YMCA Milton Keynes calls on people to help the homeless

    YMCA Milton Keynes is calling on local people to help the homeless by supporting Sleep Easy 2018.

    This is a national campaign run by YMCAs across the UK to raise awareness of the growing problem of youth homelessness and to raise funds for local YMCAs, so that they can continue their work with formerly homeless young adults.

    Sleep Easy Milton Keynes will take place on Friday 16th March in Fred Roche Gardens, immediately behind The Church of Christ the Cornerstone.  YMCA Milton Keynes is inviting supporters to sleep out overnight in a small tent, or under cardboard, to briefly experience what it is like not to have a bed and a roof over your head.

    People who want to take part are asked to pre-register by going to Eventbrite.co.uk and searching for ‘YMCA Milton Keynes Sleep Easy 2018’ – or by contacting YMCA Milton Keynes on 01908 295600.

    “We have seen a growing number of homeless people sleeping out in Central Milton Keynes and other parts of the borough. But the street homeless are just the visible tip of a much larger problem that is disproportionately affecting young people”, said YMCA Milton Keynes chief executive, Simon Green

    “There are young people sleeping in cars, sofa surfing or living in unsafe situations where, for example, they may be subject to physical or sexual assault – but have nowhere else to go. Last year YMCA was contacted by over 1,000 young people – but we were only able to directly help some 350,” said Simon.

    But having a bed and a safe place to stay is just the start for many of the young people who approach YMCA. Many suffer poor mental health as a direct result of the trauma they have had to face. Others will have had a disrupted education and may not have been able to secure stable employment.

    YMCA Milton Keynes works with its residents to make them feel valued – to give them a sense of belonging and purpose in life. The formerly homeless young adults learn independent living skills while living in the hostel before graduating to the flats, where they can put these skills into practice. There are activity programmes designed to improve physical and mental health – the YMCA Milton Keynes has its own mental health practitioner, funded by a grant from Milton Keynes Community Foundation, available to provide support and counselling to people who need it. And YMCA staff help residents attain basic educational qualifications and seek out training and employment opportunities.

    “We want our residents to move on as confident individuals, with a job and a home,” said Simon, “but this takes time and resources – and as we have seen demand for our services increase we have also seen our funding reduce – so every pound we can raise through Sleep Easy will be vital to us and, more importantly, the young people we support.”

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