Saturday 12 August was International Youth Day, with the theme of Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World. With this in mind, we thought we would share with you a recent event at our Horsham Y Centre led by UK Harvest, who are on a mission to eliminate hunger and food waste through education and the redistribution of quality surplus food.
Healthy, low-cost treats were on the menu at YMCA Horsham, where an exciting food demonstration was held by UK Harvest.
Eleven young people with four support workers gained top tips on how to reduce food waste and make the most of surplus food. The team from UK Harvest prepared and demonstrated air fryer sweet potato and potato fries, veggie burgers and an array of healthy snacks.
Donna, from UK Harvest, said:
“The young people who attended were very engaged and even joined in some of the food prep. Sian, our UK Harvest chef, did a fabulous job demoing veggie burgers made with sage and onion stuffing mix, with tinned beans, veggie soup and spices, to show how to have a really low cost nutritious meal and being able to use up some of those tins that get left at the back of the cupboard.”
At the end of the session there was a free raffle with prizes including a slow cooker and air fryer!
A huge thank you to UK Harvest for all their hard work and for providing a brilliant, engaging demonstration for our young people. We’re excited to see how our young people take these skills into their everyday lives.
This summer, 16 brave volunteers completed an exhilarating skydive to raise vital funds to help tackle youth homelessness.
The event was a huge success and we’re delighted to announce that they raised an incredible £9,500! The brave 16 were made up of YMCA DownsLink Group supporters, corporate partners and staff members who all wanted to do something they’d never forget whilst also supporting young people facing homelessness in Sussex and Surrey.
We want to say a huge thank you to GoSkydive for making this event happen and we can’t wait to come back next year!
Among the daring skydivers was Claire, she told us:
“I loved, loved, loved doing this. So pleased we raised over £9,000, that is amazing!! I took on the challenge as I’ve always wanted to do a skydive, and saw this as the ideal opportunity to tick something off my bucket list and also to raise money for a really worthwhile charity, close to my heart, and make a small local difference to young peoples lives.”
The funds raised from the skydive will support our essential services and projects, such as our supported accommodation for young people at risk, our youth advice centres, community and school counselling services, family mediation and other youth focussed services.
We were so pleased with the success of the skydive this summer, we’ve already planned another for next spring and had people register interest straight away. It’s a great way to tick something off your bucket list, whilst also making a huge difference to vulnerable young people in your community.
If you think you could take on a skydive, why not register your interest through the link here.
Or click here to find out other ways you can get involved.
Last month brought a burst of colour, art and creativity to our 24-hour supported accommodation in Horsham, as a special mural was painted inside the atrium. The mural depicts a grand tree surrounded by lots of butterflies soaring around the room. This artwork not only brightens up the Y Centre but it also carries an important message.
The mural’s theme is based around hope, resilience, and positive new beginnings. All of the butterflies on the mural have been left blank so residents can fill in their own and write a message of hope or encouragement that will stay on the wall for years to come. The idea is that the young people have a sense of ownership and pride in this project, and they will be able to write something positive for future residents to read when they first move in, or even some words of encouragement to themselves that they will see each time they pass through the room.
This heartwarming initiative came from Carrie and Adam who both work at Assurity Consulting, a local workplace compliance, health and safety consultancy business in Horsham. They told us:
“Every employee gets one day a year to give back to the local community and make a difference. Today is our wonderful day this year.
We chose YMCA DownsLink Group because it’s a really important part of the local community. We could see the great work that’s being done here and some of our colleagues who helped out here last year met some residents and left wanting to do more. As a company, we believe in helping local people and making a difference in the place you are living.
Mel spoke to some of the residents here about what kind of thing they might like and what they wanted to do with the space. I think the design for the trees and butterflies was an idea put forward by the residents. The butterflies were to represent that when people leave, they leave with a new lease of life. A lot of residents don’t have the best starts in life but hopefully when they leave here they have a better grounding and a positive future ahead.
It’s really important for the young people to feel like they’ve got some form of ownership over the artwork and making the artwork a collaboration, not just us painting it and leaving. The residents have been really involved this afternoon. I think it’s nice for them to do some art and have some fun.”
The day of painting was really memorable as residents and staff joined Carrie and Adam to create the artwork. Everyone got really stuck in, carefully painting for hours, chatting away or concentrating in silence. Mel, Deputy Project Manager, kept up the energy by kindly providing snacks, drinks and pizza for everyone to enjoy. By the afternoon, the once bare walls had been transformed into a beautiful painting with a powerful positive message.
