The Burton Echo recently had the privilege of getting a proper look behind the scenes at the YMCA in Burton – the instantly recognisable charity doing some seriously important work tackling homelessness right here in our area.

By Tom Drysdale

Just across the road from Asda, you'll find the YMCA Reconnect building. It's called ‘Reconnect’ for a reason, highlighting the YMCA’s mission to bring folks back into the fold – people who, often through no fault of their own, have found themselves on the fringes of society. Right away, you get a sense of the values and how vital this organisation is to our community.

The Young Men’s Christian Association, or YMCA as most of us know it, originated back in 1844 in London, thanks to a young man called Sir George Williams. He was a draper who moved from Somerset to London during the Industrial Revolution. He was shocked by the terrible conditions for young men and realised there wasn’t much for them to do. On 6th June 1844, he gathered 11 fellow drapers together to create a place for young men to meet. It soon grew into tackling all sorts of social, educational, and health needs across the country, and it is now a global movement in 120 countries, with 83 YMCAs in England and Wales.

Our very own YMCA Burton was started in 1887. Back then, it was big on sports teams, rambling groups, and even religious education classes. Then, in the tough times of the 1930s, they were on hand to help locals with job skills – things like woodworking, bookkeeping, and even leadership. During the Second World War, they were busy providing hot food and drinks to our troops, both at home and over in Europe.

Modern Day Battles: Tackling Today's Issues

The YMCA’s still bang on it when it comes to tackling the big issues, but what those issues are has shifted over time. These days, YMCA Burton runs a food bank to help fight against food poverty. They also put a roof over the heads of single adults across three different housing sites. Plus, they’ve got outreach teams who go out and actively look for homeless people, pointing them in the direction of the YMCA. They even offer mediation to help families in crisis and counselling to support people's mental health.

Basically, they’re tackling poverty from all angles, and that’s what Paula Senior, the Fundraising and Partnership Manager, explained when I popped down to the Reconnect centre. I was there to get the inside scoop on the brilliant work the YMCA does right here in Burton.

Reconnect: The Beating Heart of the YMCA

“This building is called ‘Reconnect’; it’s the heart of YMCA Burton. Anyone who needs a hand will be pointed this way,” Paula told me straight away. “Whether that’s for the food bank, mediation, or if they just need a safe place to sleep.”

She explained that the Reconnect site has 31 flats and rooms for younger people, adults aged 18 to 64, with another 40 self-contained flats across the other two locations. The Reconnect place is "manned 24/7", and as Paula put it, “we’ve got a range of better services here, a team of support workers, a big lounge, and a proper kitchen downstairs.” She also pointed out the shower facility, which is pretty significant: “This is the only shower in the whole of Staffordshire that someone sleeping rough can actually get to. If you’re coming in from the cold, you can have a shower, get a change of clothes, and even wash and dry your own stuff if you want.”

**Inside The YMCA:** Paula Senior, Fundraising Manager

Paula's Role: Making it All Happen

I was then keen to find out what Paula’s day-to-day looks like at the YMCA. Essentially, she’s the one building bridges with local businesses and the community, hunting down and securing funding from all sorts of places, and generally being the face of YMCA Burton’s fundraising efforts. It’s worth remembering that YMCA Burton is self-funded – they don’t receive a penny from the national YMCA, so all the cash comes from their own hard work and generous local folk.

Paula told me, “We need to bring in £200,000 in unrestricted funding. That’s because if someone gives you money specifically for the food bank, it has to be spent on that – it becomes ‘restricted’. So, that £200,000 unrestricted is what keeps the lights on, the insurance paid, and the charity functioning.” It really highlights the massive effort that goes into supporting YMCA Burton, and as Paula explained, a huge chunk of that comes from the incredible support of our community.

A Look Inside the Food Bank: A Real Necessity

Next up, I got the chance to have a proper look around the Reconnect facility. I was quickly introduced to Julia, YMCA Burton’s food bank coordinator, who was going to show me the ropes. Her involvement started back in 2017, volunteering at the old night shelter that used to run out of St Paul's Parish Church Hall. When COVID-19 hit and the night shelter had to close, she moved over to helping out at the food bank. Then, when a coordinator role came up, this former teacher jumped at the chance, and she’s been there for over three years now.

“Our food bank is open 365 days a year, from 9 in the morning until 10 at night. People can just pop in any day, any time,” Julia explained. “All they need is some ID showing they’re local and their address. They also need a valid reason for using the food bank, and we take their word for it.”

“They come to us for an emergency food parcel, and each one is meant for one to three people for one to three days.” She stressed it’s for emergencies before adding, “They can come back four times in a six-month period. It doesn’t have to be spread out; they could come back one after the other if they’re really up against it.”

