Irish YMCA Movement

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Irish YMCA Movement

• 32 County Organisation dating back to 1849
• Work in 22 locations with Christians from all
  denominations
• Programmes, users locations have doubled in the
  last 16 years

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Donegal LDerry Garvagh Ballymena Antrim Larne Ca
rrick Bangor Belfast Lisburn Lurgan Portadown Omag
h Newcastle Dublin Cork Ballincollig Bantry Ban
don Cohb West Dublin
YMCAs in Ireland
National Council Centres
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YMCA Ireland

• Programmes
• strong youth work focus
• vocational training
• health education
• community relations
• family programmes
• community organisations
• health fitness
• outdoor education
• International support
• spiritual development

Approximately 30,000 use our programmes each year
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Association Activities
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Local YMCAs

• Londonderry YMCA
• This YMCA has a long history of service to the
  community. Coming up to its 150th birthday it
  has a very special role within the Irish
  movement. Originally situated within the old City
  (Derry is a much older city than Belfast) it
  moved its base of operations to the village of
  Drumahoe on the east side of the river in the
  early 80s after its original building was
  bombed. Its excellent playing fields reflect its
  strong sporting history.
• Although Londonderry YMCA continues to be a
  major provider of sports programmes in the North
  west, the last five years have seen this
  dimension balanced by a rapid increase in youth
  community provision.
• Programmes include
• Youth participation initiatives
• Youth club work
• Schools work
• Drama groups
• Country fairs
• Cultural events
• Afternoon Circle
• pony club
• Specialist youth work
• Community development

• Lurgan YMCA
• Lurgan YMCA came into being in the 80s. Founded
  by Christian businessmen concerned for the young
  people of the town, early on, the association
  committed itself to reducing sectarianism within
  the town. This not only manifested itself in
  programmes but also by the acquisition of a
  second site to ensure both communities could
  access YMCA services. The association is
  characterised by its passion for targeting social
  need and a management committee who have given
  finance, time and prayer to ensure young people
  with difficulties are helped in body, mind and
  spirit..
• Programmes include
• Drop in youth centre
• Community relations training
• Street work
• Schools work
• Youth counselling
• Youth arts initiatives
• Youth information service
• Community relations initiatives

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Local YMCAs

• Lisburn YMCA
• Lisburn is another YMCA founded in the 80s.
  Lisburn mirrors Lurgans roots with a strong
  emphasis on Christian Social Action and
  targetting social need.
• Lisburn YMCA has led the way in developing
  programmes to assist young people experiencing in
  the transition to adulthood. It has played an
  important role in partnering with local churches
  to engage Christians in social action. It has
  championed the cause of young people against
  their social exclusion, persecution by
  paramilitaries and educational neglect. Its
  strong staff team have been innovative in their
  responses to overwhelming need and difficult
  circumstances.
• Programmes include
• Young mums support
• Youth club dropin
• Vocational training
• Individual young person support
• Specialist youth work
• Peer mentoring
• Youth participation/political education
• International partnerships
• Safeplace a crisis support programme
• under the influence' Training for young adults
  with learning difficulties

• Portadown YMCA
• Portadown YMCA started soon after the second
  world war. It quickly built up a reputation for
  solid youth and community work. Led by strong
  workers and committee members it developed an
  impressive record in the areas of youth work,
  vocational training and child care.
• In recent years the association has struggled to
  develop work with a shortage of leaders in a
  disadvantaged and divided community. Recently
  the association has been reprioritising and hopes
  to play an important role in the community
  relations area in the future.
• Programmes include
• Vocation training
• Youth work
• After schools club
• Pre school playgroup
• IT project

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Local YMCAs

• City of Belfast YMCA
• City of Belfast YMCA is one of the oldest
  associations in Ireland. Dating back to 1850
  Belfast played has not just an important part in
  the Irish YMCA movement , but also in the life
  of the city. Based right in the heart of the city
  , the association has endeavoured to be a place
  where young people and older people from all
  backgrounds could work together for benefit of
  all the community.
• Programmes include
• Youth work training
• Youth in Government
• Cross community schools programmes
• Support for young offenders
• Cross community Youth camps
• 3 community businesses fitness, catering child
  care
• Faith development initiatives
• Community development work
• Specialist youth work
• Counselling Sports clubs training

• Bangor YMCA
• Bangor YMCA was founded in the early 80s. It
  main focus was drop in youth work at the Bangor
  sea front. This evolved into wider work with
  disadvantaged young people. In particular the
  association has played a vital role with
  unemployed young people. At one time it provided
  over 125 training places for the long term
  unemployed.
• In recent years Bangor YMCA has positioned itself
  to help solve the sectarian problems within the
  town by extending its work to include family work
  across the denominations.
• Programmes include
• Making Links
• Provision for children with learning difficulties
• PAKT family CR programme
• Youth work

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National Councils Purpose

• To support existing local associations
• To develop new local associations
• To represent the Movement nationally and
  internationally
• To co-ordinate national programmes when requested
  to by local associations
• To maintain and develop policies relevant to the
  movements activities
• To advocate for local associations with
  government and other national bodies
• To support the values and promote unity within
  the movement

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• National training centre
• specializing in outdoor education community
  relations work
• 4,000 users per year
• specialist work developed with young offenders
• family programmes designed delivered
• 16 unemployed young people engaged as trainee
  instructors

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• 22 training places for long term unemployed
• 20 place cross community child care centre
• Cross border partnership with 4 other
  organisations
• Cross Community youth Work initiative
• Family youth Work initiative

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• Cross border programme
• Community relations training
• International Conflict Transformation training
• Local training for young people adults within
  communities
• Anti sectarianism training offered to local
  YMCAs, to other agencies international YMCAs

