YMCA DownsLink Group

Author: Debbie Watkins

  • Volunteers’ Week 2025: Meet our volunteer chaplain, Lisa

    Volunteers’ Week 2025: Meet our volunteer chaplain, Lisa

    To celebrate Volunteers’ Week (2 to 8 June), we spoke to one of our chaplains, Lisa, about her experience volunteering with our young people. 

    “I have learnt so much from being a volunteer chaplain and seeing the young people grow. It’s an opportunity to offer support, companionship and give them a sense of belonging. Chaplaincy goes beyond spiritual care – it’s about creating a welcoming space where everyone feels valued and accepted.

    “I was volunteering for a church night shelter when I first learnt about all the services at YMCA DownsLink Group. And I was surprised at how many different programmes the charity had across Sussex and Surrey.

    “I met someone who was involved in the chaplaincy support which is offered to the young residents who live in the charity’s supported housing. I think chaplaincy is a vital service, especially when young people are facing all sorts of challenges including mental health issues, and at the same time, other services are being cut back. I have known people from all walks of life who have struggled in different ways so I understand the need to provide this type of service to young people and I wanted to help.

    “I’ve now been working as a volunteer chaplain for around eight years. Before I started, I didn’t think I would be able to do it. I thought I wouldn’t know enough about young people that may not have had a great life and who would have experienced some serious challenges. But I gave it a go and found I had lots to offer them.

    “As chaplains, one way we foster a sense of belonging is through cooking. I believe that food and hospitality are crucial for building community. Preparing and enjoying a meal together is more than just eating—it’s an act of fellowship. It provides a relaxed environment where people can chat and connect and feel at home.

    “By offering a regular weekly meal, I hope to create a sense of continuity and stability. Many young people may not have experienced the warmth of gathering around a table as a family. Through these shared meals, I hope to show them that coming together is normal, safe, and welcoming. It’s my way of demonstrating care and showing that they belong to a supportive community.

    “Even through lockdown we continued to do what we could – we cooked food at home and took it in for the young people to eat. Knowing they were unable to lead their normal lives at that time was awful. We prayed for them. One thing I do realise has impacted on me is that I have no fear of cooking for large numbers of people. It has given me a lot of confidence in all sorts of settings now.

    “If you’re thinking about volunteering, I can’t recommend chaplaincy enough. It is so fulfilling. Even if you mess up the food, people are just happy you tried and are equally as supportive. When I leave, I smile. I’ve learned a great deal from these young people. It’s amazing to see them grow. Hearing how someone has moved on successfully is just great. You know something has worked. Getting feedback about how much someone has enjoyed chaplaincy is really heartening.”

     

    Find out more about becoming a volunteer chaplain, email us today.

     

  • iCrossing becomes a Partner for Change

    iCrossing becomes a Partner for Change

    We want to say a huge thankyou to iCrossing for choosing to become a Partner for Change!

    They didn’t waste any time – shortly after partnering with us, they were in the garden at our young families project to help make it ready for summer. They painted, potted and planted, adding colour and life back into the courtyard for the young families to enjoy.

    Sarah, our young families project manager, said: “We are so grateful for the hard work that Emily, Louise, Sarah, Laura and Georgie from iCrossing put into our garden. It was looking a bit scruffy and tired this morning before they came in and worked their magic! It looks lovely now and we have already received some positive feedback from residents.

    “The table and herb garden look amazing.

    “We also enjoyed hearing them all laughing and chatting in the garden – it sounded like they were really having fun as they worked. Thank you so much, Team iCrossing!”

    Crossing People Manager Emily Wilson said they team really loved being out of the office together and getting stuck in helping get the garden ready for the young families to enjoy. They were looking forward to coming back to do more soon.

     

     

  • Meet Katherine, our emotional health support worker in Worthing

    Meet Katherine, our emotional health support worker in Worthing

    Our emotional health support workers at Mind the Gap are so important as there are a huge number of young people suffering with mental and emotional health difficulties. Young people need supportive services where they feel safe to explore who they are and open up about their challenges. This is especially important given how long the waiting lists are for other services. Our emotional health support workers offer crucial support to young people while they are waiting for higher support services or other support. This service literally fills that gap; a time that without any support, young people’s mental and emotional health can deteriorate.