The space where they put together the food parcels wasn't massive. Down the stairs from the main reception, through a back door, and into a small storage room with shelves lining both sides. “It’s all non-perishable,” Julia pointed out. “We make a standard food parcel for most people, but if they’ve got specific dietary needs, like if they’re coeliac, we can sort that out too.”

I asked Julia what the food bank really needs when it comes to donations. “We always run out of long-life milk,” she said straight away. “Soup often gets pretty low too, but honestly, anything would be great. We’re not going to say no.” Julia encouraged folks to set up food bank collections, “If anyone fancies doing a collection at their workplace, or sometimes you get whole streets or avenues where everyone chips in, that really keeps us going with the donations.”

She really hammered home how vital operations like this are, spelling out the stark increase in food bank usage here in Burton. “In 2010, we gave out a total of 602 parcels; last year, it was a staggering 3075.” Julia reckoned that when she took over the food bank about three and a half years ago, usage “shot up” but has since “levelled off, but it’s still really high.”

Before moving on to see the accommodation, I asked Julia what she finds most rewarding about working for the YMCA. “I think it’s the ethos. It’s not perfect, and we have our moments, but we’re all rooting for the people who are really struggling on the edges of society.” She and Paula both agreed that seeing the real impact of their work “means absolutely everything.”

Nada's Story: Finding a Lifeline at the YMCA

It was at this point that I was shown into the apartment buildings and met Nada, one of the residents at YMCA Burton. Nada was happy to share her story and talk about what YMCA Burton. has done for her. Nada came to the UK from Sudan in 2023, just before the civil war kicked off there. She already had dual British nationality, so she came to the UK to stay with a friend before being moved into an HMO in Burton, organised by the council for temporary housing.

Because of her situation, she was offered private accommodation, but it was shared with men, so she had to turn it down. Having refused more than one private offer, she was facing being out on the street if she turned down the next one. Thankfully, Brian, a senior support worker at the YMCA heard about Nada and left her a note asking her to make contact. He told her about the housing opportunities they offered – independent living – and she applied to move in. Nada signed up in April 2023.

However, not long after moving in, she faced a serious health scare. “I found a lump; I was too scared to tell anyone about it then. It was my support worker Richard who I told, and then my friend convinced me I had to get it checked out.”

The diagnosis was breast cancer, a disease that sadly affects around 55,000 women a year here in the UK. The initial diagnosis didn’t scare Nada. “I wasn’t scared or crying until I heard the Doctor talk to me about chemo.” She said that the YMCA has been there for her every step of the way. “From that moment on, the YMCA became my family. The support workers helped me so much with getting food and water, my shopping. They went with me to the hospital as I had to go weekly.”

Nada couldn’t praise the YMCA enough for helping her settle in. “They changed my carpets before my treatment; they even changed my bed when it wasn’t suitable for me. They were amazing in every way; when I wasn’t sure if I’d be well enough to cook, they got me a microwave. It’s just incredible.” During her treatment, the YMCA even provided Nada with transport to her radiotherapy appointments in Derby.

As it stands, Nada is cancer-free, and she’s keeping her fingers crossed that it won’t come back, aiming to “remain positive all the time.” She still says the chemo was the toughest part. “I lost my hair; I went completely bald. I remember waking up in the middle of the night and going to the loo and seeing myself in the mirror, with hardly any left, so I just shaved it all off.”

Nada is now applying for private and permanent accommodation with the YMCA’s help. Paula mentioned that the YMCA has a great relationship with Trent & Dove.“If we’re referring our clients to start bidding, they trust that the person who is bidding is ready, that they’re able to maintain a property, look after themselves, and pay the bills.”

For now, Nada is a valued member of the YMCA community. “I cooked during the weekend for the staff; I know the staff, and I know who is working.” She also cooks during the week, but at the time of the interview, she was observing Ramadan and fasting.

Nada summed up her experience with the YMCA, and you could really hear the gratitude and respect in her voice: “They are doing an amazing job, and not just with me, but with others, every step of the way. The service they provide is amazing.”

Nada’s experience perfectly illustrates the goals of supported living at the YMCA Burton: to give people independence, the skills, and the chance to live self-sufficiently, with a range of support services right on their doorstep to help anyone with complex needs. The ultimate aim is to prepare them for moving back into the wider community.

A Cornerstone of Burton

After leaving Nada’s apartment, my tour was complete. I want to say a massive thank you to Paula, Julia, Nada, and the whole team at the YMCA Burton for giving me such a fantastic insight into how they operate. It’s an organisation that sits proudly at the heart of our community here in Burton, and it’s something we as locals can genuinely be proud of.

If you’d like to get in touch with the YMCA for any reason, you can find more information on their website or through their social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn). Moreover, you can call them on 01283 538802 or email office@burtonymca.org.

Have a positive community story to share? Email Tom Drysdale at tom.drysdale@burtonecho.co.uk, and we’ll do our best to bring it to life!

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Inside Burton YMCA: Getting the Lowdown on a Local Lifeline.