YMCA Bournemouth

As part of our marking of World Homeless Day late last year, we presented talks at local schools and gave pupils activity books on the subject of homelessness. The pupils then proceeded to raise funds for the charity by holding ‘Den Days’ and other activities.

After hearing our talk, 8-year-old Oliver of St Luke’s CofE Primary School decided he wanted to raise even more funds for the charity: “I sometimes run with my dad so I thought I could do one for the YMCA. I’d heard about how they help the homeless. I didn’t want any other people to be homeless.”

After creating a fundraising poster, he ran a number of times around Winton Recreation ground and raised £21 for the charity. His mother reported how he was reluctant to finish, apparently saying: “I won’t stop. This is for a good thing, Mummy!”

Later, Oliver visited our hostel in Westover Road to donate his funds. One of the former residents, former rough sleeper Steve Beale, thanked him for his efforts: “You’ve done real good, and we’re really grateful for the help,” he said to Oliver and shook his hand.

More recently, we presented Oliver with a photo of his visit and a certificate of thanks. “Oliver’s done a wonderful thing,” said our new Chief Executive Officer, Gareth Sherwood. “We are hugely grateful to all the local schools and pupils who raise money for us, and for one of those pupils to be inspired to raise even more for our work is truly heart-warming.”

The local schools involved in fundraising for World Homeless Day were St Luke’s, Bishop Aldhelm’s, Moordown St John’s, King’s Park Academy, Queen’s Park Academy, Muscliffe, Bournemouth Collegiate, St James’s Academy and Manorside Academy. Together they raised around £4000 to support YMCA Bournemouth’s work.

As the weather worsens, if you are concerned about a rough sleeper please contact the council rough sleeper team at b&pstreetoutreach@mungos.org or visit www.streetsupport.net/bournemouth for further information.

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We hope you enjoy our latest update. This is aimed primarily at our church supporters and their congregations but it provides a useful overview of our work and key details of our latest news.

In new year we will be producing an entirely new publication with full details of our work, projects and fundraising opportunities, along with stories about those we’ve helped and the difference that supporters of our work have made.

If you’d like to download this publication, please click here. If you have questions, please email richard.chumbley@ymcabournemouth.org.uk

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Christmas is a challenging time for residents of YMCA Bournemouth’s supported housing. Having previously slept rough and now in the process of fighting hard to stay off the streets and move forward with their lives, many have no social connections, most will not be invited home for Christmas, while for others ‘home’ is a stark reminder of a difficult past.

The ‘Prezzies for Rezzies’ campaign invites local people to donate a new or nearly new Christmas present to people who otherwise might receive none at all.

“You cannot imagine the difference it makes to our residents for them to feel that they are remembered at Christmas: that someone cares enough to send them a gift,” says Kathie Pearce, the charity’s Head of Housing. “The road to recovery and a positive long-term future is a challenging one: a little kindness can do a lot to help them get there.”

YMCA Bournemouth suggests the following: socks, sweets, stationery, art materials, calendars, diaries, colouring pencils, paints, colouring books for adults, toiletries, gift sets, hair accessories, food (no alcohol), DVDs, games and puzzles. They ask that these items remain unwrapped as the charity selects gifts appropriate for each resident.

There are three collection points for donations:

• YMCA Bournemouth, Delta House, Westover Road, Bournemouth BH1 2BS;
• The Junction Sports and Leisure Centre, Station Approach, Broadstone BH18 8AX;
• Pokesdown and Southbourne Children’s Centre, 108 Stourvale Road, Southbourne BH6 5JB.

Could you bring a smile to a former rough sleeper’s face this Christmas?

For further information please contact Sarah Watson on 01202 290451 or email enquiries@ymcabournemouth.org.uk

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On the morning of Sunday 18^th November, approximately 100 staff and directors from 23 local businesses and organisations, plus individual fundraisers, woke up in cardboard box shelters having slept overnight at YMCA Bournemouth’s ‘BIG Sleep Easy’ at Bournemouth Sports Club (Chapel Gate) As a result, approximately £25,000 is expected to be raised for the charity – a new record for a YMCA Bournemouth fundraising event and more than double the original target!

Participants awoke cold and tired but knowing that they had made a real difference in the fight against homelessness. Chris Palmer, Manager Director of local IT business AnyTech Solutions, who himself raised over £1600, said: “The AstroTurf was extremely firm and my hands felt numb, so I can’t imagine what it must be like sleeping in a doorway. But what better way is there to make a point about homelessness and raise awareness?”

