Walking in through Reception, the once busy hub at the centre of our YMCA is currently boarded up, looking bleak and inundated with workman in hard hats and high Vis jackets. However, it’s for a very exciting reason…
“It’s about enabling a community that helps people reach their potential. Hope takes you further. Hopes sustains you longer.”
(John Hawksworth, YMCA North Tyneside Vice-Chair of the Board)
Many people don’t have a sense of hope and YMCA North Tyneside wants to help change that. When asked about the biggest challenge facing young people Nicola Hudspith, Housing Manager for YMCA North Tyneside said,
“A sense of hopelessness. Having little to no self-esteem or belief in their own ability to succeed.”
Our teams working with young people living in James Knott House and Community House are ’Hope Carriers’ as they help them to believe in a better future. Since moving into supported housing one resident has recently begun studying Uniform Services. He said, “I want to join the police force after serving in the army.”
We all need to hope in something and someone else cheering us on, in order to reach our potential and to thrive. What are you hoping for and trusting in?
In the New Year we will step into part of our better tomorrow: The new YMCA Gym will be ready, inspiring us all to get healthier after the indulgences of Christmas! By Easter we will be seeing transformation to much of the building, including performance spaces, classrooms and a cafe. So, while an army of hard hats are hammering away and disturbing our peace, never fear! We can have hope and trust that our YMCA will be transformed and will be better equipped to help you and I reach our potential.
– Rebecca Mayo