Charity YMCA Liverpool & Sefton has announced its new rebrand, ‘YMCA Together’, that will encompass the wider Merseyside region into its support services.
Now in its 175th year, the organisation is looking to expand its reach and support to even more people who are homeless or are at risk of homelessness.
In the last 12 months, YMCA Liverpool has provided help for over 1,000 individuals in Liverpool and Sefton but under YMCA Together, support will extend across the City Region.
Chief Executive of YMCA Together Ellie McNeil said: “As part of YMCA Together, our vision is that everyone should feel safe, understood, empowered and positive for their future, while our mission is to inspire and support people to change their lives by instilling hope, valuing the individual and maximising potential. This is something that we practice every day at YMCA Liverpool & Sefton but it’s important for us to recognise that there are people right across the North West that could benefit from our services and perhaps aren’t aware of the ways in which we can offer help.
“We hope that in creating a new, more widely accessible brand under YMCA Together, this will allow us to support even more people in a time when help is critical. As a result of the ongoing pandemic, we’ve seen more individuals finding themselves in a desperate situation and it’s our aim to show them that there is a way out and they can still achieve a great quality of life with the right support mechanisms around them.”
YMCA Together provides a number of services across Merseyside helping those experiencing challenging times in their lives. It offers support to people experiencing homelessness, domestic abuse, poor mental health or substance use issues via supported accommodation.
A fundamental part of the local community, YMCA Together’s extensive portfolio also includes Dutch Farm in South Liverpool, which offers service users an opportunity to engage with creative and development activities. In Sefton, the organisation operates an early years nursery with funding available to support free places where applicable.
Ellie added: “Our list of services is continuing to grow with RISE Rehab among the more recent to open here in Liverpool. Under YMCA Together, we are excited and hopeful for further expansion when it comes to the wider area both in terms of facilities and the number of people we can accommodate.
“Throughout our history, we’ve carried on even when the world has stood still and this last year has been a real testament to the resilience and determination of our team. We’ve taken that time to reflect on our offering and we’re delighted that this initiative has been able to come to fruition.”
