YMCA Christchurch

Established 158 years ago the YMCA is New Zealand’s leading non-profit organisation, strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. It now finds itself in a dire situation, never before experienced in its history.

In Christchurch, we offer a wide variety of programmes and services to our diverse communities. This includes a range of social enterprise activities (such as accommodation, early childhood education, health & fitness and education) which provide income to support our charitable causes – specifically developing children and youth and providing free programmes and services to families who have financial vulnerability.

Covid-19 has impacted on all of our income earning social enterprises and as such this is having a direct impact on our ability to deliver on our charitable outputs. Like many businesses we are in survival mode, but unlike many businesses, when we are surviving it means we are not helping our community like we ordinarily would.

Even the smallest of donations goes a long way at the YMCA – and a gift to the YMCA is one which pays it forward again and again by directly impacting on the wellbeing of a child, a young person or a family.

Our current campaign is focused on getting children and young people active, enabling them to connect and socialise with other young people, and to appreciate the amazing country we live in. The best place that this can occur is on a camp.

As it happens our two outdoor camps have suffered hugely through Covid-19 with all school camps and holiday camps cancelled from mid March onwards. We are open for holiday camps again this July, but many families of course struggle to find the money to pay for these. Your donation will help pay for children to have a fun outdoor adventure experience in July or October.

Thank you for your generosity!

Youth Education programmes, for 13-18 year olds who have struggled in mainstream schooling.

Youth Leadership and volunteering programmes.

Thursday Club for disabled adults to socialise and learn.

Life Fit groups for our older adults to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Camps for children to experience and grow through their learning of the great outdoors.

MAPs - for young Mothers and Preschoolers