YMCA Thames Gateway is pleased to share its merger with YMCA West Kent, enabling the two organisations to combine their strengths, skills, resources and knowledge to better serve the people and communities they work with across London, Kent and Essex. YMCA West Kent will become one of the branches operating as part of YMCA Thames…
Advice around Covid-19 is changing daily and for most, self-isolating at home is something that is possible and fairly easy to do. Not for the 148 residents at the YMCA in Romford. Doctor Anil Mehta gives the AstraZeneca vaccine to a homeless person at the homeless accommodation YMCA in Romford, east London, Wednesday, Feb. 3,…
For the very first time, YMCA Thames Gateway will come together with 11 other YMCAs across England to take part in a mammoth virtual Sleep Easy event on Friday, 26 March, with the aim of raising vital funds to help tackle the root causes of youth homelessness. And so, from 7pm on Friday 26 to…
Romario is a young person currently being supported by YMCA Thames Gateway. He relies on Housing Benefit to pay for much of his rent and says that Housing Benefit gave him the springboard he needed to find work. Growing up, Romario had a difficult relationship with his dad. From the age of 15, he found…
Aged just 9, Noel lost his mum. Some years later his relationship with his father broke down and Noel became homeless. By chance, Noel popped into his local Connexions centre for some advice. He was then referred to the YMCA in Romford. Jobless, Noel started volunteering in the gym and soon realised a passion for…
In 2008, aged just 17, Michael was struck down with an unknown virus that left him paralysed from the chest down and with a severe visual impairment. Michael had to adjust to life in a wheelchair and in order to build up his upper body strength and general fitness joined YMCA Thames Gateway’s gym. Michael became a familiar face in…
On a holiday to South Africa in 2007, Claire visited a women’s shelter that helped women and children that had suffered abuse. Sadly the facility was in a poor state with rubbish stacked up everywhere. Up until this point Claire had been feeling quite low after the loss of her mother but witnessing for herself…
Claire is 44 years old and has two children, aged 13 and 10. She is a full time mum. In February 2016, Claire was diagnosed with breast cancer. The following April she had a single mastectomy and following that, radiotherapy. Prior to this diagnosis, Claire was struggling with chronic fatigue syndrome and had to take…
Brad has been living at the YMCA in Romford since July 2017 after facing problems at home which resulted in him being made homeless. “I’ve been suffering with depression and anxiety since 2007 when my Nan died. I knew I was gay but didn’t feel I could talk to my family about it and my…
Every week we provide specialist rehabilitation classes for people who are recovering from strokes, cancer and other life-limiting conditions. Leslie is a familiar face at our Romford hub and goes to the gym, seated rehab classes, and plays Boccia. Les aged 63, had a stroke three years ago which left him with very little movement…