As soon as they could, the residents started to personalise their butterflies. Each resident carefully selected their colours and got to work. It was great to see a variety of artwork and styles appear on the wall. There are some very talented artists living at our Horsham Y Centre!
Adam thoughtfully left a stencil behind so residents can create more butterflies whenever they wish. This way, the mural will continue to grow and evolve. It’s has already become a point of pride for the young residents, instilling in them a sense of ownership over their space. It symbolises their creativity, resilience, and positive outlook for the future. As the young people move on to the next phase of their lives, they will leave a part of themselves behind, inspiring those who come after them.
We are delighted to announce that we have 6 incredible nominees through to the semi-finals of the national YMCA Youth Matters Awards 2023! This next round is determined by public vote, so we need you to vote for our brilliant YMCA DownsLink Group semi-finalists and send them to the finals. Read below to find out more about our nominees…
Two of our residents are nominated for Young Achiever of the year, Randy Yesca and Josh Lancaster. This award recognises the exceptional achievements of a young person who has overcome significant obstacles to make a difference in their own lives and their community.
Randy is an unaccompanied asylum-seeking young person from Nicaragua who moved into our Guildford Foyer last year. He worked hard to join mainstream education and remains second in his class for A-Level biology, chemistry and PE. Randy has been selected as a prospective applicant to Oxbridge and dreams of being a physiotherapist. He independently secured multiple work experience placements and was invited to join a Young Leaders Programme learning how to champion change.
“It was a surprise when my key worker told me she was nominating me. I didn’t know I would be nominated then shortlisted for an award, as young achiever I’m pleased that my effort in this country has been noticed, I really appreciate that I’ve been recognised and hopefully I will win but if not it’s been good praise for me” – Randy
Josh Lancasterarrived at our supported accommodation with low confidence. He embraced YMCA support and slowly gained confidence and life skills and even secured employment. Josh was keen to participate in various activities to raise awareness and funds for YMCA and has completed the DownsLink Challenge twice. Josh also became a YMCA England & Wales Youth Ambassador this year.
“To be honest I wasn’t expecting it. The feeling I had was unbelievable. I cannot thank you enough for the people who have nominated me.” – Josh
Our Guildford Foyer resident Temesgen Beyena is nominated for the Young Volunteer of the year award. Temesgen is an unaccompanied asylum-seeking young person from Ethiopia who is always willing to help out other people. He regularly volunteers for us, whether that’s meeting corporate donors or taking part in the DownsLink Challenge two years in a row. Temesgen also volunteers weekly with a local organisation who make meals for vulnerable people in Guildford. His commitment to helping the community started when he asked his key worker, “How can I contribute to our community?”
“I’m excited to have been nominated for young volunteer” – Temesgen
We have two brilliant nominees for the Young Leader of the year award, Nader Bahr, one of our Guildford residents, and Chantal Greenfield, a WiSE Project Worker. Both have been nominated for their ability to make a real difference at YMCA DownsLink Group, and bring about positive change.
Nader with Hove MP Peter Kyle, in the Houses of Parliament
Nader Bahr is a Sudanese unaccompanied asylum-seeking child. He naturally takes new residents under his wing, regularly cooks for others and even accompanies peers to appointments. Nader is also a voice for the residents in Guildford and is a member of our YMCA Youth Council. At their first meeting, he greeted everyone with a warm smile and fist bump, putting everyone at ease immediately.
“I’m very surprised to be nominated for YMA’s and I didn’t know that people would vote for me to be shortlisted, I am confused but I am very happy” – Nader
Chantal Greenfield joined our WiSE team in 2019. She creates safe spaces for very vulnerable and at-risk young people to be able to understand and explore their experiences of abuse and begin the healing journey. Chantal became Manager in 2021 and has since transformed the Surrey service, created working links with local organisations, joined up working, training for staff and advocacy for young people accessing the service. Chantal embodies a trauma-informed approach, offering unwavering support, understanding, and collaboration to both young people and staff.
“I’m shocked to be shortlisted! I love my job and everything I do is with our young people at the heart of it. I’m on a mission to create the strongest team providing the highest level of trauma informed support and CSE education, whilst also supporting each other in an incredibly challenging but rewarding job. I’ll continue to keep leading, growing and challenging until CSE and the WiSE project are at the forefront in Surrey.” – Chantal
We have been nominated for the Diversity award for Co-creating an inclusive YMCA community. This award recognises a YMCA that has delivered a project or initiative that actively encourages and/or promotes diversity across either age, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion or disability.Two years ago, YMCA DownsLink Group set out on a journey to create a safe, inclusive, and respectful place where everyone can belong and be part of something positive.
