the main issues that affected them. From a health and wellbeing perspective it confirmed something a lot of us already knew; mental health is one of the…
Youth vote matters in General Election, says Shannon, 18
Shannon Dolton, 18, is a young person staying in YMCA Humber accommodation, in Grimsby, North Lincolnshire. She voted yesterday for the first time and says it’s now more important than ever that young people get involved in politics.