YMCA Exeter

It's National Allotment Week and we have been harvesting!

YMCA residents and volunteers have been working hard planting, watering and nurturing our community garden, and the fruits of their work are finally ready to be eaten!

here we have Hannah and Alicja with some of their faves: apples, green beans and tomatoes (still waiting on the courgettes and onions!!)

Great to meet with the Community team from HSBC Exeter this morning to discuss future funding and volunteering opportunities! 🤝

The team have been working with residents in our Stage 1 housing, offering free advice on managing income and banking effectively!💳

They have even organised bank tours with some of our young people, helping them feel comfortable using the machines, setting up accounts and asking for financial advice!

Huge thank you to the HSBC team for partnering with us to empower our young people 🙏

Thank you to Broadclyst Parish Council for purchasing a Nintendo Switch for our Thursday night Youth Club!

We're big believers that gaming does good! (go follow YMCA Exeter Games for more on this) - especially in a safe and sociable space like youth club!

Thanks again for your generosity Broadclyst Council! 🙏

Did you know we have a sister charity in North Devon?

Thanks to a 3-year grant from The National Lottery Community Fund, YMCA South Molton is a thriving community hub in rural North Devon, offering:

⭐Toddler groups
⭐A cafe/warm space
⭐Community fridge
⭐Craft groups
⭐Circuit training

They have also partnered with to run a Foodbank from their building, providing a vital lifeline for locals who need support.

Of course, YMCA South Molton is nothing without the amazing team of volunteers who give their time faithfully across the week, as well as our Centre Management team, Amy and Cass 🙏

ymcasouthmolton.org.uk

PSA: YMCA Exeter residents will be on national radio this afternoon! 🎉

Last month, BBC Radio 4 Gardener's Question Time recorded two episodes of the much-loved radio show, and visited our YMCA Stage 1 housing to explore our Therapeutic Gardening projects.

Well done to the residents who shared their experiences and stories!

Listen to the episode today at 3pm: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qp2f

“I never want to eat another pot noodle again!”

After finding himself homeless, 22-year-old Magnus, was put up in temporary accommodation by the Council, surviving off pot noodles made with hotel room kettles - until he found YMCA Exeter.

Magnus has been living at YMCA Exeter since March and has really connected with our therapeutic Horticulture projects, learning how to work with freshly cut wood to make bowls and cups.

⭐Fun fact about Magnus⭐ He features in the Guiness World Records!

He has also received an unconditional offer to study Archaelogy at the University of Exeter in September - an amazing achievement.

Magnus is just one example of our residents, who with the right support and a safe, stable home, is now thriving. 🌱 Read the full interview below 👇

www.ymcaexeter.org.uk/magnus

Are you at New Wine and are interested in working for a Jesus-centered organisation in Devon? Come and have a chat with us in the Fun Zone exhibition area!

Looking for some good news stories?👀

Our July newsletter features an inspiring story from a young person, an update on a recent staff and resident camping trip and details on our upcoming fundraising appeal - https://mailchi.mp/eaac5bafaeea/welcome-to-july-news-from-ymca-exeter

Hey you! Heading to New Wine today?👋

Our team has arrived and set up shop. Come and say hi and find out about our new projects and job opportunities!

It's nearly the holidays and our Youth Workers are cracking out the summer activities ☀️

Did someone say scarecrow-making? 👀

We’re looking forward to expanding our youth work project into the Tithebarn and Westclyst areas of Exeter in September! Give our Instagram page a follow for more updates!

Did you know today is World Chess Day?

Over the last few months there's been an ongoing chess championship happening in our Lighthouse cafe - with residents, staff and volunteers competing for the Grand Master title😎

More importantly, it's been a really mindful and social activity for many of our residents, so there's always a chess set ready to go when our team set up the Cafe!

Here's our Stage 1 resident Magnus, playing against our Ten:10 volunteer Alicja. ♟️

JOIN OUR TEAM🛎️

We are recruiting a Resource & Communications Manager to join our Senior Management team, overseeing our fundraisers and communications team.

Download our application pack today: www.ymcaexeter.org.uk/jobs

Today is World Youth Skills Day!

As part of our supported housing, we run 'Life Skill' courses covering topics such as boundaries, budgeting, healthy relationships, and wellbeing.

These courses give young people a foundation knowledge in each area and strategies to apply it to their own lives.

We recently had a group of residents complete the Wellbeing Course and wanted to celebrate their hard work and progress - congrats guys!

Congratulations to Jonathan and Caspar Collins for walking 50km of the South West Coast Path and raising an incredible £3710 for YMCA Exeter!🎉

The Father and Son duo started their adventure last Monday from Land’s End walking 25km to Gurnard’s head and another 25km from Halle further up the coast the following day.

Congratulations Jonathan and Caspar - your heroic fundraising efforts will greatly benefit our projects and the young people we support.

Following the election results, we look forward to working with Fred Thomas MP for Plymouth Moor View and Luke Pollard MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport as we develop our young person’s housing pathway in Plymouth, in partnership with YMCA Plymouth and Young Devon

We also look forward to working with Steve Darling MP for Torbay, Caroline Voaden MP for South Devon and Martin Wrigley MP for Newton Abbot as we develop our supported housing pathway in Torbay alongside YMCA South Devon addressing the huge need for positive move-on solutions for young people in this area.

Congratulations to each of you on a successful campaign.

The YMCA Exeter team are looking forward to working with Steve Race for Exeter the new MP for Exeter and David Reed the MP for Exmouth & Exeter East to
support children, young people, families and communities so that everyone can thrive in Exeter.

We will also continue working with local and district councils and our new MP’s to ensure that homelessness prevention funding is prioritised. 🙏

Congratulations to you both!

The General election is just around the corner...

Too many young people can’t afford to meet their basic needs because of the

They are lonely and their mental health is in decline. But Increased wages and fairer benefits could change this.

That’s why, in the upcoming , we’re encouraging you to vote for the party you feel will put young people’s priorities back on the agenda.

Looking for some good news stories? 👀

Our June newsletterlooks like:

🌱Stories of hope from our Therapeutic Horticulture project and how you can get involved

☑️5 key issues affecting young people to consider when voting in the upcoming general election

☀️Updates from two recent events we have hosted!

https://mailchi.mp/1dc3543f36e3/praise-thanks-and-a-general-election

We hosted a young person's !

Last night we had the privilege of running a Hustings with some of Exeter's parliamentary candidates: Steve Race (Lab), Will Aczel (Lib Dem), W***y Poulter (Independent), Andrew Bell (Green) and Robert Spain (Independent).

The event was jointly hosted by our JCEO Gareth Sorsby and YMCA Stage 4 Resident, Andy Fletcher, and focussed on issues affecting young people such as affordable housing and access to mental health services.

Thank you to the candidates and members of the public for attending!

It's , and just 10 days until the .

We believe that every young person should be able to access timely support for mental health challenges.

Sadly many wait months or even years to be helped by a mental health professional. ⏰

Change is needed on a national level.

We encourage young people to look at the promises that political parties are making to address the need for better mental health provision, ahead of voting next week. ☑️