Spring Newsletter 2016

Bournemouth/Poole/ChristchurchChangingPeople’sLivesSpring Newsletter 2016Bournemouth University Youth Team, Children’s Thank you to ourstudents sleep rough Centres & Junction update supporters & sponsors.so others don’t have to. Read more on page 5-7 Read more on page 8Read more on page 3-4

Bournemouth/Poole/Christchurch Destiny Life Church supporting YMCA Bournemouth “Sponsoring a room at YMCA Bournemouth means that Destiny Life Church can be involved in the work of another organisation within our conurbation that is helping the community. We can support the service the YMCA provides to people who are less fortunate. The book of Timothy and the book of Titus in scripture instruct us to do good works and be generous to those in need. In providing the means to sponsor a room at the YMCA we are helping them fulfil these scriptures. The YMCA provide a valuable service to the people of our area and it is not just providing shelter, although on a cold wet winter’s evening I amHomelessness in sure this is a relief to many, but they also provide advice and help with so many other areas of life. They helpthe media people find their confidence again and receive the helping hand so many need. We knowHomelessness has been covered vastly in the our sponsorship is going to benefit themedia, and although some programmes have been good work you do, thank youmet with criticism, aspects show the importance of from all at DLC.”support for these vulnerable individuals.Famous, Rich and Homeless on BBC1 showed four‘celebrities’ sleeping rough on the streets of Londonin aid of Sports Relief.Julia Stanbury who took part in the show conveyed Famous, Rich anda real emphasis on the need for these people to get Homelessthe support they most desperately need as well asa safe place to stay.Julia said “The answer isn’t justhousing, it isn’t just money, it isn’t justcounselling. People need support, theyneed respect.” Changing people’s lives the right way You may have seen Bournemouth Council's 'Your Kindness Could Kill' campaign urging people to donate directly to services instead of to those on the street. Handing money to rough sleepers can discourage them from moving away from substance misuse. A better way to help support them is giving your donation to YMCA Bournemouth where we can use this to give these people a safe place to stay and the one-to-one support they need. One way to do this is through room sponsorship - just £44 a week can keep one more person safe from homelessness. If you would like to learn more about our Room Sponsorship Scheme then contact our housing team on [email protected] or call 01202 290 451

Bournemouth/Poole/ChristchurchBournemouth University students Lincolnsleep rough so others don’t have to. HumberSleep Easy is a national initiative helpingraise awareness and funds to supportthe homeless. Since the event beganin 2010, almost £1 million has been Derbyshireraised by hundreds of people across West London the UK who chose to sleep rough Gloustershire for just one night to supportBournemouth University students their local YMCAs. Herespent their Saturday night sleeping are just a few fromout raising over £4,500 to support the 2016:work of YMCA Bournemouthand £1,000 is being kindly matched by Scape InteriorWestbourne totalling over £5,500.YMCA Bournemouth took on the challenge with ExeterBournemouth University students to sleep rough for Plymouthone night.They arrived at St Michael’s School in Bournemouth at 8pm where theybuilt their own shelters out of cardboard boxes to sleep in until 8am thenext day. It really was a challenge with temperatures reaching as low as 2degrees at 4am.There were lots of activities throughout the nightto keep them entertained. There was a quiz abouthomelessness and a shelter competition. Shelterswere judged by Justin Brandon from Scape InteriorsWestbourne on design, warmth and security. Thewinners of both the quiz and shelter competition were‘The Team Solution’ winninga trip on the Bournemouth Balloon.There was a video booth set up for theduration ofthe night where studentscould talk about theirexperience.YMCABournemouthWould like to thank the following for their support:

Bournemouth/Poole/ChristchurchAs temperatures dropped,spirits were lifted at 10.30pmwhen Domino’s PizzaBournemouth donated 50large pizzas. At sunrise theSalvation Army van came tocook bacon sandwiches withingredients kindly donated byTesco in Bournemouth town centre.YMCA Bournemouth offers those on the streetsa safe place to stay with the holistic supportthey need to move back to independent living.Group fundraising winners were Hayley Dancer, Joise McLachlanand Abigail Croker with £402.00 winning a trip to Creams Caféin Charminster and the winner of individual fundraiser was EllyMakem with £338.37 winning a £30 voucher for Domino’s Pizza.We are extremely grateful for the support of Bob Kennedy,Head Teacher at St Michael’s School for hosting the event andfor all our sponsors for providing refreshments and prizes.If you would like to support these students then you can donateathttps://mydonate.bt.com/events/sleepeasy16 Winners of the shelter competition & quiz in the big brother booth