The previous evening, on Saturday 17^th November, fundraisers arrived at Bournemouth Sports Club at 6.45pm to be given large cardboard boxes and tape from which they or their team had to build a shelter. They were also presented with woolly hats and scarves: a selection of 100 created specifically for the event by Broadstone and other local ‘Knit and Natter’ groups supported by Douche Family Funeral Directors.

Sustained by hot soup, drinks and the warming thought of a breakfast bap in the morning, they applied their creativity to build and decorate some fantastic carboard structures, listened to a brief speech describing the work of YMCA Bournemouth and a poem about homelessness which was written for the occasion^*, before bedding down around 10.30pm.

Local organisations taking part included solicitors Lester Aldridge, chartered accountants PKF Francis Clark, Battens Solicitors, IT Support Business, The WAY Group, Altogether Care, BH Living, Grapevine telecommunications, Hemsley Financial Services, LMA Architects, Kuehne + Nagel, A-Storage, Globacare insurance, South Coast Payments, Newnham & Jordan solicitors, Make Studio, Calvary Pentecostal Church, RIAS, Green Light Electrical Installations Ltd, Lewis Investment and Marah Recruitment.­

Debbie Corbin of Corbin & Co Estate Agents was the first person to sign up: “We decided we wanted to give back to the local community and we chose a cause associated with our business. We realise that there are people without the opportunity to have their own home so we wanted to support YMCA Bournemouth in the work they do providing homeless people with the tools and resources to get a home for themselves.”

Managing Partner of Lester Aldridge solicitors, Matthew Barrow, was one of a team of 17 who raised over £6000:

“We were looking at community engagement because it’s something we think we should do as a business. YMCA Bournemouth is an integral part of our community and by taking part in this event we are helping to change the local social landscape. Homelessness is something that can happen to anyone – a single life event and anyone could be there.”

This thought was echoed by Cllr Lesley Dedman, Mayor of Christchurch, who spent time at the event and was invited to judge the ‘Most Creative Shelter’ competition:

“It’s an issue close to my heart. My own family, many years ago, went through hard times and nearly lost our house. I know how easy it is to find yourself slipping down the road of being unable to cope. This event is fantastic: I’ve met so many people happy to experience an uncomfortable night to help others.”

The winners of the competition – Newnham & Jordan – won a sightseeing boat tour and lunch courtesy of Christchurch Sailing Club. The other winners were Green Light Electrical Ltd, PKF Francis Clark and Calvary Pentecostal Church.

Earlier, the Mayor and Mayoress of Bournemouth, Cllr Derek Borthwick and Mrs Dorothy Borthwick had also visited to show their support: “These events are fantastic,” said Cllr Borthwick. “People have turned out to make themselves aware of what’s happening outside their front door. We have to be thankful for those who are devoted to looking after those who really are in need.”

The event attracted individual fundraisers as well as businesses. Tim Spring (below) was one of the solo fundraisers: “I’m really pleased to be here,” said Tim. When I was 15, I spent time sleeping rough because of a poor domestic situation. My resounding memory wasn’t the cold, it was the feeling of isolation, vulnerability and above all how slowly the time passed.

“I think it’s very easy to use dependency issues as an explanation for homelessness to smooth our own consciences when in reality it’s due to poor mental health provision or other reasons. Some very stereotypical things are expressed by some of my other middle-class friends and I would like them to think about it more deeply.”

One fundraiser, Robyn Strange, even gave up her 30^th birthday celebrations to sleep rough for the night! She raised well over £300. “I’ve had a bit of a hard year and I thought it would be nice to give something back and have a 30^th to remember,” she explained. “Everyone’s been really chatty and it’s been great. We would definitely do it again.”

Martin Stockley, Senior Operations Manager at YMCA Bournemouth, Poole & Christchurch, said:

“The interest, support and participation we received was nothing less than remarkable. Each and every person was dedicated to making a positive and long-term difference to the lives of individuals in need and it was a personal honour to meet them. The experience will certainly have changed people’s perception of the harshness of sleeping rough. Our sincere thanks, and admiration, to all those involved.”

If you would like to show your support you can still make a donation at https://mydonate.bt.com/events/bigsleepeasy. If you or your business are interested in taking part in a future Sleep Easy event in either spring or autumn next year, you can email YMCA Bournemouth on fundraising@ymcabournemouth.org.uk.

