YMCA Norfolk marks 150 years of service

For 150 years YMCA Norfolk has been a friend to countless thousands and now a Friends of YMCA Norfolk scheme has been launched to support the 150^th anniversary.

• Best known through its hostel on St Giles Street in Norwich, the YMCA is one of the longest-serving local providers of accommodation to young people. Its 90 single rooms are full almost every night and it serves 63,000 meals a year in its restaurant.
• It also provides support to around 220 people in independent accommodation (pictured right) in the greater Norwich area and provides advice, training and support to some 40 landlords and landladies and support to over 100 lodgers.
• And new for 2006 is an emergency short-term accommodation project, Nightstop, to help youngsters from the age of 16 upwards who find themselves with nowhere to go.

Our expanding range of services also include:

• Face-to-face work with young offenders inside Norwich Young Offenders Institute providing pastoral care, guidance and resettlement advice.
• A sports facility and conference facilities for hire at Trowse providing recreation for 22 affiliated sports clubs with over 1250 members. Indoor five-a-side football pitch and two badminton courts are available for hire by groups on a block booking basis during the daytime or evenings.
  Boardroom/Conference room available for hire. Either half-day or full-day sessions. Seats 20 people, boardroom style. Tea and coffee provided. Plenty of car parking space. For more details contact: Janet Payne on 01603 630049 - Ext: 125
  
• A furniture warehouse (pictured right) offering basic equipment to the vulnerable.
• Support, advice and protection to Asylum Seekers who arrive in our county.
• Pastoral care on a daily basis in 26 Norfolk schools, impacting around 20,000 young people by tackling issues such as bullying, self-harm, truancy and anti-social behaviour.
• Professional services including providing Criminal Record Checks for over 1000 people from 70 voluntary organisations and payroll and accounts services.
• The YMCA is planning a major step forward by building two new accommodation facilities to ensure that those most vulnerable in our community do not become homeless. The first new proposed facility will provide 34 en-suite accommodation units and be located adjacent to the new bus station site in Norwich city centre.The second is a plan for 40 self-contained units plus training and community aeas for young male and females aged 16-25 as part of a structured resettlement programme.

• We need volunteers who would be prepared to open up their homes for a couple of nights to young people who are in short-term need
• We need those who could offer supported lodgings to youngsters on a slightly longer term basis
• We need trustees who could join our board of management providing their professional expertise
• We need people who are prepared to commit to pray regularly for our dozens of workers and hundreds of clients
• We need money to support all of our vital activities and our plans for the future.
• We want to offer churches, organisations, companies and individuals the opportunity to become regular supporters or Friends of YMCA Norfolk