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• YMCA work developed in 6 locations
• Youth information piloted in 2 rural centres
• PAKT piloted in Ballincollig
• Approximately 100 vocationally trained each year
  (STEP)
• International volunteers placed supported
• Faith development programmes developed
• Plans to introduce support programmes for rural
  youth development
• Health Education programmes developed

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YMCA Ireland Finance

• Financial Control

• Finance heavily dominated by government funding
  (72)
• Majority of funding is project based (56)
• Each department is financially autonomous
• Central administration is financed through a fair
  share system
• 92 of local affiliation is paid out to
  international YMCA
• Core funding in North South is sourced in the
  Dept of Education

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YMCA Management Model

• Local
• Local volunteer control - ethos policy programme
• International
• Active support and membership of European, World
  Alliances Y Care
• National
• National Council will continue to be controlled
  by the local associations through affiliation
  membership of the National board

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YMCA IrelandDraft Strategic Objectives 2000 -2003

• To strengthen local associations through
  supporting their development
• To agree and establish a common set of standards
  for all YMCAs
• To provide local associations with new
  opportunities to share information and to work
  collaboratively
• To promote a shared understanding of our
  Christian vision, within and outside the movement
• Monitor our progress at www.ymca-ireland.org or
  contact us at admin_at_ymca-ireland.org

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The Movements Ethos

• The Irish Context
• As a Christian movement the YMCA will be
  anti-sectarian in its practice and will encourage
  active participation from all sections of the
  community. (ie regardless of gender, religious
  belief, social class, disability etc.) As part of
  the Christian church the YMCA seeks to act as an
  organisation for cross denominational action for
  the benefit of young people. The YMCA sees
  Christian witness as involving both social action
  and faith development. The organisation has a
  particular focus in being a catalyst for
  Christian social action within local communities.

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The Movements Ethos

• the Paris Basis (1855)
• The Young Mens Christian Associations seek to
  unite those young men, who, regarding Jesus
  Christ as their God and Saviour, according to the
  Holy Scriptures, desire to be his disciples in
  their faith and in their life, and to associate
  their efforts for the extension of his Kingdom
  amongst young men.
• Any differences of opinion on other subjects,
  however important in themselves, shall not
  interfere with the harmonious relations of the
  Constituent Members and Associates of the World
  Alliance.

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Challenge 21

• ' Sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and
  striving for spiritual, intellectual and physical
  well-being of individuals and wholeness of
  communities.
• ' Empowering all, especially young people and
  women to take increased responsibilities and
  assume leadership at all levels and working
  towards an equitable society.
• Advocating for and promoting the rights of women
  and upholding the rights of children.
• ' Fostering dialogue and partnership between
  people of different faiths and ideologies and
  recognizing the cultural identities of people and
  promoting cultural renewal.
• ' Committing to work in solidarity with the poor,
  dispossessed, uprooted people and oppressed
  racial, religious and ethnic minorities.
• Creators and reconcilers in situations of
  conflict and participation and advancement of
  people for their own self determination
• Defending God's creation against all that would
  destroy it and preserving and protecting the
  earths resources for coming generations.
• To face these challenges, the YMCA will develop
  patterns of co-operation at all levels that
  enable self-sustenance and self-determination.

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The Movements Ethos

• the Kampala Principles (1973).
• " Recognising the character of the YMCAs in the
  world today, this act of acknowledging the Paris
  Basis places upon the various Associations and
  their members as fellow workers with God such
  imperatives as
• To work for equal opportunity and justice for all
• To work for and maintain an environment in which
  relationships among people are characterised by
  love and understanding.
• To work for and maintain conditions, within the
  YMCA and in society, its organisations and
  institutions, which allow for honesty, depth and
  creativity.
• To develop and maintain leadership and programme
  patterns which exemplify the varieties and depth
  of Christian experience.
• To work for the development of the whole person. "

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Luke 3

• "Prepare in the desert the way for the LORD.
• Make a straight road in the dry' lands for our,
  God.
• every valley should be raised up
• and every mountain and hill made flat.
• The rough ground should be made level,
• and the rugged ground should be made smooth
• Then the glory of the LORD will be shown

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YMCA International

• Organises events
• Helps to co-ordinate co-operation between
  National YMCAs,
• Operates, on behalf of its Member Movements,
• Conducts a multi-national staff development
  programme.
• Publishes the regular periodical " YMCA WORLD"
• Represents the World Movement at the United
  Nations and its agencies.
• Gives guidance to development efforts, obtains
  some of the funding for projects and organises
  international development seminars.
• Seeks to encourage certain emphasis in YMCA
  programmes and policies,.
• Consults, through visits of Lay leaders and
  Staff, with National Movements, particularly in
  areas where its accumulated international
  experience may be useful.
• Acts in emergencies

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Keeping in touch

• Issues
• Ban Landmines
• Sri Lanka Conflict
• Spirituality for conflict Transformation
• Jubilee 2000

YMCA World March 1999 A quarterly of the World
Alliance of YMCAs
YMCA Youth Newsletterlatest issue December
1998
Webbing the News 1 to 9bimonthly electronic
publication of the World Alliance of YMCAs
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EAY

• YMCA Regional Area Organisation
• 29 countries
• Eastern European focus
• Northern Europe Scouts emphasis
• Southern Europe Social inclusion
• Annual events programme
• Volunteer programme
• EAY annual conference

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YMCA England

• Housing
• International work
• Personal and social development
• Sports, health and fitness
• Training

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YCARE

• Street Children
• Working Children ChildLabour
• Education and Vocational Training
• Girls Young women
• HIV/Aids Awareness
• Drugs Awareness and Rehabilitation
• Disability
• Refugees/Human NaturalDisasters