    Katherine is our Mind the Gap Emotional Health Support Worker based in Worthing. She offers one-to-one sessions and group work to young people between the ages of 11-25 who have emotional and mental health challenges. The sessions work on a wide range of topics such as coping skills for anxiety, anger, low mood or sleep, safety plans for suicide ideation or self-harm, advocacy work, onwards referrals to CAMHS or other counselling through the Single Point of Access (SPoA), or positive groups such as youth groups – there’s so much that these sessions can cover.

    Katherine said: “It’s a real privilege to work with young people and help them to be who they want to be. I really love that young people feel comfortable enough to share their challenges with me and to trust me during such hard times in their lives.

    “Sometimes it can be hard to see how amazing a young person is when they can’t see it themselves. It can be a challenge to find ways of helping them learn to like themselves, value themselves and be proud of who they are.

    “It’s incredibly rewarding to be a part of young people’s journeys in discovering what they’re capable of and helping to empower them.”

    To have support through our Mind the Gap service, a young person needs to be referred. The young person can email [email protected] to refer themself, or this can be done by an adult. There is also a form here.

  • WiSE words: turning ‘Adolescence’ into action

    WiSE words: turning ‘Adolescence’ into action

    Blog by one of our specialist sexual exploitation support workers:

    Netflix’s ‘Adolescence’ is a gripping and unsettling exploration of the complexities of modern youth, and it raises critical questions that directly intersect with the work we do at our What is Sexual Exploitation (WiSE) project.

    This series, with its intense portrayal of a young person’s descent into violence, forces us to confront issues around online safety, image sharing, grooming, violence, gender stereotypes and harmful sexual behaviour.

    ‘Adolescence’ explores themes of:

    • social isolation and vulnerability: how feelings of isolation and alienation can contribute to a young person’s susceptibility to harmful influences.
    • the impact of the online world: how social media can perpetuate harmful messages and stereotypes; and how young people can feel pressured into sharing explicit images.

    At WiSE, we recognise that these issues are not confined to fictional narratives. They are real and present concerns that we encounter in our work every day. Adolescence serves as a reminder of the urgent need for:

    • education and awareness: we must equip young people with the tools to navigate the online world safely and to recognise harmful influences.
    • early intervention: identifying and addressing signs of distress and vulnerability is crucial in preventing exploitation.
    • support for families: families need support to understand the online world and how to keep their children safe.
    • challenging harmful online cultures: there needs to be a constant push to make online spaces safer for children.

    Adolescence is a difficult watch, but a necessary one. It compels us to confront the uncomfortable truths about the challenges facing young people today and reminds of the need for the important work that the community of YMCA DownsLink Group does every day.

     

    How does our What is Sexual Exploitation (WiSE) project help?

    Our programmes provide focused assistance for children and young people who have experienced or are at risk of sexual exploitation.

    WiSE was founded in 2010 to combat child sexual exploitation in East Sussex, Brighton and Hove and Surrey. In 2018, our Advanced Child Sexual Exploitation Practitioner (ACSEP) Accredited team’s work supporting sexually exploited children was recognised by the CSE National Working Group, winning their Helping Hand Award. We won the Police Crime Commissioner Award for Sussex in 2023.

    Our practitioners deliver specialist trauma-informed child sexual exploitation (CSE) interventions, training and support, alongside managing our Safer Online at Home project with Sussex Police. We receive referrals from police, statutory partners, parents and schools.

    Our one-to-one sessions establish trust, improve the children’s and young people’s wellbeing and enable them to establish protective behaviours. The team works with parents to help them protect their children from harm.

    In addition, we provide training to professionals such as teachers and social workers to deepen their understanding of sexual exploitation.

    Our programmes help children and young people process trauma, recognise healthy and unhealthy relationships, understand consent, and develop protective behaviour around online safety, sexual health and pornography.

