Introduction by David Hall-Davies Chief Executive Officer of YMCA

YMCA Cornwall is an independent self-funded registered charity, affiliated in name to the larger YMCA movement. There are 115 YMCAs in , working with young people to help them build a successful future.

The YMCA here in in the far west of Cornwall opened its doors in 1877. It was set up by a group of local clergy and businessmen, who were committed to helping the young people they saw in the community who, for various reasons, were in need of support.

We are proud to still be fulfilling this role 135 years later - providing 44 young people with somewhere to live, helping them find and access training and learning opportunities and supporting them as they become strong and confident enough to take their place in society. YMCA Cornwall runs sports and youth clubs open to the community and organises activities, courses, workshops and life and learning opportunities young people might not be able to experience and enjoy otherwise. Although we put informing and educating first, we believe it is important to remember that to be able to relax and have some fun is also a large part of growing up. Mind, Body and Spirit...

Although the methods of working with young people have changed over the years, our Christian values remain the same and are at the heart of everything we aim to achieve. We are committed to developing tolerance and understanding, to learning respect for each other and our environment and encourage a love of learning and determination to meet the challenges the future will hold. We work with each individual here to help them develop their own mind, body and spirit which means in practical terms learning and training, health and physical well-being and building self-esteem, confidence and independence - all of which most people gain from a loving, stable home life.

We are a close, strong and dedicated team at YMCA Cornwall and we know we will have to use all our experience and talents to face these uncertain economic times and continue to reach out to even more young people who need our help - we believe we can do it and with your support we really can build together a better and brighter future for our young people.

David Hall-Davies Chief Executive Officer Supported Housing

Giving a homeless young person a bed is only the beginning of our work with them...

Although we recognise that giving a homeless young person somewhere safe and warm to stay is vitally important, a long-term difference can only be made if realistic and practical ways to overcome their often serious issues are put in place. Last year 70% of YMCA Cornwall Housing Advice clients were under 20 years old

There are a multitude of problems experienced by young people, which are often not their own fault. Family breakdown, abuse, neglect, drug or alcohol addiction, crime or mental health problems can all cause young people to leave home and live on the street. Once isolated and alone, they often suffer from depression, low-self esteem and a sense of having no control of their lives so that everything seems pointless. Once here however, these negative feelings are tackled by our team with skill, patience, tolerance and understanding. The safety and continuity provided leads to increased confidence and a reduction in fear and anxiety that allows people to experience the benefits of inclusion rather than the misery of exclusion and the opportunity to start building a future. Over the past two years our Housing Advice Service has supported 358 young people to resolve housing problems

St Levan wing is in the main building at YMCA Penzance and provides emergency, supported accommodation for 10 homeless young people who have been referred by statutory agencies including social services and . Appletree and Cherrytree Houses at YMCA Penzance provide longer-term supported accommodation for 22 young homeless people and we also manage move-on accommodation for 12 young people in Penzance and , which gives them the time and support to become semi-independent before moving to full independance as valued members of society holding tenancies in their own right.

Last year YMCA Cornwall provided residential support for 46 young people aged 16-17 years old and 86 over 18 years old

All YMCA Cornwall residents take part in the Independent Living Skills support plan, which aims to enable them to resolve the issues that have prevented them from being able to live on their own in the community and explore a range of opportunities and new experiences in learning, training and employment. “I have learned so much by living here and now have a better appreciation of what ‘belonging’ means”

Youth and Community Projects

The Youth Club at YMCA Penzance is the only weekly club in the area open to all. It does not target a specific group and does not attempt to attract a particular group – everyone from 9 to 16 years old is welcome. We consider this important as it means disadvantaged young people are able to mix with young people of different backgrounds and become part of a community instead of just a labelled group promoting social inclusion.

A minimum 75% of our youth group are classed as disadvantaged. Penzance is an area of high unemployment and provides few opportunities for young people - the number not in education, employment or training is above national average. In addition many local jobs are seasonal or part- time and without a work contract it is difficult to find somewhere to live.

During the last 4 years of the project we have worked with young people who have a range of issues. One young person came to us with anger management issues and we worked hard with him to overcome his problems. He went on to help lead activities and was a positive influence on other young people coming into the club suffering similar problems to his at their age. Another youngster arrived at the club with signs of very low self-esteem and an inability to join in or get involved - she would sit in the corner on her own all evening. With encouragement and support from our Youth Team she is becoming more outgoing, has some friends and has even lead a couple of activities at the club.

“I didn’t think I deserved to be treated well, I was not worth anything...”

Building confidence and self-worth is a slow process. It can sometimes takes weeks before any progress is evident but from interviews and feedback sessions with our Youth Club mem- bers we have learned that the beginnings of feeling good about yourself and your surroundings is not often something they wish to exhibit - for fear of it being taken away.

We make sure at the Club that no young person is left out, if a young person doesn’t want to take part in an activity they are encouraged to contribute to the preparation and planning and be part of the organising team.