Youth Projects Updates Achieving APS Some great news for peer mentoring! We have been working to achieve Approved Provider Standard from the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation (now part of NCVO) for the last 7 months or so and we are thrilled to announce we have attained it! After a tough process of gathering lots of evidence for a self-assessment, then an intense day for the assessment visit – we received the news a few weeks later that not only had we passed but we had met every single requirement for the assessment! This means that the peer mentoring projects that currently exist within both T.E.A.M and The Chatterboxes have received a nationally recognised quality standard. ThisBCVS Training means we can use the logo showing our achievement to potential funders, for our youth projects, as well as to other agencies weRecently YMCA Bournemouth youth team hope to work with in the future. We’re really excited at thedelivered some peer mentor training for some prospect of the different opportunities this recognitionyoung volunteers in Bournemouth for BCVS. It could bring for these projects.was a brilliant turn out and overall we had 42young people (aged 12-21) attend the training over 4weeks. The young people that attended the training werefrom a variety of projects including; NCS, SPACE youthproject, Young Citizens and a few others, all of whichregister their volunteering hours with BCVS. We hadsome great feedback from the young people at the endof the training, they all reported that they had enjoyedthe training and most felt that they had experiencedmeaningful learning during the sessions. All young peoplethat successfully completed the training, gained skills and Everyone isknowledge necessary for effective peer mentoring as wellas an AQA award to accredit their learning. Different EventWe’re hoping to run some more training soonas it oversubscribed this time! A group of passionate young people from YMCA Bournemouth’s Youth Department and Bournemouth Youth Service have spent the last 12 weeks developing a youth-led project about health and well-being. This was based on a recent survey which showed that appearance is the number 1 aggressor of bullying for young people, with 51% saying they were bullied because of attitudes towards how they look and 47% of young people wanting to change their appearance because of bullying. The group decided to address why it is important to celebrate difference in their community. The final event was a pop-up event hosted at Creative Kids in Boscombe. It was for all the family, withinteractive art workshops focusing on individuality, mental health and self esteem. There was also musicworkshops, face painting and advice about where to go if you needed support with your health.After the event one of the young people from the group said “thank you for letting me be a part of this.Honestly, it’s made me see life in a different perspective. I cannot wait until the next event!!”

Young Entrepreneur Project Our Young Entrepreneur Project has been working with young people who are NEET ( not in education, employment or training) or potential NEET. Some others were facing other issues in life with disabilities. The project involved teams working together to put on an event to raise money. The Manic Monday’s, a group of 8 young people with additional needs from Limelight’s youth centre in Canford Heath, organised a sponsored swim, disco and buffet, raising money for their centre. The young people swam lengths at The Junction Sports Centre, raising £200.00 and also achieved AQA Subject Awards in basic cooking, swimming, water safety, introduction to budgetingYoung Citizens and and fundraising. A real life changer for these young people to have a sense of achievement and worth. The event wasMyPlace Fusion Kinson attended by family, friends and other youth centre users.Festival Show CaseIn April a group of young people from Fusion Youth Centre,part of the MyPlace Project worked together to organise amusic show case. The aim of this youth led project was toshow members of Kinson Business Forum, who are organisingthis year’s Kinson Festival, Fusions young musical talent. Thefestival has offered slots on the two main stages at the festivalfor young solo artists, duo’s and bands, to perform.The festival organisers were totallyblown away by the young people’sorganisational skills, music talent andpersonality that they have offered every In addition..single act a place at the festival and asa bonus some of the young people willreceive an AQA Subject Unit Award in • This month, we say a sad farewell to Vince who has beenOrganising a Music Event. a YMCA youth worker for nine and a half years and won several awards for his T.E.A.M. project work, in particular with troubled youngpeople from diverse cultural backgrounds. We wish Vince well with hisfuture and thank him for his service to the association. • New to the youth team is Jo, our MyPlace Coordinator. Jo takes the lead on our MyPlace contract, funded by Bournemouth Borough Council. Jo brings excellent team leading skills and a therapy background as well as experience and passion for supportingyoung people to positively change their lives.• Our youth department now stretches into Dorset, thanks to a new contract which will see us workingwith 8-18 year olds with severe and complex disabilities. The programme is commissioned by DorsetCouncil and we welcome Shelly to the team who will help lead the work. More news to follow on this soon!

