Alison Dawson

For the very first time, YMCA Norfolk will be coming together with YMCAs from across England to take part in a mammoth virtual Sleep Easy event on Friday March 26, with the aim of raising vital funds to help tackle the root causes of youth homelessness. 

And so, from 7pm on Friday 26 to 7am on Saturday 27 March, hundreds of people across the country will be sleeping anywhere but their beds to raise awareness of the thousands of young people who are made homeless each year, and YMCA Norfolk is calling on the county to join in!   

Money raised from the event will go towards delivering much needed support for residents and homeless young people.

YMCA Norfolk hosted its first Sleep Easy in 2010 and over the last decade has raised over £100,000 through the event.  These funds have helped support nearly 500 people each year by providing accommodation and support to help vulnerable people towards independent living whilst also providing employment, training and work experience through social enterprises and employability projects.

This Sleep Easy will look different to previous years as COVID-19 has not just had an impact on homelessness services but on fundraising as well. Traditionally, an event that brings lots of the community together in one place, this year will see people going solo or with their families and swapping the streets for bathtubs, sofas or garden tents. It is hoped that this special collaborative event will help YMCA Norfolk raise more funding than ever in aid of youth homelessness.

Susie Knights, Marketing and Fundraising Manager of YMCA Norfolk, said: 

“As a year, 2020 was more difficult and heart-breaking than anyone could ever have anticipated, but one overwhelming positive that emerged was the power of community and the difference that can make to people’s lives.   

“We know from our own experience over the past 165 years of working in Norfolk that without the support offered by YMCA and our partners, many more vulnerable young people would be forced to sleep on the streets with less options and less chance of realising their potential. 

“With this in mind, we are calling on the community to sleep somewhere other than their beds and help raise a record sum of money for this special Sleep Easy event. Please participate, donate and nominate to spread the word: one night can make a lifetime of difference.”  

YMCA is the largest voluntary sector provider of supported housing for young people in England and Wales, providing a bed for 8,800 people each night and collectively helping more than 20,000 people experiencing homelessness each year. 

For more information or to register for Virtual Sleep Easy 2021, please visit http://www.ymcanorfolk.org/get-involved/sleep-easy/ or contact our Events Officer Judy on judy.bailey@ymcanorfolk.org

The ‘Play Up Project’, which initially partnered with The Youth West Partnership in Summer 2019, was successfully bringing together 33 young musicians before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Also supported by Norfolk Music Hub, the project provided an important social space for the young musicians involved, who were invited to improve on their musical skills and confidence through regular sessions and live public performances. 

With the beginning of the pandemic and the country entering into lockdown in March this year, John Kramarchuk, the project’s leader, was determined to continue to provide opportunities for the group, many of whom were left feeling socially isolated as a result of the missed sessions. 

John’s solution was the ‘Play Up Remote Recording Project’, an idea for bands to remotely record their own concept albums based on their lives as teenagers during the pandemic. After approaching the charity with the idea that would allow John to continue supporting these young people and ensuring their group sessions could continue, YMCA Norfolk, together with other partners including PEACH West Norfolk, were able to support the project by providing funding towards home recording equipment for 10 musicians. 

Charlie Wall, Senior Youth Engagement Worker for YMCA Norfolk said,

“John contacted me and the Youth West Partnership Coordinator with this great idea that would allow the young people of West Norfolk to continue their musical projects and receive the vital support they needed during such a challenging time.

“We were delighted to support John through purchasing equipment that would enable his vision to go ahead.”

Through online zoom sessions, the young people engaged and learned the skills required to record at home and use the new equipment. As a result of the project so far, participants have recorded 9 songs, with two of them being played on KLFM and Future Radio. 

John continues to search for further support that will allow his important work to continue, after the initial success it has seen so far. He said,

“These young people have found their passion. They found a place to exercise it and then it was snatched away. They have remained engaged through the lockdown, learned new skills and produced some stunning work. Their joy in this project is there for all to see.”

On Thursday 13^th August a commemorative time capsule was installed by the the Chief Executive Officer Tim Sweeting, in a small false wall at the new Community Hub under development on Aylsham Road in Norwich.

The time capsule included a collection of YMCA memorabilia, stories, drawings, observations, poems and testimonies collected from YMCA clients and staff from their different locations across Norfolk. 

Tim Sweeting commented,

“YMCA has been in Norfolk for over 165 years and has a long and varied history. We are excited to leave a time capsule that will commemorate this exciting moment in our history and act as an important piece of heritage. It will provide a snapshot of this unique time for future generations to explore.

“Through our ambitious Community Hub we are making a long term commitment to the local community that will enable us to serve and support families and youth in the area for many years to come.”

