MP gets tour around charity's life-changing facilities
MP Kate Griffiths recently visited YMCA Burton to see the vast array of services on offer to her East Midlands constituents ahead of the charity's 135th anniversary.
The first port of call was the YMCA furniture shop on Borough Road where Kate saw how the YMCA's staff and volunteers take in used quality items, donated by the generous public and get them ready to be marketed and sold to raise funds for the charity. She also saw how members of the public can get reasonably priced goods to help make their house a home and meet the people working in the shops and on the vans delivering and collecting goods.
The next building they visited was one of their young people 's housing sites where, residents aged between 18 and 30 years are accommodated and, with the assistance of a support worker, are able to help rebuild their lives and learn new skills to be able to, eventually move on to independent living. Kate heard how through their Youth Participation and Shine projects, the young people are able to build their confidence and learn coping mechanisms to help them with their futures.
After the young people 's housing site, they moved onto Reconnect; YMCA Burtons flagship site which houses residents from the age of 18 to 64. This site also has the foodbank, counselling, mediation, homelessness services and outreach projects. Kate heard how people can come and use the shower and laundry facilities and lounge area to get a hot drink and meal each day and how the Outreach team look for rough sleepers to let them know the services which they can use. She was impressed with the kind donations received at the foodbank over the festive period and volunteers who helped to keep the stock sorted and rotated ready to give out to people in need.
The tour ended with visit to a resident 's flat and she heard about the support clients receives during their stay with YMCA Burton.
Paul Laffey, chief executive said: “It was great to invite Kate Griffiths MP to visit the YMCA. She got to meet staff and volunteers and hear all about our services. Staff were able to update Kate on the growing demand for all of the YMCA Services and had a lot of questions for the staff and it was good to be able to talk to her about our 135th anniversary taking place this year. ”
Kate Griffiths MP said: “'I am very grateful to YMCA Burton 's CEO, Paul Laffey, for recently giving me such a comprehensive tour of a number of their local support centres and programmes in the town. The work of our local YMCA supports some of the most vulnerable people in our community.
"The passion and dedication amongst the staff and volunteers to help those with complex needs get back on track came across consistently at all their sites. I have said many times that we have an incredible network of support organisations in Burton and the YMCA is very much a cornerstone of that network. ”
Pictured: MP Kate Griffiths with YMCA chief executive Paul Laffey