With nearly 150 years’ experience in building stronger communities, Nottinghamshire YMCA holds a passionate belief that everyone should be given opportunities to reach their full potential. The next chapter in the charity's history is focused on tackling the root cause of social, health and wellbeing issues, through the creation of a pioneering new community facility.

Providing a lifeline

Nottinghamshire YMCA provides services across Nottingham City, Nottinghamshire County and East Riding of Yorkshire to over 18,000 individuals, irrespective of age, race, religion, gender and economic background. It employs 200 full-time equivalent employees and have an active volunteer base providing over 2,970 volunteer hours each year.

NYMCA’s services include provision of supported and move-on accommodation, residential settled care homes for young people, homeless hostels, a non-profit gym and numerous child, youth and family programmes.

Case study - Ceri

When 29-year-old Ceri first became homeless as a teenager, drug addiction, relationship breakdowns and jail time for theft became key challenges to navigate.

In June 2020, Ceri turned to Nottinghamshire YMCA for support and moved into the charity’s supported housing on Bridge Street, in Worksop, to begin receiving the help he needs to build a positive life. Already doing well, Ceri recently volunteered to paint the charity’s Worksop offices to ‘give something back’ for the support he has received so far.

"Since moving into the YMCA, life has been good and I couldn’t ask for better – the day staff and night team are both amazing," said Ceri. "My experience of the YMCA’s Worksop team so far has been really great; I feel happier here than I have ever felt anywhere else in my whole life. A real sense of belonging."

A community space that offers opportunities to everyone

NYMCA has long recognised the need to address the root causes of social, health and wellbeing issues in the region, in order to make fundamental and long-lasting changes. NYMCA has been working for several years on the creation of the Newark & Sherwood Community and Activity  Village, a community-led and designed facility, that it hopes will create a positive future for everyone living locally.

The facility will bring together world-class sporting facilities and life-changing family and youth development programmes in one purpose-built building and site in the centre of the district.

“The Village project has been shaped with local people over several years, to support local aspirations and local challenges,” comments Todd Cauthorn, executive director at YMCA in Newark and Sherwood. “We want to bring people of all ages and backgrounds together to improve community cohesion, skill levels, confidence, educational attainment, employment and health. The investment crowdfunding will help us to complete this project and to start building a brighter future for this area and its community.”

In national reports, Newark and Sherwood is ranked as one of the areas in the country most affected by social deprivation, with some wards facing life expectancies ten years less than UK national average. The district has deep-rooted issues around poor health, persistent truancy, failing educational attainment and crime, some of which have worsened with the impact of Covid-19.

The first phase of the Newark & Sherwood Community and Activity Village – the provision of 3G football pitches and an athletics track – is complete. NYMCA is now planning the next stage which is the construction of the main building.

The building has been designed to incorporate a number of partner organisations that will provide synergistic programmes to the facilities and family and youth development programmes being offered by NYMCA. It will house a nursery and creche, community café, music and media suite, education and training suites, and indoor sports hall including an Olympic standard climbing centre. 

Triodos Bank is supporting the growth of NYMCA by providing lending and helping it access the funding it needs to deliver the next stage of the project. You can find out more here.  

Why we finance social projects

We support the personal development of disadvantaged individuals, by financing businesses that address specific social objectives. In this sector, we include not-for-profit employment programmes, youth help centres and integration programmes and more.

Find out more about the social projects we've financed.