YMCA Cornwall

YMCA Cornwall

At a glance

Causes

  • Young people

Other details

Organisation type: 
Charity
Geographical remit: 
Local

Objectives

YMCA is the largest and the oldest group of independent charities working with young people in the world. Across England there are 114 independent YMCAs.
Each one is a thriving and active community and an autonomous charity that is transforming lives
.

YMCA Cornwall focus’s on young people and help them play an active and fulfilling role within their communities. We call this a youth minded community approach.

We provide a wide array of community based activities and housing services to help meet local needs wherever we are based.

What we do
YMCA Cornwall was established in 1877 and from its very earliest days has provided supportive accommodation to young people in need. Today we have housing at our site in Penzance, in the surrounding community and in Camborne and are looking to become a Registered Provider.
We have a nursery in Mullion and shops in Penzance and Truro.

YMCA Cornwall aims to:

  • Provide a welcome to its members for themselves in a meeting place which is theirs to share, where friendships can be made and counsel sought.
  • Develop activities which stimulate and challenge members in an environment that enables them to take responsibility to find a sense of achievement.
  • Involve all members in the care and work for others.
  • Create opportunities for exchanging views so that members can improve their understanding of the world, of themselves and of one another.

Activities

Need

For many young people frustration about what they see as their future (or lack of it) can lead to them becoming angry and de-motivated with low self-esteem and low confidence and a general unwillingness to try. The homeless young people with whom we work come to us with a myriad of issue that they need to address. Often this may be the first home they call their own and feel safe in enabling them to have access to the Internet would mean a lot to them.

Solution

We support and challenge young people to address the issues in their life and to look to the future we encourage them to enrol at college and to seek employment access to the Internet in their own rooms/flats would enable this process to be easier for them and also give them the control of doing it for themselves . Giving the young people confidence in their own abilities will encourage them to think differently about their future and say to themselves “I can do it!”

Current opportunities

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, TR18 4TE

YMCA Cornwall is an independent charity providing supported housing for vulnerable young people aged 16-24 who are homeless or at risk.