About the Organisation
YMCA Cheshire prevents homelessness and improves life chances by investing in the lives of individuals in the local community. Operating supported accommodation in Crewe since 1984, but with a presence in the town since 1909, they are a long-standing part of the community with strong ties to other organisations and the people who live there. Crewe has some of the highest levels of multiple deprivation and lowest health outcomes in the UK.
As an inclusive Christian organisation, they provide accommodation and support for local people experiencing homelessness, care leavers, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, and refugees. This support includes access to enriching activities around life skills, independent living, and health and wellbeing. They work with around 120 people per year through their accommodation services, providing 24-hour access to support, and 12 months of follow-on support for those who need it after leaving their accommodation.
In addition, they also provide a range of community activities for children, families and the socially isolated. This includes after school clubs, youth groups, holiday activities, family drop-ins, and community activities (e.g., bingo, parties, Christmas markets). This work all contributes to preventing the types of family and social breakdowns that can lead to homelessness, as well as fostering a strong sense of community in targeted estates. They also have a wide range of volunteering opportunities with an ever-increasing team of volunteers.
They also run a café and property maintenance service as training opportunities for our service users, as well as room hire for training and conferencing for other organisations to use.
Request details:
YMCA Cheshire are looking to grow their accommodation offer and have been offered a site by a local church, which is currently home to two church/community halls.
The project is in early stages, but they hope to establish accommodation for 20-30 young people facing homelessness in the area. Options include demolishing the existing buildings and developing a new property, with the caveat that the site will still need to include a church hall.
The charity is keen to engage with pro bono support across a number of areas and would be grateful for offers of services in the following areas:
- Project management – To help with initial planning and development of the project
- Structural Engineering – Foundation Design
- Architectural/Design- Support to explore the wider potential of the land
- Quantity Surveyor
Timeline
ASAP