YMCA Cornwall – Supporting young people at risk of homelessness

The Charles Reynolds Foundation supports YMCA Cornwall with a £5,000 grant to go towards building new accommodation for vulnerable young people across the county, many of whom are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Based in Penzance, they are the largest provider of supported housing for young people in Cornwall, owning 50 of the 170 units available.

The organisation works tirelessly to create a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment where young people can find stability and rebuild their lives.

YMCA Cornwall is currently running a fundraising campaign to raise £250,000 to create four new self-contained flats within their main building in Penzance.

These flats will be converted from underused office space and a dance studio, ensuring that the building is utilised as effectively as possible while maintaining liveability and comfort for residents.

So far, they have raised £140,000, including a generous £5,000 donation from The Charles Reynolds Foundation.

Commitment to Young People

During a recent visit, Helen from YMCA Cornwall gave us a tour of the facilities. We saw firsthand how the team are innovatively refurbishing existing spaces to expand their capacity. Their dedication to helping as many young people as possible was clear throughout the visit.

The centre is open 7 days a week, run by a passionate team committed to YMCA’s mission of transforming lives. Residents and staff alike described the environment as positive, engaging, and supportive.

This project demonstrates YMCA Cornwall’s commitment to ensuring that no young person in Cornwall has to face homelessness alone.

By investing in the expansion of their supported housing, YMCA Cornwall is directly addressing the urgent housing crisis facing vulnerable young people in the county.

“It was fantastic to see the essential frontline work YMCA Cornwall does in Penzance and how cleverly they have made use of their versatile building. We met social workers as well as residents, who all seemed engaged and upbeat about working and living there.” – Wouter Klinkenberg, Grants Officer, Cornwall Community Foundation

About the Funder

The Charles Reynolds FundA sum of money made available for grant making, often with specific criteria/conditions. supports projectsA piece of work that delivers an output. focused on the relief of generational poverty and of those in need by reason of youth, age, ill health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage in Cornwall.

If you’re a community group looking for funding, take a look at our available grants.

If you’re interested in donating to help community groups such as this, take a look at our ways to donate.