YMCA is a global movement that empowers communities and young people to build a just, sustainable, equitable and inclusive world. Founded over 160 years ago, the movement gave birth to basketball, volleyball, Father’s Day, and inner city hostels, and has grown to be the world’s largest youth organisation with over 50 million members in 121 countries.
"One YMCA" represents the movement in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, and is now one of the largest YMCA’s in Europe. Our focus is supporting vulnerable individuals and families to develop the skills and confidence they need to progress towards independence, so they are able to live their life to the full. Our approach is holistic and so we offer a wide range of services that include Housing, Community, Family Support, Youth and Children’s Activity Programmes, Early Years Education, and Specialist Therapeutic Support.
In the last five years, we have trebled our income to £40m, and more than doubled our colleague numbers to over 750. We are ambitious to continue to serve even more people and plan to grow our impact across our four counties, whilst also playing a growing role globally in what 14,000 other YMCAs are seeking to achieve globally through our shared 2030 Vision.