BAR IS SET HIGH FOR THEJUNCTION’S POWERLIFTER DANNIDanni Malcom age 24 will be power lifting only a year ago, saidcompeting in South Africa in May2016, representing Great Britain at “I enjoy powerlifting because youthe first World Classic Bench PressChampionships. are always training towards an endDanni recently competed in the goal. Powerlifting has massivelyBritish Bench Press Championshipsand won the top title in the under improved my muscle strength as52kg weight class. “At a bodyweightof 51.9kg, she bench pressed 67.5kg well as my muscle tone. I lovebeating everyone in her class. feeling strong and training hard. ItDanni who was introduced to can sometimes be mentally and physically challenging, but it’s worth it. I never thought I would be in this position 10 months ago when I first started training with my coach Luke For more information visit Andrews at The Junction”. Gofundme.co.uk/dannimalcolm.During the course of 2015, the Foyle in different ways using the keyFoundation have been funding movements displaying their balancephysical development sessions through games with control andheld at our Children’s Centre in coordination whilst keeping insideSouthbourne. the marked out “safety area”This generous award has allowed The Children’s awareness of spacethe purchase of new equipment increased during the sessions asincluding sensory items that will add they became more aware of eachgreat value to the offer for our most other and the space they had todisadvantaged young children. use. Using a range of equipment children began to recognise coloursThe funding has also allowed and pictures more frequently. By thetrained practitioners to lead the end of the 30 sessions the childrensessions, sharing expert knowledge that regularly attended the sessionsand advice to children and parents; could follow the “Welcome”,reinforcing those positive messages “Morning Warm up Song” and theabout the importance of physical “Sit Down” music.development in the Early Years.The children that regularly attended Parent Quote; “She has reallythese sessions could react to the enjoyed the sessions and benefitedmusic during the sessions following from the structured play, learning tothe stories of the music with the listen and take instructions”correct actions at the right time.The children could also move

THANK YMCA Bournemouth wouldYOU like to thank some of their supporters: J P Morgan provided a great team who just need to know about the of volunteers to assist us at the opportunities’ Marathon festival in October, this Thanks to Nationwide Building involved cheering runners on, being Society and their generous donation the mascot and giving out some of £2000.00 our residents were water. The team leader said ‘he was able to enjoy Christmas dinner glad to have had the opportunity and festive meals over a two week and get an insight first hand from period. one of our residents about the great Thanks to Liverpool Victoria for a life changing work we do’. Another YMCA Supporter, Zoe, said donation of £500.00 Thanks to Justin Brandon at Scape ‘I am blessed so why not bless others, I asked my work colleagues Interior Westbourne for match to donate presents for residents at funding £1000.00 from our Sleep Christmas time, I could not believe Easy Event the amount of kindness people had, Thanks to Wimborne Minster Church there are caring people out there for their donation of £625.74. Club of Boscombe Rotary & SouthbourneRotary is a volunteering organisation, the money raised to go to the YMCA. Newsletter sponsoredvolunteers offer services to & printed byvarious needy causes locally and Stephen Nagle, President ofinternationally. Boscombe & Southbourne Rotary said, “we are delighted to be involvedWhether volunteering to help the because YMCA can reach those morelocal community or responding to vulnerable members of society thatnational disasters there is a project need help and are difficult for us tofor everyone. Volunteers know that reach directly”whatever they do they will be helpingto change people’s lives for the Another Rotary member said ‘Oftenbetter. we feel that we are not achieving a great deal - rattling a tin in the rainThe Boscombe and Southbourne for a few coppers, or sponsoringRotarians have been meeting since individuals or groups. But recently1946 and have built a friendship with we took notice when, one of ourthe YMCA over the last few years. club members was collecting forSheena Dayman, our Community Christmas projects’Development Manager was recentlya guest speaker at one of the lunches “A man in his twenties, with obviouslyand was pleased to forge a new little money made a donation whichrelationship. surprised the collector. The man said ‘Rotary changed my life’ If it hadBoscombe and Southbourne not been for the Christmas HamperRotarians have very kindly sponsored given to me by Rotary in Boscombe,the YMCA fun run, where funds I would not have had a Christmas.will be raised to support those I shall always be grateful. Perhapswho are vulnerable and in need of we can all change a life sometimesaccommodation. This will enable all without realising it.”