YMCA Mullion

In 2011 Mullion Youth and Community Centre was facing closure. Even with funds stretched to capacity, the Trustees of YMCA Cornwall could not allow the Centre to close as it was acting as a lifeline to so many young people living in this remote and fairly inaccessible part of Cornwall - Mullion is right in the middle of the Lizard Peninsular and is central to the 9 parishes within a 30-mile radius.

The Centre has now re-opened as YMCA Mullion and as part of the YMCA Cornwall Group it delivers programmes aimed at supporting young people not in education, training or employment (NEET). There is also a popular sports project offering opportunities for physical sports activities for young people, enabling them to access a range of different sports activities and the chance to work towards Sports Leaders’ Awards.

There is also a music project with activities for beginners and intermediates with free tuition, song writing workshops and performance opportunities but this is dependent on funding being available to allow it to continue in 2013.

YMCA Mullion runs an Ofsted registered nursery for children up to five years old. The nursery is open from 8am until 6pm and is invaluable to working parents and young parents on their own. Government funded places are available for children from three years old but there are also facilities to accept babies and infants of working parents.

YMCA Penzance Backpackers - A Social Enterprise At YMCA Cornwall we run a very successful hostel in Penzance for backpackers, hikers and cyclists from all over the world. 5,483 Backpackers stayed with us in 2011

The hostel has 54 beds shared among 13 bedrooms. It costs between £16 and £54 to stay overnight and we cater for individuals of all ages, families and groups. “A great base for our cycling holiday around the coast of West Cornwall, comfortable beds and excellent cooking facilities, we will be back next year!” The Jenkins Family, Manchester

YMCA Cornwall - what next? by Derek Tilby Chairman of the Trustees

Changes are always taking place in any organisation and YMCA Cornwall is no exception. In a need to manage the ever-changing financial pressures, service delivery and needs of young people, changes as well as managing a large and diverse organisation have been inevitable and our CEO David Hall-Davies has managed these complex demands for the organisation.

David has managed change in a sympathetic manner with a strong regard to the YMCA’s Christian ideals. We have an excellent and strong staff team who look after our young people and our various projects with great care and professionalism.

During the year we had for financial reasons to take the decision to end our joint project with the Methodist Church which for both partiers was with sadness. Our buildings are in generally good shape but the Backpackers’ Morris Wing will need major work and renovation in the short to medium term. Mullion YMCA is now running as a viable project, in excellent condition and continues to provide a much needed facility on the Lizard.

The future looks as secure as we can envisage given the difficult financial climate and the reduction in grant funding we are expecting. We are always looking for new trustees with the relevant skills and experience to strengthen our Board.

We all look forward to an expanding and successful year for YMCA Cornwall. Derek Tilby Financial Overview

YMCA Cornwall is a registered charity and is independent and self-funding, affiliated in name only to the international YMCA organisation.

During the year ended 31 March 2012, 63% of YMCA Cornwall’s funds came from housing related income. Grants from funding organisations such as The Big Lottery, Children in Need, The Football Foundation and Sported generated a further 13% with the Backpackers’ hostel raising 12% of income. 8% of income came from the new branch at Mullion which principally provides training to young people and a crèche for the children of local working parents.

The deficit for the year is mainly due to the costs related to setting up YMCA Mullion. Also funding from the Government scheme Supporting People was decreased dramatically so this loss had to be covered. As a result there were budget cuts in all departments and expenditure strictly reduced and controlled, which did have the negative impact of reducing or delaying certain activities and initiatives.

During 2013 we are aiming to turn this deficit around. We hope to increase trade through the Backpackers’ Hostel but we realise that without significantly raising the hostel charges to above inflation, the social enterprise profit from the hostel will not be sufficient to cover all the costs of our charitable work during the forthcoming year. Putting additional community fundraising in place and encouraging further local support will be crucial to maintaining current activity and enabling our ambitions for the future.

Income 2011/12 - £651,705 Expenditure 2011/12 - £698,438

63% Housing 13% Donations and grants 63% Housing 9% Youth and Community 12% Hostel 4% Training 12% Hostel 7% Training 4% Other income 4% Creche 4% Other 4% Creche Please support us and be involved in our future...

Can you make a donation towards our work? Every donation, no matter how small, will help give young people a future

Could you volunteer for a couple of hours each week? We need people to lead sports activities, taster sessions in cookery, art, keep fit, literacy - whatever skill or interest you might be able to share, we would love to hear from you, there are many ways to be involved.

Maybe you could hold a fundraising event? A raffle, coffee morning, a cake sale, a stall at a car boot, a sponsored walk? Get in touch and we can help you organise your event.

Could you leave us a gift for the future? Legacies will ensure that our work continues to grow and will make it possible for us to reach even more young people in need in the coming years.

Is your business or company wishing to link with a local charity? Could you sponsoror partner us in a project? We have conference, catering and sports facilities for your events. Contact us

Website: www.ymcacornwall.org.co.uk Email: [email protected] Telephone: 01736 334820 Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/ymca-cornwall Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ymcacornwall

YMCA Cornwall, International House, The Orchard, Alverton, Penzance, Cornwall TR18 4TE Registered Charity number 1073674