Our incredible nominees need your votes. Please click here and cast your votes before Friday 18th August.
The YMCA Youth Council were delighted to have been invited by Hove MP, Peter Kyle (Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland) to have a private tour of the Houses of Parliament. Six young people from across the organisation (Hastings, Brighton, Crawley, Eastbourne and Guildford), supported by the Inspire Team, travelled to Westminster on 3rd July to meet with Peter Kyle.
What unfolded, in the words of our Youth Council, was truly amazing! Taking nearly four hours out of his hectic schedule, Peter Kyle gave a complete tour of the Houses of Parliament. The day began with an explanation the function of Parliamentary Committees in Portcullis House, and ended up in the epicentre of the Houses of Parliament. Taking the tunnel under the Thames, our Council were guided into Westminster Hall at the Palace of Westminster (where the Queen lay in state) and into the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
Walking through the ornately decorated corridors, halls, libraries and private dining rooms, past statues of infamous former Prime Ministers and paintings of past Royals, the historical significance was palpable and particularly enjoyed by two members of the Youth Council who had an active interest in history. Peter Kyle is clearly a well-respected and popular MP and throughout the tour, the Youth Council were introduced to various different staff and Members of Parliament including Alan Campbell (Labour Chief Whip) and Peter Bottomley, (MP for Worthing West).
After lunch on the Lords Terrace, it was time to see democracy in action with questions being asked of Home Secretary Suella Braverman in a House of Commons debate. Significantly for our Youth Council members, debate centred on policies around asylum seekers and street crime. Listening to the debate unfold, the Youth Council members at first maintained a dignified silence but became quite vocal as the debate continued. It was great to hear them passionately expressing their opinions and two of the team afterwards, expressed a real interest in getting more involved in local politics.
We are hugely grateful to Peter Kyle for sharing his insight, his passion, his honesty and his time. It was a really important day for the formation of this new YMCA Youth Council and was hugely inspiring for everyone who came along. Its impact on each of the Youth Council, although different, was very evident. Their summary of the day was: ‘amazing’, ‘monumental’, ‘bellissimo’, ‘British’, ‘exciting’ and ‘mind changing’.
We look forward to the next YMCA Youth Council which will be held in early September, and to seeing how young people use this experience to influence and effect change for themselves and for the YMCA DownsLink Group.
Well, what an amazing day! Thanks to everyone who walked, volunteered, or supported this year’s DownsLink Challenge. Despite the dire forecast, the weather was much kinder than expected. At times it felt like we were in a washing machine, but thankfully it stayed dry. So far, we’ve raised over £13,000 but the total is likely to be even higher.
As well as many supporters, we had lots of residents taking on the challenge this year. They each brought a special energy to the event. Highlights included seeing Josh (who you may remember from last year and now lives in our transitional housing) get to the finish before we’d even set up the flags. He did it in under 5 hours and raised over £200. What was even more heartening was to see his family come to celebrate his achievement, which, for those that know him, was a very special moment.
We had a huge team of young people and staff from YMCA Guildford who didn’t seem to stop smiling, even after the 17.5 miles. They almost got off to a disastrous start as Geordie, Night Worker, set off in the wrong direction (watch our instagram video here if you haven’t seen it). He doesn’t have the greatest track record as last year he took a wrong turn and they ended up walking 21 miles. But, despite his poor map reading skills, it’s clear that the young people love him and would follow him anywhere!
Residents from Brighton and Worthing, joined the team for East Sussex and it was the first time either of them had set themselves such a big challenge. Worthing resident Georgia’s target was to raise £100which we’re delighted to say she did. She was also met by her family and it was lovely to see how proud they all were of her.
Our staff who walked were also amazing (although hurting at the end a little more than our residents 😉). We can’t believe that our chaplain Lucy and Night Worker Geordie have done all 3 walks – we’re sure that must merit some kind of special medal! But, there’s also an army of people who volunteer and give their time to make the DownsLink Challenge happen. From enabling our residents to take part, to running the refreshment stops and cheering at the end. The event just couldn’t happen without them.
And, we must give a special mention to our youngest volunteer and supporter, Hunter. He’s our East Sussex & Guildford Chaplain Elly’s grandson and, not only did he wave everyone off and cheer everyone back, but he absolutely rocked his YMCA T shirt! (Oh and he made a whole lot of new friends too….)
We do hope we’ve inspired you to get involved next year. We can’t wait 😊!
Healthy, low-cost treats were on the menu at YMCA Horsham, where an exciting food demonstration was held by UK Harvest.
