History of YWCA Yorkshire
YWCA Yorkshire is an independent member of the YWCA of Great Britain which was founded in 1855, and is one of the oldest women's organisations in the world. The YWCA was formed to provide safe hostel accommodation to Florence Nightingales nurses who were travelling from all over the country on their way to the Crimea, and is now a global network of women leading change in over 120 countries worldwide.
Today, we continue in that tradition supporting women, children and families through a range of accommodation, support, empowerment and advocacy services. You can find out more information about how we support young women and families on our Mission page.
The charity operates from four sites in South Yorkshire, employing energetic and dedicated staff members who support young women and their families, and ensure that they get the help they need to live healthy, happy and fulfilled lives. With a focus on female empowerment, YWCA Yorkshire works with partners and the public to create better futures, and believes that together we can really make a difference to peoples' lives.
We'd love for you to get involved either through fundraising or volunteering. A small amount of fundraising can make a very big difference, and we are a local charity, so the money you raise will directly help the people in your area.
Find out more about the services we offer in our accommodation section.
Our projects in Yorkshire
We've been providing services to women, children and families locally since the 1940s. From our first women’s hostel in Sheffield, to now owning 10 properties and managing 44 supported properties throughout South Yorkshire, including in Sheffield, Rotherham, Mexborough and Doncaster. We also have some exciting plans to expand into other cities in the near future.
With your help we can deliver more services to vulnerable women and families in need of support. In Rotherham alone we have supported over 120 young women and families, with hundreds more being supported through our Young Parents Tenancy Support service. The town is also home to one of our main projects, Fleming Gardens, whose purpose built facilities and dispersed properties provide support and accommodation to 20 families at any one time.
Doncaster is home to another one of our highly successful projects. Green Gables in Mexborough offers support to 8 young women with children in purpose built flats and houses and we also support 75 families in their own homes.
In Sheffield we have our first established project in Yorkshire. Peile House offers vital accommodation and support to young women in need of housing related support within Sheffield. We also have our first Charity Shop based in Sheffield; established to give our residents some vital work experience, it has since developed into a focal point for the whole community.
