The YMCA began helping young people in north Kent more than 130 years ago but still many people don’t know very much about the charity.

The Thames Gateway branch is hoping to combat this as it becomes the Gravesend and Dartford Messenger’s charity of the year for 2020.

It helps around 10,000 people each year through accommodation, children’s services, health and wellbeing, training and education, support and advice.

Its accommodation not only gives young people a safe, warm place to stay, it also offers support to help them stay off the streets for good.

The charity’s hub in Overy Street, Dartford offers accommodation to 56 young adults at risk of homelessness every year.

Staff help them get back on their feet through additional support such as outdoor education, benefits advice, employment and informal education support, work experience and vocational training.

The YMCA can give troubled youngsters the chance to make a fresh start by working with other organisations to offer drugs and alcohol counselling and crime prevention advice.

The charity aims to be a springboard to help young people into independent accommodation, work and training and support workers are there to help them every step of the way.

Residents are assigned a support worker who will create an individual support plan for them. Regular support meetings continue for the duration of stay, which can be up to two years.

The YMCA is then able to offer ‘move on’ units and offer support and advice on the transition into independent living.

The YMCA believes every family should have the support it needs to develop and lead more fulfilling lives so the charity also provides childcare and support to parents.

It looks after more than 200 children every day at its nurseries including Temple Hill Nursery and Oakfield Nursery in Dartford and Swancombe Pre-school.

“We can’t promise you a comfortable night but we can promise you an inspiring one."

It also offers a range of other support to families, including holiday and youth clubs, before and after school activities, support for those at risk of exclusion from school, and family and parenting programmes.

Rosie Foreman, who was previously a prison officer, has been working for YMCA Thames Gateway since June last year as a housing and sustainment coordinator.

Rosie’s role sees her work with young people from all different backgrounds to help them get their lives back on track by supporting their individual needs.

A number of the residents at YMCA Dartford have experienced negative mental health or substance misuse issues throughout their lives so, alongside the one-to-one support, the YMCA also offers support from counsellors as well as referrals to other organisations.

The charity helps young people like Sarah, who was just 16 years-old when she came to the YMCA last July, having been told to leave her family home as they couldn’t afford to financially support her any more.

"Being told to leave the family home meant she dropped out of college."

“Sarah was so young in every way when she came to us last year,” said Rosie.

“She’s been attending a development programme which has seen her mature so much in the past few months and she is hoping to complete a work placement at one of our nurseries as part of the programme she’s on.”

Sarah hopes to secure an apprenticeship in one of the YMCA-run nurseries and then, with support from Rosie and her colleagues, work out her move-on options to start building her life living independently.

“Emotionally Sarah has been on quite a journey - being told to leave the family home meant she dropped out of college and didn’t know where her life was going to go,” said Rosie.

“Now she has more clarity and hope for the future.”

YMCA is the largest and the oldest charity working with young people in the world. Across England there are 114 YMCAs.

The Thames Gateway branch is raising money to help people like Sarah when it holds its flagship fundraisier Sleep Easy next month.

The charity is still looking for individuals or groups to sleep outside for one night at Dartford’s Central Park.

Taking place on Friday, March 6 from 7pm, its aims to raise funds to help the YMCA tackle the root causes of youth homelessness, as well as raise awareness.

Senior area fundraiser Kirsty Doubleday said: “We can’t promise you a comfortable night but we can promise you an inspiring one that will make a big difference to vulnerable young people locally. We’ll provide the box, you provide the sleeping bag.”

With hot drinks and snacks throughout the night, the event will finish with breakfast rolls

in the café at the YMCA on Overy Street before everyone heads home at around 7am.

YMCA Thames Gateway is one of several local YMCAs across the country which have joined forces to raise awareness during the national Sleep Easy Week.

The branch has hosted Sleep Easy nights since 2010.

Brian Cooke, YMCA’s director of housing, said: “YMCA’s across the country are holding Sleep Easy events at the same time to raise much needed awareness of the plight of rough sleeping among young people.”

“We know from experience that without the support we offer many more young people would be sleeping on the streets and have less options and less chance of realising their potential.

“We are calling on the local community, old and young, to sign up for YMCA Sleep Easy and help us support young people in our services today and into the future. One night out can make a lifetime difference.”

To register for the Sleep Easy event, visit www.ymcatg.org or email sleepeasy@ymcatg.org

To find out more about the YMCA’s work in Dartford, call 01322 282030 or email info.dartford@ymcatg.org.

The Thames Gateway branch also runs services in Romford, Greenwich and Ashford.

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