YMCA DownsLink Group’s mission is to prevent youth homelessness and transform the lives of vulnerable young people across Sussex and Surrey. Each night, we provide a home to 787 young people. Every year, we reach a further 10,000 young people and their families through our other key services, such as counselling, support and advice, mediation, and youth work. In so doing, we help young people so they can belong, contribute, and thrive.
But we can’t achieve all this alone. The local, business community plays an important role in ensuring the continued success of our projects. And we need your help now, more than ever. In the last 10 years funding to youth services has decreased by 73%, with a devastating impact on young lives. In the last year alone, demand for our housing projects has increased by 37%.
Room Sponsorship
Our Room Sponsorship programme is an easy and tangible way for your company to make a profound and lasting difference to a young person’s life. A (tax deductible) donation of £1,000, provides a young person with a room at one of our Foyers for an entire year. These special places offer young people a caring and nurturing environment to get their life back on track – for many, it is their first sense of home.
Room Sponsorship covers the annual cost of providing a young person with access to essential emotional support, life skills training, and 121 coaching. Delivered by our dedicated and experienced key workers, this additional help is vital as many of our residents often have a range of complex needs including trauma, abuse, poor mental health, poverty, and addiction. And that’s not all! For every room sponsored, £100 of the donation pays for the residents of the project to enjoy an evening together to promote a sense of community and create social interaction.
Here’s what a couple of our Room Sponsors have to say:
“As a local business, we see supporting the local community as central to the work we do and were inspired by the work of the YMCA DLG to work harder to support members of that community as best we can. We, therefore, see our partnership with the group as a way to maximise the help we give through the growth of mutual support for one another. ”
– Burt Brill & Cardens Solicitors:
“We see homelessness everywhere especially coming into Brighton and it is hard to know how best to help. When YMCA got in contact, we were thrilled to be able to help in a meaningful way. We are honoured to sponsor a room in Brighton”.
Click here to discover more about our partnership opportunities, and how you can make a positive difference in your community. Or get in touch directly, we’d love to hear from you.
