YMCA North Staffordshire

Who we are

Founded in 1851, YMCA North Staffordshire has become a trusted and influential force for young people across Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire. Last year, more than 100,000 local people engaged with our campus, services, and programmes — evidence of the genuine community ownership and confidence that underpin our work.

We support young people through a wide range of services, including:

• Supported accommodation and homelessness prevention
• Youth work, wellbeing, and leadership programmes
• Education, training, and employability pathways
• Community development, social enterprise, and volunteering
• Sports, health, and creative initiatives
• Neighbourhood projects rooted in Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD)

Our mission is clear: We develop young people; they develop their world.

Our Strategic Direction 2026–2029

The next three years will be shaped by our new Business Plan, informed by the voices of over 3,000 young people who took part in the Young People’s Survey 2024. Their ten recommendations sit at the heart of our priorities.

Our Business Plan outlines four principal aims:

1. Raising the voice, influence, and impact of young people Delivering the ten recommendations, strengthening participation, and ensuring young people have genuine influence on decisions locally and nationally.

2. Governance as our bedrock Maintaining the highest standards of governance, compliance, safeguarding, and accountability — including Trusted Charity accreditation and Ofsted readiness.

3. Ensuring excellence in all products and services Using evidence, feedback, and innovation to ensure every service delivers meaningful, measurable impact.

4. “It takes a village to raise a child” Deepening a culture of welcome, inclusion, and care through Ubuntu and asset-based community development, recognising and valuing the strengths within our communities.

This plan reflects our belief that YMCA North Staffordshire is more than a service provider — we are a movement rooted in love, community, and shared responsibility.

Our culture and values

YMCA North Staffordshire is an inclusive Christian movement committed to ensuring that all young people can belong, contribute and thrive. 

Our work is grounded in four core values that shape every decision we make and every relationship we build:

Protect – Hope – Persevere – Trust

These values are not simply statements. They define our culture, guide our leadership, and set our expectations for how we serve young people, families, and communities.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

We are a safe recruitment Organisation and an Equal Opportunities Employer, we run the disability confident guaranteed interview scheme.

We are an organisation with Christian values, committed to Equality and Diversity in the Workplace. YMCA is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and vulnerable adults.