YMCA

Meet Michael: A YMCA Full Circle Story

Posted on 13 January 2025 by Marc Ford

Watch Michael’s Full Video Above

In 1989, Michael Hallissey found himself in an unexpected and difficult situation. At just 21 years old, having recently arrived in Leicester from Essex, Michael’s life took a sharp turn. He faced a combination of personal setbacks and growing challenges, ultimately leading him to a place of vulnerability—living in a night shelter.

After some time, Michael realised he needed to change his life. He took a leap of faith and turned to the YMCA for support. The transition wasn’t easy; he was young, struggling, and unsure about his future. But the YMCA gave him the stability he desperately needed, offering him a place to live and a sense of belonging that had been missing from his life.
At the YMCA, Michael found more than just shelter; he found a community. He spent six months there, during which he began to rebuild his life. He became involved in activities, helped set up social events like video clubs and football matches, and even became a source of support for others who were struggling. The YMCA gave him the foundation to find his feet, gain independence, and ultimately, to begin to look ahead.

One of the key turning points in Michael’s journey was his involvement in the YMCA’s Euro Cross event. It was an opportunity for him to connect with people from around the world, share experiences, and see the wider world beyond his own struggles. This experience had a lasting impact, shifting his perspective and inspiring him to pursue a future in which he could give back to his community.

As time passed, Michael started to build a career. He worked in various roles, including in bars and nightclubs, but it wasn’t until he found his calling as an Employment Support Specialist with the NHS that he truly discovered his passion for helping others. He worked closely with people facing mental health challenges, offering the same kind of support he had once received at the YMCA.

Michael’s story comes full circle: he now supports individuals who are facing similar difficulties to those he once experienced. Through his role at the NHS, he has been able to create opportunities for people, offering a hand up when they need it most.

Looking back, Michael credits the YMCA with giving him the stability, support, and sense of belonging that allowed him to grow into the person he is today. It’s a story of resilience, transformation, and the power of community—proving that sometimes, a helping hand can change the trajectory of a life.

And as Michael continues to give back, his story remains a powerful reminder of the lasting impact of the YMCA and the importance of providing support to those in need.

Read the FULL Impact Report here: https://bit.ly/417KIQ7

The Oldest Theatre – The Freshest Acts

Posted on 8 January 2025 by Marc Ford

Watch the Full Report above

One of the the things that YMCA Leicestershire are custodians of, apart from young people who have experienced homelessness, is the Leicester’s oldest theatre, The Y Theatre. This was reflected in our ‘Impact Report’ for ’23-’24 and here are some of the highlights…

Hannah Torrance, the Theatre and Arts Manager, reflected on a remarkable year for the Leicester YMCA’s arts program, highlighting their vibrant participation in the Leicester Comedy Festival. “We had some really big names!,” she recalls, emphasising the festival’s success and the venue’s bustling energy. This year, the venue hosted between three to five shows weekly, surging to twenty-six events during the festival’s week and a half. However, the organisation faces a challenge since its primary mission – supporting young people -makes it ineligible for traditional arts funding. As Hannah notes, “We’re entirely reliant on the ticket sales that we get from events and the generosity of the charity,” stressing the importance of community support to sustain Leicester’s oldest theatre as a vital cultural and historical space.

In addition to preserving the theatre, Hannah and her team have focused on youth development, offering young people skills training that can translate into real-world employment. “We’ve started to look at customer service and barista training as part of our front of house team,” she shares, also mentioning an upcoming technical training program. Their recent involvement with ‘In Good Company,’ a Midlands-based arts collective, aims to expand opportunities for local artists and deepen community engagement. Torrance is excited to welcome young people onto the team, providing them with vital skills and experience. For many of these young people, as she explains, “…education… can then become a barrier to those early employment opportunities,” but by supporting them with initial work experience, the YMCA aims to foster future opportunities in the arts and beyond.

Hannah goes on to discuss; “What a brilliantly busy year it’s been! We’ve built on past successes, welcomed larger audiences, and delivered a fantastic programme of comedy, music, drama, and so much more. It’s been an absolute joy to see our stage graced by incredible talents like Suzi Ruffell, Aurie Styla, James Haskell, Bridget Christie, Francis Rossi, Mahalia, Richard Blackwood, Zoe Lyons, Seann Walsh, The Coral, Rosie Jones, Mark Watson, Richard Herring, and Ivo Graham.

With such a packed programme, we’ve expanded our core team, and for the first time since the pandemic, we now have a full complement of staff. This puts us in an exciting position to broaden our theatre’s work across Leicester in new and impactful ways.

Leicester Comedy Festival remains a yearly highlight, and this year was no exception. We hosted our biggest festival programme yet and were absolutely thrilled to retain our title as Best Large Venue at the Leicester Comedy Festival Awards for the third year running—especially knowing it’s voted for by our audiences. What an honour!

A key focus this year has been deepening our engagement with YMCA Leicestershire residents. Our Events Lab workshops have been an incredible way to share the team’s expertise and open up career pathways. These weekly sessions have been wonderfully varied, from barista training and sound and lighting design to theatre programming, lino printing, and audio recording techniques. It’s been inspiring to see the enthusiasm and creativity these workshops have sparked.

In February and March, we were proud to be part of the BBC’s Bring The Drama festival, hosting free interactive workshops that offered a behind-the-scenes look at how we deliver our programme of events. The workshops attracted participants of all ages, some traveling from as far as Birmingham and London to join in the fun.

Reflecting on the year, I feel immense pride in what we’ve achieved as a team and excitement for where we’re heading next. Here’s to another year of creativity, collaboration, and connection!”

Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/IsudY59uWg0

Read the FULL Impact Report here: https://bit.ly/417KIQ7

22,236 PEOPLE ATTENDED A SHOW

215 UNIQUE EVENTS

18 SOLD-OUT SHOWS

Meet Ruby: A YMCA Full Circle Story

Posted on 7 January 20258 January 2025 by Marc Ford

Watch Ruby’s Full Video Above

Ruby’s life took a transformative turn when she found YMCA Leicestershire. Once a resident after becoming homeless, Ruby has come full circle, returning as a Transitions Coach. Her role is to help others who are where she once was, guiding young people through their challenges, providing a listening ear, and offering real hope.

I was working full time, then I was made redundant and being so young, I had nowhere to go. I was a child living in an adult’s world and I didn’t have the greatest of family backgrounds. In all honesty, my story was like an episode of ‘Topboy’. I was on the streets, just out there trying to survive; get a roof over my head and bread and water in my stomach.

And who wanted to employ somebody that was homeless and had no qualifications? Moving into YMCA brought with it consistency and stability and that’s what changed for me. I can categorically say that if it wasn’t for staff there, Paul & KC, I definitely don’t know who or where I would be.

Returning to YMCA Leicestershire as part of the staff team felt natural. Who else can give back? Who else can do it? Unless you’ve been there… You know the dark times, the dark feelings and the dark places. You know what it’s like not to want to wash, not to want to get up. To know that you’ve got somebody on the team that’s been through that – not just read the books, studied it, that’s why I want to be there. I want these young people to see, ‘You know what? There is hope at YMCA and there’s definitely hope after it.’

I’m currently developing a YMCA football team, we run training sessions every week and I also work closely with Leicester City in the Community. I want to give these young people something else to get up for, they need a positive way to let off the steam and built-up frustrations. We did a five-a-side tournament at West Ham Stadium and we’re taking our residents to Seagrave for another tournament shortly. I’ve also just been accepted to take on the London Marathon next year and will be running it in support of YMCA.”

Read the FULL Impact Report here: https://bit.ly/417KIQ7