Tag: YMCA

YMCA calls on young people to register to vote

Stuart Mitchell

The YMCA are calling on young people all over the UK to ensure their voices are heard in December’s General Election by registering to vote today. It takes just five minutes to register to vote at the Government’s website. Not sure if you can vote? Visit their guide to registering. Denise Hatton, Chief Executive of YMCA England & Wales said: “As we approach this General Election the voices of young people are more important than ever, and yet we find that they are often drowned out or misheard. This needs…

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Ypeople leaves YMCA movement

Stuart Mitchell

Ypeople is a charity with almost 200 years of history, having been one of the world’s first members of the YMCA movement. Two centuries later, they feel they are a different organisation, and at the Ypeople staff conference CEO Joe Connolly announced our disaffiliation from YMCA Scotland. “We’re extremely proud of our long standing YMCA history but the growth in our range of services and expansion of our geography means that as an organisation we’re no longer compatible with the YMCA model of a federation of local services. “As a…

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YMCA celebrates 175th anniversary

Stuart Mitchell

This week, YMCA celebrates its 175th anniversary. On 6 June 1844, 22 year-old draper George Williams joined 11 friends to organise the first Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), a refuge of Bible study and prayer for young men seeking escape from the hazards of life on the streets of London. We will be celebrating this monumental year with several events, not just in London where we started, but all over the country. YMCA 175 Birthday Party As YMCA turns 175 we are encouraging all our shops to host a YMCA…

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YMCA’s Be Real Campaign finds that almost two-thirds of young people feel pressure to look their best online

Stuart Mitchell

Almost two-thirds of young people (61%) feel pressure to look their best online, according to new findings from the Be Real Campaign. The alarming research also revealed that more than two-thirds (67%) regularly worry about the way they look. In response to this pressure, our research found that more than two-thirds of young people (67%) edit photos of themselves before posting them on social media and nearly a quarter (23%) spent more than five minutes doing so, with some taking over an hour. These edits would typically include removing blemishes…

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YMCA calls on the public to come together and sleep rough for one night in March to support homeless young people

Stuart Mitchell

YMCAs across the country are joining forces to raise awareness of youth homelessness during the national YMCA Sleep Easy Week, running from Friday 8 to Friday 15 March. The week will see fundraisers sleep out for one night all over England to raise awareness of the hundreds of young people who sleep rough every year and raise funds to help YMCA continue to support residents and young people in their services. A staple part of our fundraising since 2010, Sleep Easy has seen more than 6,000 people sleep rough to…

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