YMCA Heart of England Celebrates Transformational Year in New Impact Report

YMCA Heart of England has published its latest Impact Report, highlighting a year of significant growth, national recognition, and life-changing support delivered across communities throughout the region. The report showcases the organisation’s achievements during the past year, demonstrating its continued commitment to empowering young people, supporting residents, and strengthening local communities.

The report reveals a landmark year for the charity, which was awarded YMCA of the Year by YMCA England & Wales, the highest organisational honour within the national YMCA movement. The accolade recognises exceptional impact, sector-leading practice, and a proven commitment to improving outcomes for young people and communities. 

Alongside this national recognition, YMCA Heart of England celebrated the success of Youth Ambassador Shantisha Pande, who received the prestigious Lewis Sewell Memorial Award in recognition of her courage, resilience, and positive contribution.

Strong Financial Performance Supports Future Growth

The report highlights a strong financial position that will enable the organisation to continue investing in its services and facilities. Annual turnover increased by 5% to £7.5 million, while housing assets grew by 23% to £24.7 million following the acquisition of The Orchard building. The charity also recorded an annual surplus of more than £839,000, providing a solid foundation for future development.

This growth has supported the launch of YMCA Heart of England’s new Strategic Plan 2025-2030, developed with input from trustees, staff, volunteers, residents, and young people to guide the organisation’s future direction and ambition.

Delivering Meaningful Impact Across Communities

Throughout the year, YMCA Heart of England continued to deliver vital support through its housing, youth, community, and chaplaincy services.

The organisation’s chaplaincy team provided more than 11,700 minutes of face-to-face support to staff and nearly 24,000 minutes of support to residents, offering pastoral care, wellbeing support, and opportunities for community connection. Staff members received support on more than 1,500 occasions, while residents accessed the service over 1,800 times. 

Community engagement also continued to grow. The organisation delivered 47 events across its sites, achieving a resident satisfaction score of 86%, while participation in networking opportunities led to the creation of nine new strategic partnerships. 

Growing Reach and Engagement

YMCA Heart of England’s communications and engagement activity achieved significant growth during the year.

More than 7,000 newsletters were distributed to residents, staff, and stakeholders, achieving an average resident open rate of 60%. Meanwhile, targeted social media activity generated strong results, with 523 posts reaching more than 35,000 users and delivering 55,721 profile impressions, representing substantial year-on-year growth.

Fundraising efforts also made an important contribution, generating more than £10,700 in combined monetary and in-kind donations through a range of initiatives and community campaigns. 

Investing in Housing and People

The report outlines major improvements across the organisation’s housing portfolio, including the completion of its planned maintenance programme and the redevelopment of The Coppice into a modern head office facility. Housing services maintained an average occupancy rate of 98%, while the organisation secured two new housing and support contracts from Birmingham City Council worth more than £200,000 per year. YMCA Heart of England also achieved the Gold Award under the Supported Exempt Accommodation Quality Standards framework. 

The organisation’s commitment to its workforce also remained a priority. Staff turnover reduced from 23% to 17%, YMCA Heart of England achieved both Investors in People and Matrix Accreditation, and employees benefited from a pay increase, additional annual leave, and ongoing professional development opportunities. The organisation now employs 108 people, including bank workers and volunteers.

Looking Ahead

Reflecting on the year, YMCA Heart of England’s leadership team described the report as evidence of the organisation’s growing impact and the dedication of its staff, volunteers, partners, and supporters. With a new strategic plan in place and continued investment in services, people, and communities, the charity is looking ahead to reaching and supporting even more individuals across the West Midlands in the years to come. 

The full YMCA Heart of England Impact Report is available to read online at: https://ymcaheartofengland.org.uk/reports/