As part of Volunteers Week its vital to recognise the wide range of volunteers who support organisations in our community. Lucy who is the CEO of Ripon YMCA describes the value that volunteers bring to their work.
 
“We have a range of volunteers who help in both formal and informal roles. Our Trustee Board who oversee our work are a group of people who dedicate their skills, knowledge and expertise to supporting our work. We meet as a full board every few months, but also have smaller sub groups to oversee important areas of work such as finance and staffing. In recent months we have met online and their input is invaluable.
For a small charitable organisation we, alongside many others, have needed to deal with significant challenges since lockdown and the Coronavirus outbreak. Our community hall is now unused. Groups, sport sessions and clubs who used to meet at the YMCA are not able to now, and this income has stopped.  
Our tenants, all between the ages of 16 and 25 are in limbo. Those who were in work, now redundant or furloughed. With limited support networks, friends and family they are really feeling the isolation of lockdown.
 
One of the first volunteers I spoke to following lockdown was a lovely lady from Two Ridings Community Foundation. They had released a Coronavirus Community Fund, which we quickly applied for. The funding was granted to enable us to develop welfare packs for our tenants, full of puzzles, books, treats and snacks. Also vital equipment to enable us to stay in touch with our tenants when working remotely.
 
Since March we have also seen our wonderful Fundraisings Volunteers continue their work. We had to cancel our annual Sleep Easy on the 28th of March, but we still had a group of volunteers who slept out in their back gardens and on floors to raise funds and awareness of homelessness.
More recently our fundraising group organised an online quiz. The event was a great success raising much needed funds for our House to Home project, which will see No4 Water Skellgate becoming habitable once more.
 
In these difficult times we have been supported by a wide range people in the community. People have offered meals, baked cakes, shopped for tenants, shopped for our staff, offered kindness and support. Others have donated money or provided a listening ear or an encouraging text.
 
But back to our Trustees. They volunteer their time and expertise to ensure that Ripon YMCA continues to develop and provide good services to those we serve. At the moment we are working through challenges and exploring opportunities, and this is only possible due to the commitment and support from our Trustees. I would like to thank all the volunteers who support us, our work and have helped us fundraise in recent years.
 

Ripon YMCA Mental Health Awareness Training

Ripon YMCA is passionate about raising awareness and tackling the stigma of Mental Health. We are running a number of Mental Health Awareness sessions available for anyone in our community.

It is widely reported that 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem each year. And in young people suicide is the most common cause of death for boys aged 5 to 19 years old.

Our aim is to provide a basic free course that will increase the knowledge and understanding of Mental Health amongst members of our community and will cater for parents, professionals, volunteers and community members. Groups will be limited to 10 people and the training will be informal.

Our course will cover the following areas:

• What is mental health
• A basic guide to some common mental health issues
• An introduction to looking after your own mental health and wellbeing
• Resources and information to help you support someone who may be in distress or experiencing a mental health issue.

Available dates and times:

• 25th of February 10am to noon
• 26th of February 1pm to 3pm
• 2nd of March 5 to 7pm

To book pleased contact emmat@riponymca.org or phone us on 01765 607609.
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These courses will be held at Ripon YMCA. You will receive further information when you book a place.
This basic awareness course will not provide accreditation or a formal certificate in Mental Health. We can provide information of where to seek professional and accredited qualifications. We will not be discussing individual circumstances or case studies as part of the training and will expect participants to understand the limitations of the course. 

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.