About Us

Our Foundation is the ‘Paris Basis’ of 1855, a guiding document for YMCAs that sets out the principles of being an inclusive, united Christian community that engages with the needs of young people. This is reinforced today in 2.3.1 (b) of our Articles of Association…namely that we are about ‘enabling people of all ages and in particular young people, to flourish’.

This then flows into a simple Mission, which is to ensure ‘every young person in Essex can belong, contribute and thrive’.

Our Vision is for a society that so fundamentally believes in, invests in, and protects young people that YMCA Essex is no longer needed. As Desmond Tutu said; “There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.” Our Vision therefore reminds us not just to do good work, but to seek to change the underlying reasons why that good work is needed.

Our Methodology – like that of the early YMCA – is centred around being alongside others and offering optimistic, asset-focussed frontline action. Whether working with individuals, groups, or societal structures we look for the potential for growth and development, leaning into the possibilities and countering deficit-based language, ideology and constructs wherever we may find them.

Our Values are many and wonderful, but we keep coming back to these central pillars:

Kindness (love in action), Fairness (equitable treatment for all), Professionalism (determined competence), Perseverance (we never give up), and Joy (delighting in life).

Finally, our Strategy ever evolves and currently pursues three distinct 2030 targets – growing our work, raising awareness of the need, and leaning into being person-centred more – across the county of Essex.