At the YMCA we believe all children and young people should have the opportunity to belong, contribute and thrive in the community, which is why we established Y-Hornsey, our youth outreach service. 

Y-Hornsey was formed in 2017 in partnership with Hornsey Parish Church and Holy Innocents Church to tackle the issues affecting young people and to address the gaps created through the closure of the local children’s centres and youth clubs in the Hornsey area. Our services were developed through consultations with local schools, nurseries and families in order to meet the needs of the most vulnerable families in our community. 

These services include:

  • Support sessions in local schools, providing academic, pastoral, social, and behavioural support to children
  • Community-based support to families
  • Friday night youth groups.

The effects of coronavirus have hit the families we work with particularly hard. Without support this situation risks creating a long-lasting impact on children’s potential attainment which is why we have created a new programme of services to help local families recover post-lockdown. 

We are currently in the process of developing:

  • A parenting course for families in greatest need
  • Baby and toddler sessions, designed to model and support positive ways to play with babies and toddlers, as well as to encourage language development and school-readiness
  • A socially distanced study club located on the local estates, where we can provide a quiet, supportive space to do homework and provide targeted help with reading and maths, backed up with individual pastoral care.

Y-Hornsey generally works with children, young people and families referred through schools or local agencies. For more information on our services contact Nina Saint or click here to donate to the YMCA to help us continue to provide support to the North London community.