YMCA Newcastle

YMCA Newcastle is the oldest independent youth charity in Newcastle at over 170 years old. They deliver services in the Byker and Walker areas of Newcastle, amongst the city's most deprived wards which experience high levels of poverty.

They support young people and the community by providing activities that support beneficiaries to overcome the barriers to a healthy, happy and fulfilling life, including employment support, help accessing housing and healthcare services, health and well-being programmes and community activities.

YMCA Newcastle will use social investment over a 3-year period to fund the design and testing of two housing solutions in their “designing where we live” research programme.

The programme will engage beneficiaries in the design and build of two different housing solutions where they will test the concept of using advanced, carbon neutral and sustainable building materials to develop affordable housing facilities for local young people.

This will involve the retrofitting of two properties with two rooms each and then renting them to tenants.

This is a pilot project with the potential to lead to a large-scale programme to build suitable and affordable housing stock owned by Newcastle YMCA for young people as well as create training and employment opportunities.

For more information visit ymcanewcastle.com.