Also present at the installation were sisters and local residents Amelie and Cora Bailey, who are excited about the new hub and its facilities.

Amelie, 9, said, 

“I am looking forward to going to the soft play and café as a treat after school if I have been good.”

Cora, 5, said,

“I am excited because it is right next to my school and Nana can take me there when she picks me up from school.”

The renovations to the building are being conducted by building contractors Cocksedge. Commercial Manager Darren Reeve said,

“It’s great to see a time-capsule being placed here at the new YMCA Hub as we reach a mid-point and now start to close-up areas of the refurbished building.

“Keeping the project on track with new ways of working through the pandemic certainly has been a real team effort, and one which will see the local community, especially young people, benefit from the services that will be on offer at the Hub.

“The project itself has also allowed us to provide opportunities for an apprentice to gain valuable carpentry experience, which aligns with the YMCA’s goals in providing local young people with a focus for education, employment and positive well-being.”

Once renovations are completed in early 2021, the Hub will feature community café Williams’ Kitchen, Explorers Soft Play Centre, and Muddy Puddles – an Ofsted registered nursery with an inclusive and compassionate approach to childcare. The nursery aims to encompass a reduced technology approach to childcare, encouraging outdoor play and exploration. More information and the nursery prospectus are available now on the YMCA Norfolk website: www.ymcanorfolk.org.

YMCA Norfolk have received generous support for the Hub in response to fundraising efforts from trusts, foundations, generous individuals and Norfolk County Council. Public support has also helped to raise over £15,000, 60% of the public appeal target of £25,000. 

Members of the public who would like to offer financial support are invited to visit the public appeal page on Just Giving: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/ymcanorfolkcommunityhub

The Festival’s 5-day line up boasts a variety of interactive talks, workshops and events, and is completely free to attend. Based on the theme of education, activities and activism, featured guest speakers from local organisations will be speaking about subjects such as LGBT, drugs and alcohol, Black Lives Matter, Mental Health, and Employment and Training.

The festival is also to offer participants the chance to take part in workshops in poetry and lyric writing, stand-up comedy, circus skills and much more, as well as open mic nights where the young people can showcase skills learned throughout the festival.

The Youth West Summer Festival aims to provide meaningful and engaging activities to young people in a supportive and safe environment. This extends from efforts by YMCA Norfolk since the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown to continue their work with young people via a newly established online youth club website. The festival is a collective effort from local charities to continue to provide this safe and fun environment online where young people can access support during the summer holidays.

Tim Sweeting, CEO of YMCA Norfolk said,

“In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, many youth clubs have had to close leaving young people without the in-person support usually provided by charities like YMCA Norfolk.

“During this unique summer which has left many young people feeling limited in their options, we are pleased to provide an online space where they can relax and have fun, as well as learn skills and access training opportunities.”

Partnering organisations who are helping to run the festival include The Matthew Project, The Benjamin Foundation, The Garage, Swan Youth Project, and the West Norfolk Youth Advisory Board.

Free tickets as well as full details on the festival can be found at www.youthwestsummerfest.com

YMCA Norfolk are looking to recruit at least 20 new staff members to support their multi-service community hub, based on Aylsham road in Norwich. 

Initial recruitment will focus on childcare staff, who will help with the running of Muddy Puddles Nursery – an Ofsted-registered childcare provision based at the site. Roles will include the likes of a nursery manager, deputy manager, early years educators and safeguarding leads. 

All staff will have the chance to take part in various professional development and training initiatives, in line with the charity’s mission to encourage staff members to feel valued and strive to reach their full potential. 

Further roles will become available through the running of the centre’s community café, alongside general building maintenance; providing valuable work at a time where many jobs have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. 

The YMCA Norfolk CEO, Tim Sweeting, said:

“The development of our family-centered community hub will welcome at least 20 new jobs, ranging across nursery and catering industries, with an initial focus on childcare. Expanding the YMCA family is something we are extremely excited about, and can’t wait to have some fantastic childcare professionals as part of our amazing team. 

“We are thrilled to be able to offer some hope to the Norfolk community during a time of uncertainty and worry, and strive to continue making a huge difference to the local community.”

The innovative centre has already provided various work opportunities through contractors and construction workers who are involved in the renovation of the building; which, after a brief delay due to lockdown, is once again under construction. The building company working on the site, Cocksedge, are closely following Government guidelines and have developed a revised health and safety plan to ensure safe working at this time.

YMCA Norfolk are welcoming expressions of interest from the end of the summer, with recruitment for the role of nursery manager beginning in November. Recruitment for other roles will commence in the new year. 

We are encouraging parents and carers to register their interest in nursery places as soon as possible by getting in touch with our childcare team on childcare@ymcanorfolk.org.

Please keep an eye on our social media for further information over the coming months.