Leicester City Abseil

On Saturday 23rd of June, eight daredevils stepped off the roof of the Ramada Encore Hotel and descended down its seven floors–and all to raise money for the Y!

To contribute to Challenge 135, Emma Knight, Natu Ruparel, Rowan McCarthy, Frankie McCarthy, Mel Francis, Martyn Pole, Kelly McCormack and Lilia Patterson took part in an incredible abseil. The hotel is 35m high and the abseil down it was directly vertical, it must have been terrifying! Well done to these amazing people, I don’t know if I could have done it.

They not only witnessed stunning views, but the running total is £1000, and that’s not even the best part–you still have the option to sponsor them on either Just Giving or Facebook. With an average of over £115 raised each, they have almost reached their target, so keep donating!

Sad that you missed this? Challenge 135 is running throughout the year, so you still have loads of opportunities to raise money. In October, any adrenaline junkies can get involved in a skydive. Alternatively, if you prefer to keep your feet on the ground, you could hold a cake sale or do a sponsored run. Every penny donated will help put a young person on a path away from homelessness, so you really will be making a difference.

Lottery Funding for Leicester’s Heritage

Heritage sites from across Leicestershire will pitch ‘Dragons Den’-style to a panel of young people for funding

The Y are very proud to announce that a project we are leading, called Y Heritage, has been awarded £707,500 through the Heritage Lottery Fund’s pioneering new “Kick the Dust” funding programme. This project is a collaboration between key partners The Y (Leicester YMCA), and members of Leicester’s Cultural Equality Consortium. The money, raised thanks to National Lottery players, will engage young people with heritage in the city and county.

The award will fund a “Dragons Den” style practice where representatives from Leicestershire’s heritage sites and organisations can pitch for funding from a panel of young people who are considered to be disengaged with the heritage sector. This brings the heritage sector and young people together to work on a variety of projects and newly inspired re-presentations of Leicester and Leicestershire’s abundant history and heritage.

Not only has The Y provided a service to the community and supported young people for the past 135 years, it has also seen thousands of professional and amateur performers delighting audiences of Leicester in front of an Edwardian theatre backdrop that has also served as a vital space for wounded soldiers and young men in need of accommodation and medical attention. The Y’s current young residents will be part of The Y Heritage panel.

 

 

Joanna Fleetwood-Smith, Business Development Manager at The Y says “Young people involved in this project will gain skills in decision making, project management and a direct opportunity to engage with Leicester and Leicestershire’s heritage assets. What’s more, heritage organisations will have the chance to build on their skills and confidence in working and engaging with young people. Ultimately, we’re excited to see how enthusing and enabling both parties will bring our city and county heritage to life in new ways and create lasting opportunities for young people to work with and enjoy what the heritage sector has to offer”.

Danny Myers, Chair of Leicester Cultural Equality Consortium says “There are exciting opportunities now for the heritage sector to pitch for funding to re-present their organisation and receive on-going training and support to work with disengaged young people. This project will run for three years but leave a legacy for our heritage and young people.”

The funding has been awarded through ‘Kick the Dust’, a pilot funding programme from the Heritage Lottery Fund aimed at making heritage more inclusive for young people aged 11-25. At its core is a group of young Heritage Ambassadors who are on a mission to ‘stir up heritage’, and who helped advise on how the money should be allocated.

19-year-old Jaimini Solanki, Heritage Ambassador from Leicester, said: “It has been a brilliant experience learning how grants are awarded, and helping HLF to allocate £10m to projects involving more young people in heritage. I’m thrilled that The Y has won funding, as we found its plans to involve young people who wouldn’t usually get involved in heritage especially appealing. Making Leicestershire’s heritage easier to participate in for more people my age is very important to me, and I’m looking forward to seeing what exciting now opportunities the project creates for people my age.”

If you are part of a heritage organisation based in Leicester or Leicestershire and are interested in getting involved in this project we would love to hear from you.  Please contact us at [email protected] and put Y Heritage in the subject line.

 

Fundraising for Challenge 135 made easier thanks to EverythingBranded.co.uk

We are delighted to announce the receipt of a donation from promotional products distributor EverythingBranded.co.uk.

As part of our fundraising efforts in 2018 , the Leicester-based company has donated 250 collection boxes featuring our own logo and message. The boxes will be used to collect donations for our ‘Challenge 135’, a campaign to celebrate 135 years of The Y in Leicester.

Fundraising & Communications Manager at The Y, Emma Knight says “This is exactly what we were looking for and will help us to support individual fundraisers and businesses who take on Challenge 135. Anyone who signs up for the challenge will receive one to collect their donations.”

EverythingBranded.co.uk was founded in 2010 and has experienced exponential growth over its 9 years of trading. With the American arm of the company, EverythingBranded USA launching in 2017 and a new Las Vegas office opening in a matter of weeks, the company growth shows no signs of slowing down.

As a result of this rapid growth, EverythingBranded.co.uk are able to make regular donations to charities up and down the country. Donations of promotional products, to aid these charities in their marketing campaigns, will help these organisations better spread awareness of the work that they do.

Paul Rowlett, CEO and Founder of EverythingBranded.co.uk, “The Y is such a well know charity, doing some amazing work to support the homeless. We’re delighted to be able to donate these promotional products towards their fundraising efforts. The impact that promotional products has on charities, such as this, is immense and we’re more than happy to support.”

If you are interested in promotional products for your charity or organisation, you can see the full range available at www.everythingbranded.co.uk.

If you’d like to fundraise or get involved with our mission to end youth homelessness, please visit: https://www.leicesterymca.co.uk/youth-community/support-us/