YMCA Exeter

28/05/2026

📩 In our May newsletter we share some reflections from Magnus, who used to live at YMCA Exeter, on his recent trip to a land cooperative project thanks to a grant from South West YMCA Trust Fund.

Magnus returns to YMCA Exeter every week as a volunteer to teach green woodwork skills to residents, and the trip gave him the opportunity to spend time developing his crafting skills.

Pictured are some of the amazing crafts they got to create, including shrink pots and rush hand brooms.

You can read more here: https://mailchi.mp/bb8f26597a01/fields-turtles-and-exam-tips

To receive our latest news and stories each month, sign up to our newsletter here: https://www.ymcaexeter.org.uk/newsletter/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=may_newsletter

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27/05/2026

Sam, our Community Projects manager had a fantastic time with Devon Rural Skills Trust at the Devon County Show over the weekend! The team demonstrated pole lathe turning and green wood working.

Sam described the experience as "lovely to chat to some of the previous generation of crafts people and inspire the next!"

26/05/2026

There is still some time to book onto our affordable First Aid at Work training course on the 3rd June 2026! 🩹

Our 1 Day Emergency First Aid at Work course provides essential training for individuals who want to be equipped with the skills and knowledge to respond effectively to workplace emergencies.

Delivered in the heart of Exeter, this course offers a comprehensive introduction to first aid, covering a range of life-saving techniques and emergency procedures.

Upon successful
completion of the training, participants will receive a recognised Qualsafe certification, valid for three years.

Book now ➡️ https://www.ymcaexeter.org.uk/1dayfirstaid/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=first_aid_training_course
📩[email protected]
📞07487 625903

21/05/2026

Last week at the event with Princesshay Exeter our Children's Wellbeing Practitioners set up a variety of activities to get young people talking about mental health 🗣️A few of these activities included:

🌿Plant a positive thought - children and young people could colour in and write on paper leaves/flowers with a coping skill, kind message or something they are proud of. This was then added to our wellbeing tree.

🎯Spin the Wheel - spin the wheel to land on a mental health themed question, which was a great conversation starter.

🪨Pebbles - we provided pebbles decorated with encouraging messages and verses that children could draw on and take home with them.

🫙Lucky Dip - jars filled with relaxation and breathing techniques catered for both children and adults, plus a sweet treat or two to takeaway! 🍫

20/05/2026

Last week, Georgia, one of our Wellbeing Practitioners for Children and Young People got to share her story and the impact of her role at with United Christian Broadcasters ✨

Visit the link below to catch some of her testimony and some good news stories from her time supporting the mental health and wellbeing of young people. She also includes top tips for those going through exam season!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhR7XXFhVmQ

It's Mental Health Awareness month and YMCA Exeter Wellbeing practitioner, Georgia, shares on United Christian Broadcasters (UCB) about her work alongside 5-...

19/05/2026

⚽We are looking for volunteers to help run our 3 day youth Sports Camp this Summer! ⚽

Do you have a passion for sports and young people? Are you looking to volunteer your time and skills for a local charity? We would love to hear from you!

Get in touch with Sue, our Volunteer Officer to find out more - [email protected] 01392 410530

16/05/2026

We are joining A Million Acts of Hope with (13th-20th May) to celebrate the positive, everyday acts of kindness, solidarity and community that happen at YMCA Exeter.

We want to celebrate the staff and volunteers who champion young people and do so much in our local community.

To highlight a selection of services we offer young people in our community, we have:
- Youth Clubs
- Therapeutic Gardening groups
- The Lighthouse Project (employment training and activities for our residents)
- Low-intensity CBT

We can't talk about acts of kindness and seeds of hope without mentioning our brilliant supporters - from those that give one-off donations to those that donate regularly, all of the support we receive makes a massive difference in our work investing in young people! 🤝

14/05/2026

Today our Children’s Wellbeing team took part in the event with 🗣️

We loved meeting those that came along and had some brilliant conversations to get people talking about mental health 🧠

12/05/2026

Mind and mood in the woods 🌳

Our Community Projects team have been busy running forest schools in the local Devon area, teaching young people outdoor skills, cooking on open fires and having good conversations about mental health and school life.

The young people have particularly enjoyed chilling in some new hammocks and munching on bacon sarnies recently 🥪

11/05/2026

Spin the Wheel! Mental Health edition 🧠

Did you know that this week is Mental Health Awareness week? Follow Professor Positive as our staff take on and get talking about Mental Health!

This week, you can also take part in Spin the Wheel by visiting our team in on Thursday, 14th May from 11.00-15.00 as we join

If you know a young person aged 5-18 that is struggling with their mental health, we are currently accepting parent/carer and self referrals for our free low intensity CBT service. You can check out the link in our bio for more information, or contact our CWP team here:

💻www.ymcaexeter.org.uk/services/cwpwellbeing/
📩 [email protected]
📞 01392 410530

ChildMentalHealth YouthMentalHealth

08/05/2026

First Aid at Work training 🩹 3rd June 2026 🩹

Our 1 Day Emergency First Aid at Work course provides essential training for individuals who want to be equipped with the skills and knowledge to respond effectively to workplace emergencies. Delivered in the heart of Exeter, this course offers a comprehensive introduction to first aid, covering a range of life-saving techniques and emergency procedures.

Upon successful completion of the training, participants will receive a recognised Qualsafe certification, valid for three years.
Book now ➡️ https://www.ymcaexeter.org.uk/1dayfirstaid/
📩[email protected]
📞07487 625903