Mission and ethos

As an independent charity, YMCA South Molton is governed by a Board of skilled and experienced trustees and we are a member of the National Council of YMCAs in England and Wales. Like all local YMCAs, our service provision is tailored to local need and we raise all our funds from a variety of sources as well through rental income of our Community Centre.

As a local YMCA, we fully support the Vision of the YMCA Federation, which is “of an inclusive Christian movement transforming communities so that all young people can belong, contribute and thrive.”

YMCA South Molton is:

• Christian: We are inspired by the example of Jesus Christ, and motivated by our shared experience of God’s love and his transforming work in our own lives.
• Inclusive: We believe that every person is hugely valuable, so ensure our services are welcoming to all wherever possible. We are grateful for the partnership and help of people and organisations who support what we do regardless of whether they share our faith motivation.

Our Vision: is to see communities transformed into places characterised by love, joy, peace and hope where all young people can become everything they were created to be.
Our Mission: is to demonstrate Christ’s love through practical service that empowers young people and their communities to flourish.

The way we act at YMCA South Molton is characterised by five strong and distinctive values:

• We seek out: We actively look for opportunities to make a transformative impact on young lives in the communities where we work, and believe that every person is of equal value.
• We welcome: We offer people the space they need to feel secure, respected, heard and valued and we always protect, trust, hope and persevere.
• We inspire: We strive to inspire each person we meet to nurture their body, mind and spirit and to realise their full potential in all they do.
• We speak out: We stand up for young people, speak out on issues that affect their lives and help them to find confidence in their own voice.
• We serve others: We are committed to the wellbeing of the communities we serve and believe in the positive benefit of participation, locally and in the wider world.

Our Principles

At YMCA South Molton, we seek to model our lives and work on Christ’s life and his words, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and love your neighbour as yourself.” This means the following principles characterise all we do:

• Faith: We believe God deeply cares about us, our work and those we serve, so we trust him and prayerfully seek his help in all we do.
• Courage: We will do all we can in God’s strength, challenging injustice and overcoming obstacles to bring positive change in the communities we serve.
• Excellence: We will seek to provide the best possible service in every aspect of our work.
• Service: We want the way we treat our clients and the way we behave towards each other to be characterised by an attitude of compassion and service.
• Integrity: We are committed to truthfulness, honesty, transparency and accountability in everything we do.