We ❤️our friends at YMCA Plymouth – a fantastic independent local charity providing educational, health and family support services to people and communities across the city, including many of our PCH residents.
So when they asked for our help to create a brand new Welcome Hub providing a private, safe space for people needing one to one support, we were keen to get involved.
Our Voids Manager Neil Thompson reached out to one of our regular contractors at PCH, Mitie Property Services based in Plymouth, and Mitie more than rose to the occasion – providing staff and materials, and donating time free of charge to transform what was a messy dumping ground behind the main reception area into a bright, clean, fresh and relaxing safe space.
Last week, Neil Thompson and Neil Kelman, Branch Manager for Mitie, were invited round to see the finished result for themselves – trying out the comfortable new chairs and coffee corner, and hearing first hand from Sarah Newberry, Youth, Family and Fundraising Manager at YMCA Plymouth, about how the hub has been well used already.
“The difference is just amazing and we are so grateful for everyone’s help,” Sarah said. “The room was just a mess before, it had become dumping ground for boxes and there were pipes everywhere; you couldn’t use the space at all. Now we have this bright, welcoming, calming room where local people can come if they need privacy and a quiet area to talk to someone or get some support.
“It’s already helped us so much; we had some residents in the centre needing to talk to someone about domestic abuse, and they were able to sit here in a safe and quiet environment for hours so we could support them. Another resident needed help with writing a difficult legal letter and again, the Welcome Hub provided the perfect safe space for that to happen in a lovely, calm, private area.”
The Mitie team worked to create the Welcome Hub by boxing in open pipework, cleaning and repainting the space, and fitting new flooring. Other supporters contributed furniture and decorations to help bring it to life.
Neil Thomson and Neil Kelman were both delighted to see the finished Welcome Hub in person.
“It looks amazing,” PCH Voids Manager Neil Thompson said. “We’ve worked with Mitie for years as a regular contractor and I’m so pleased we were able to connect them with the YMCA when the charity reached out for our help.”
Neil Kelman from Mitie said: “We were really happy to get involved; we always try to factor in social value to our work and this was the perfect opportunity for us to give something back to the local community. Sarah knew exactly what the YMCA needed, and it’s great to see the space now it’s finished – and to hear about how the Welcome Hub is already being so well used.”
The YMCA Plymouth, based in Honicknowle Lane, provides a host of services to more than 18,000 local people including running community groups, training and education, holiday youth clubs, family activities, targeted youth work, crisis support, cardiac rehabilitation, social inclusion, and so much more
Just some of the work the charity delivers in a year includes:
- Donating meals to vulnerable young people
- Helping to improve life expectancy for people in cardiac rehab by up to 30%
- Helping more than 500 people a year with mental health support
- Providing over 100 hours of free trips and activities for elderly people experiencing loneliness or isolation
- Running more than 800 free youth club spaces for disadvantaged young people
- Organising more than 1,000 hours of youth mentoring
- Providing 1,000 plus hours of free soft play places for children with disabilities and sensory needs
- Delivering around 100 free youth football coaching sessions
- Helping 200 + young people to get engaged in education, employment or training
Find out more about YMCA Plymouth by visiting https://www.ymcaplymouth.org.uk/