     

    Read our 2017 report, The Sexual Exploitation on Boys and Young Men in Brighton & Hove and East Sussex

    Find out more here:  YMCA WiSE – YMCA DownsLink Group

  • We’re excited to launch Partners for Change offer for businesses

    We’re excited to launch Partners for Change offer for businesses

    We’re excited to launch Partners for Change – a unique alliance between our charity and businesses.

    Companies that join Partners for Change will help us make a profound difference to the lives of children and young people in their community. In return for their support, businesses will receive recognition on our website, at events and on our social media channels. We’ll also give them promotional materials to use within their business.

    Benefits of partnering with us:
    ✔️ Staff engagement – opportunity to increase morale and motivation, attract new talent and keep staff retention rates high
    ✔️ Volunteering – a range of meaningful volunteering opportunities locally
    ✔️ Brand association – enhance brand reputation with customers, suppliers and the wider community
    ✔️ Public relations – involvement with a charity can create great PR and marketing opportunities
    ✔️ Social media – enhanced profile with positive content to share
    ✔️ Client engagement – businesses can reach out to their customers about their involvement with a local youth charity.

    A big shout out goes to Bupa, Trident, Gmmonk, the Mayday Group Limited and Consort Frozen Foods who have already joined our Partners for Change. Emily Darnell Assoc CIPD, HR Manager at Consort Frozen Foods said: “Our partnership with YMCA DownsLink Group has strengthened our teamwork, expanded our impact and given us immense pride in supporting such an important local cause.”

    Nikki South, Senior Manager Customer Systems Innovation at Bupa said: “Our partnership with YMCA DownsLink Group has been incredibly rewarding. By supporting their food market and attending the Youth Matters Awards, we’ve seen first-hand the positive impact on the community. Together we’re fostering a brighter future for young people.”

    To find out more about how your business could join, visit Partners for Change or email [email protected].

  • Our new organisational values

    Our new organisational values

    We’re delighted to launch our new organisational values, shaped by the voices of staff, volunteers and young people.

    Our new values are:

    • We do what’s right
    • We work with heart
    • We build real connection.

    Over the past 18 months, we’ve engaged colleagues across our services and projects in Sussex and Surrey and held in-depth discussions with our trustees, leadership and young people at different stages of the values’ development.

    CEO Emily Brock said: “Getting these values right took time, and for good reason – we wanted them to truly reflect a culture we can all be proud of. The result is a set of clear, positive, and inspiring values that reinforce our mission helping children and young people have a fair chance to be who they want to be.”

    What young people said
    We shared our new values with young people at Hastings Foyer, in our Brighton High Support Services and in our Youth Advice Centres in Crawley and Brighton. They told us what matters most to them:

    • Relationships with our staff: they appreciated help completing tasks and encouragement to talk about what’s on their mind.
    • Kind and considerate staff: they valued being challenged to find different solutions and being supported to achieve more.
    • Safe and supportive spaces: they liked being listened to, speaking freely and even having a laugh while discussing serious topics.

    As a result of their feedback, we simplified our value descriptions to be more relatable and easier to understand.

    What our values mean to us

    We do what’s right:

    • owning our decisions and being true to our word
    • working safely, taking time to reflect and learn
    • speaking out and calling out what’s not ok.

    We work with heart:

    • acting with care in kindness in all we do
    • being there for ourselves as well as one another
    • feeling supported and encouraged to grow.

    We build real connection:

    • creating spaces where we can really understand and listen
    • celebrating what makes us unique because it makes us stronger
    • coming together to make each other laugh, as well as graft.

    Bringing our values to life

    These values belong to all of us at YMCA DownsLink Group and they are designed to connect the whole of our whole community. They will:

    • Shape our behaviours at work and how we deliver services
    • Help us attract the best talent and build a thriving place to work
    • Guide us in creating a culture where everyone feels valued and supported.

    Emily added: “This isn’t about words on a wall – it’s about how we live and breathe our values every day. From recruitment to leadership, they will underpin how we work together and support children and young people.”