YMCA Childcare Exning Road in Suffolk, which first opened in September 2018, provides full day care, fee paying and funded sessions for children aged between three months to 12 years.
The donation will be used to purchase new resources to enhance the rooms, as well as a complete revamp of the outdoor garden space.
YMCA Trinity Group is a local charity that helps young people to realise their full potential on their journey to independence.
Jessica Booth, Childcare Manager at YMCA Childcare Exning Road, said: “We are delighted to have received funding from Cala Homes which will help improve our provision, and ensure it provides a safe, secure and happy environment for our young people.
“Due to Covid-19, the importance of outdoor space has never been more apparent in our everyday lives. Thanks to the funds, we can transform our existing garden and make sure the area supports both our staff and children’s mental and physical wellbeing.
“We’d like to say a massive thank you to Cala Homes for their generosity and support, we appreciate it so much.”
We first approached YMCA with the aim of contributing to the local community. After meeting the team, we invited the setting to apply for our Community Bursary scheme – a bursary set up to support local charities and community groups.
We were impressed with YMCA Childcare Exning Road’s ‘family work approach’ – an initiative which sees the setting work with the whole family, not just the child, to ensure it achieves the best possible outcomes for the children in its care.
Duncan Jackson, Managing Director of our North Home Counties team, said: “Working with thousands of young people across Cambridgeshire and Suffolk, it was immediately evident to us the scale and significance of the work YMCA Trinity Group undertakes.
"That's why the Cala team is delighted that the bursary amount will be put to use by its Exning Road team to develop the outside space for its beneficiaries.
“We’re very proud to play our part across the region; whether that's helping groups through bursaries such as this, coming up with new ways of saving energy in our offices, taking part in technology trials on our developments, or feeding into working groups with other Cala regions."
Each year, YMCA Trinity Group supports around 10,000 young and vulnerable people, and communities across Peterborough, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. Its primary aim is to enable every young person to grow and develop, running initiatives that tackle issues such as youth engagement, youth offending, mental health, access to employment, domestic violence, and crisis support.
Other community services provided by YMCA Trinity Group include health, fitness and wellbeing facilities, training and education, childcare, youth work, accommodation, and venue hire.
For more information on YMCA Childcare Exning Road and a full price list, visit: https://ymcatrinitygroup.org.uk/family-support/childcare/exning-road/
