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The YMCA has been working in Bournemouth for over 120 years, providing a home for countless numbers of young adults, offering challenging and fun programmes, providing confidence-building opportunities and bringing together people of many different backgrounds and creeds, all in the context of the Christian gospel. Our international symbol is an inverted red triangle illustrating three sides to life - body, mind and spirit. In a balanced programme operated in an informal and relaxed setting we seek to reflect these qualities.
The work we do and the services we offer are designed to meet a whole range of needs in the areas of accommodation, youth work, health & fitness, nursery & children's work, schools work, media, training and much more. As a charity, we rely on support from others and our hope is that looking at this web site will help you to have a better understanding of our work and the challenges we face and that you will be able to partner with us in some way.
“Working in partnership with young people today for a better tomorrow.”
Breaking news
Press release
26th November 2007
Local project gets £599,891 funding to turn young people’s passions into community action in the Bournemouth and Poole region.
Bournemouth YMCA has been awarded £599,891 funding by v, the youth volunteering charity, to get young people positively involved in their communities.
The project will recruit1500 young people aged 16-25 over three years to volunteer in a range of youth action and peer support projects and engage them in a variety of activities such as media (radio and film) and arts. This will have a personal and community impact as transferable skills are acquired and the young people gain awareness of issues such as racism, bullying, homelessness, disability discrimination and exclusion. Young people will take responsibility for themselves and we will empower them to take positive action to resolve issues which are important to them.
Bournemouth YMCA is one of 152 projects across the country who will be funded by v as part of v involved, a new national youth volunteering programme backed by £75 million funding, which aims to inspire half a million more young people to volunteer in England.
Blair Crawford ( Bournemouth YMCA’s Executive Director) says: “We are very excited to be part of the vinvolved programme and we look forward to working in partnership with young people today for a better tomorrow. The funding will enable us to provide volunteering opportunities and offer advice, information and support, particularly for those with physical and learning difficulties, those in or leaving care and those from Black, Asian Minority Ethnic communities. We will identify a range of public, private and voluntary sector organisations to develop and set up youth volunteering opportunities across Bournemouth and Poole and develop youth action teams who will be consulted and supported to campaign for improved services. This will enable young people’s voices to be heard in their local area.”
v involved has been designed by and for young people to make volunteering a compelling choice for all 16-25 year olds in England by tapping into their passions and concerns. The charity aims to change the image of volunteering and make it a ‘must-have’ part of young people’s lives.
Terry Ryall, v’s Chief Executive, says: “v is delighted to be able to fund this innovative and youth-led project, which will enable young peopleto get positively involved in Bournemouth and Poole. “Young people are at the heart of this new programme which aims to put them at the centre of our communities. Instead of seeing them as a problem to be fixed, we are giving them the chance to become a positive force for change.”
The volunteering opportunities will be available from April 2008. For more information visit www.wearev.com or the young people’s portal www.vinspired.com
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