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UPDATE: Our coffee morning on 28th September raised an amazing £217.69 for Macmillan Cancer Support. Senior Accommodation Support Worker Tess Charman was delighted by the response: “A massive ‘thank you’ to all those who helped with the MacMillan coffee morning – to those that promoted, baked, bought and donated their time and money to a great charity. We had some delicious treats and were totally overwhelmed by the amount of donations.”

The Daily Echo included a lovely piece on the story on Tuesday 2nd October. You can read it here

On Friday 28 September, a drop-in coffee morning will be held at YMCA Bournemouth’s headquarters at 56 Westover Road, Bournemouth as part of the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning in support of Macmillan Cancer Support. Small cash donations can be made in exchange for coffee, tea and a selection of delicious cakes.

The event is inspired and co-organised by a resident of the YMCA Bournemouth hostel, Danny Ainsworth. 40-year-old Danny has been homeless most of his life. About three and a half years ago, however, he got help with his addiction problems, found a place in supported housing, got clean and became a volunteer himself, helping others who were stuck in his previous situation. “I loved it,” he says. “I was helping people: trying to give them a bit of what I had.”

Sadly, following the loss of his grandfather and a split with his girlfriend he fell back into bad habits and once again found himself homeless. “I just want to get back to where I was two years ago,” says Danny, who has been in the YMCA Bournemouth hostel since June and is now receiving the support he needs.

Danny, who had previously been behind the planning of an addiction recovery café during his time as a volunteer, decided to run a coffee morning in aid of Macmillan because his aunt had been cared for on a Macmillan unit before she died: “Nothing was ever too much trouble for the staff and they made my auntie’s last days as pain-free as possible. I just want to give something back.

“I also want people to see that residents in a hostel, people in my situation, are not only here to be helped, but that we can help others too. I want people to see the good that we can do. Please come along and support us if you can.”

YMCA Bournemouth, residents, staff and members of the public are all contributing cakes to the coffee morning, which will take place in the reception area of the YMCA building from 10am to 1pm. Anyone and everyone is welcome to drop by for cuppa and a nice slice of cake.

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On Thursday 17^th August, Conor Burns, MP for Bournemouth West, spent an afternoon at our Westover Road hostel to meet staff and residents as part of his continuing campaign to explore the benefits of cooperation between organisations dealing with homelessness.

Mr Burns was shown around our hostel and facilities by our Chaplain, Jez Du Puy, and our Head of Housing and Support, Kathie Pearce. They explained how the organisation is funded and its primary aim of helping residents progress from supported housing to independent living through, amongst other means, the teaching of essential life-skills, the provision of one-to-one support and assistance in securing long-term accommodation.

Mr Du Puy also showed Mr Burns around the Half Time centre, a collaboration between local Christian charities which provides washing facilities, advice and support to rough sleepers.

During his visit, Mr Burns spoke to a number of residents about their personal stories and revealed the story behind his own passion for the issue:

“I went to a private school run by Christian brothers and we were very much encouraged to consider that the privilege we had was one side of the coin; the other side was responsibility,” explained Mr Burns. “When I was in my sixth form, I coordinated a project to improve conditions for patients in our local mental health facility. Sadly, when I returned years later, the hospital had closed and some of those patients were the people now living in the street.

“Behind every person on the street there is a tragedy and I feel the obligation that we should do all we can. I’m not convinced that we’re getting it right here in Bournemouth or embracing the range of charity organisations, professional organisations and churches that wish to help. It’s in the town’s economic as well as moral interest to help people get off the street.”

Mr Du Puy said: “We really appreciate the interest Mr Burns showed in our work. Our initial aim is to make a personal connection with our residents: to find out what’s going on in their life and discover how best we can help them as individuals. So, we were particularly pleased that Mr Burns took the time to speak to residents”.

For his part, Mr Burns said he saw the role of YMCA Bournemouth as a vital component of the collective response that is necessary to tackle homelessness:

“The journey that led people onto the streets requires another journey to lead them off the streets. YMCA Bournemouth is a sort of service station for homelessness: the place where people can stop, refuel and get the levels right before heading to the destination, which is independence and the dignity of work.”

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On the night of November 17, directors and staff from an expected 20+ businesses and organisations across Dorset will be braving the cold on our behalf to support ‘The BIG Sleep Easy’ at The Bournemouth Sports Club (Chapel Gate) near Bournemouth International Airport.

Fundraisers will wrap up warm, build shelters out of cardboard boxes, take part in fun challenges and then sleep outside for the night, protected only by their sleeping bag, hot drinks and the warm messages of those who’ve sponsored them. The event will take place in an enclosed area of Bournemouth Sports Club from 6.45pm on Saturday to 8am on Sunday morning.

