On the 7th of September 2019 over 60 people took part in our Zumbathon at Ripon Leisure Centre. Raising over £600 for the YMCA our massive 2 hour Zumba class was enjoyed by Zumba enthusiasts and beginners alike. Our fundraising group organised the event led by Eddie who is a local Zumba teacher and supporter of Ripon YMCA. 

Lou who too part in the event and said "not only was it great to see so many people dancing, having fun and generally feeling fantastic.. together we also raised funds for our amazing Ripon YMCA.. we all know the funds raised will be put to great use. 

Following a small grant from Ripon Rowels Rotary club we have started a gardening club for our tenants. We have been working hard to rejuvenate our outside space and grow some food to cook and eat at our Cooking Social. Tenants have used pallets on the walls to plant in and we have built some large planters for growing potatoes. 

YMCA Ripon Sleep Easy Event
 
This Friday will see the second YMCA Ripon Sleep Easy event taking place on Ripon Market place 7pm – 7am. In 2018 we saw 10 volunteers take part in the event raising the vital funds for YMCA Ripon and helping to raise much needed awareness of youth homelessness.
 
While there is recognition from the public that homelessness is going up, new research from YMCA England and Wales has found that just one in four young people who are homeless (26%) believe the public care about youth homelessness. When thinking about themselves and their personal situation, even fewer young people who are homeless believe the public are concerned. Less than one in five homeless young people (19%) believe the public care about their situation.
 
We want YMCA Ripon’s Sleep Easy event to be a way of showing young people who are homeless that the public do care about them and that they are trying to tackle the problem of homelessness by raising vital funds.
 
Lucy Gratton, CEO at YMCA Ripon said ‘Our tenants come from a variety of backgrounds and many have had a challenging upbringing. Whilst we don’t see a big number of people sleeping rough on our city streets we do see a number of young people who find themselves sleep on sofas at friends’ houses ‘sofa surfing’, sleeping in tents, cars and garden sheds. We work with the young people to support them from dependence to independence through 1:1 sessions, group work and activities.
 
This year we see 24 volunteers who will be bracing the cold and sleeping rough so others don’t have to. We welcome individuals from a variety of professions and background such as local café owners and employees, bank staff, retail assistants, local Councillors, primary schools staff and many more. With their support YMCA Ripon can continue to help young people find a safe place to stay and access the tools they need to rebuild their lives. One night can make a lifetime of difference. If you would like to support the volunteers please sponsor them via https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/riponymcasleepeasy
 
YMCA Ripon is a standalone charity governed by local trustees who aim to provide safe, supported accommodation for people aged 16 – 35yrs. YMCA Ripon offers 18 single occupancy rooms supporting young people holistically means we provide not only a bed but also help a young person gain the training, skills and confidence to go on to lead independent lives.
 
For more information visit www.riponymca.org phone 01765 607609