We are inviting local businesses, groups and organisations to put their own teams forward for the event, the purpose of which is to raise awareness of local homelessness and essential funds to support our work.

A big ‘thank you’ to the local organisations already taking part:

All Together Care
ITSB
Corbin & Co
Make Studio
Keyfort
Globacare
Lester Aldridge
Ellis Jones
Harold J Walker
HD Telecom
WAY Group
RIAS
PKF Frances Clark
Newnhan and Jordan Solicitors
LMA Architects

Fundraising Manager, Martin Stockley, said: “We had such great feedback from our previous Sleep Easy collaborations with Bournemouth University and Lytchett Minster School, we wanted to open the opportunity up to the local business community, who we thought would also benefit from the event’s team-building aspects, positive local community involvement and resulting impact.”

He added: “The aim is to raise at least £10,000 to go towards our work providing the support that homeless individuals need to help them return to independent living and a positive long-term future. We urge all employees to mention the event to their managers – it’s going to be a great night out for all involved!”

Local businesses already putting teams forward include Altogether Care, Corbin & Co and Make Studio, plus Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry members ITSB, Keyfort and Lester Aldridge.

Managing Partner of Lester Aldridge solicitors, Matthew Barrow, who will himself be sleeping ‘rough’ on the night on our behalf, said:

“We are delighted to be able to support our local community by taking part in the YMCA Bournemouth BIG Sleep Easy event. Homelessness is on the increase and local business support is vital to making a difference. YMCA Bournemouth is an integral part of our local community and by taking part in this event we are helping to change the social landscape in Bournemouth.”

If organisations would like to join other local businesses for a night under the stars this autumn and make a real difference to people’s lives, they can request an information pack from Martin Stockley on 07897 563 473 or martin.stockley@ymcabournemouth.org.uk. Individual fundraisers are also very welcome to join in the fun!

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On Thursday 16 August, YMCA Bournemouth Deputy Director, Mark Inkpen, received a cheque for £970 courtesy of Asda Castlepoint to help fund their local Inspire Holiday Club at Townsend Youth Centre.

The programme, one of a number of school holiday clubs run by the charity in the local area, is heavily subsidised to ensure that children from disadvantaged backgrounds are able to take part. Priced at just £7.50 per day, children from five to ten years old take part in a host of sporting sessions, games, competitions and challenges designed to encourage involvement and promote and enable a healthy future. Activities include baseball, badminton, golf, rounders, football, athletics and tennis…plus many more.

YMCA Bournemouth’s Deputy Director, Mark Inkpen, said: “We’re hugely grateful to Asda for this generous donation. Local parents, particularly those on low incomes, can find it extremely difficult to occupy their children constructively during school holidays. Our holiday clubs provide a cost-effective way to keep them healthy and active while easing the pressure on those families.”

The cheque was presented by Dennis Godfrey, Community Champion at Asda Castlepoint, who said:

“As part of the Asda Foundation Healthy Holidays initiative, aimed at providing children across the UK with access to activities and healthy meals during the school holidays. Asda Castlepoint have been delighted to partner with YMCA Bournemouth, who have opened their doors to deliver the programme to such a high standard!”

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The annual Praise Dance Festival took place earlier this summer with a diverse Christian audience celebrating their love of Jesus with hugely uplifting music and dance at St Swithun’s Church in Bournemouth. Having chosen YMCA Bournemouth as their charity partner, on 8^th August the organisers, the Redeemed Christian Church of God – New Beginning Chapel, presented the charity with a cheque for £3000.

Choirs performing at the event, which took place on 23^rd June, included RCCG Royal Crew Bournemouth, New Creation Life Ministries Praise Team and Living Tabernacle Choir Bournemouth.

Henrietta Osikoya, the church’s pastor, said: “We chose a charity that supports vulnerable people to reach their full potential in life. As Christians, we are called to feed the hungry and to help the vulnerable people around us, showing the love of Christ to all we come in contact with. We are showing this by choosing to raise money and donate towards the work of YMCA Bournemouth.”

YMCA Bournemouth Director of Fundraising, Martin Stockley, said: “Our sincere thanks to the New Beginning Chapel. The demand on our services in the local area, whether it’s providing accommodation and support for the homeless or essential services for local young people and families, has risen significantly in recent years. The money raised will make a real difference to people’s lives.”

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