YMCA LSW News http://www.ymcalsw.org60<![CDATA[ Have You Read FitNews? ]]>

FitNews is a newsletter we make available to members with healthy eating tips, advice on your routine and new classes that we have running.

It also provides information about how your membership at Y+ Fitness helps fund projects in the local community that make a real difference. Projects like the Inclusive Fitness Initiative; like our work with young people or like Life Skills which helps our residents move back into independent living.

You can download the latest edition and all past editions in the Fri, 18 May 2012 22:25:15 GMT<![CDATA[ Why Y+? ]]>Whether exercise is a regular habit or you're just starting out, Y+ Fitness at YMCA Surbiton, YMCA Wimbledon and YMCA Hawker Centre has a lot to offer. And we saved the best until last:

1.  We’re good value. An individual membership is £40 per month (£32 specialist*) and includes unlimited use of the gym and all classes. Buy an annual membership and get two free months.

2.  You don’t actually have to join. If you want complete flexibility, you can use the gym or take classes as a ‘Pay As You Go’ member.



Diego, our Zumba teacher at YMCA Hawker Centre, recently finished runner-up in Latino Life UK, Zumba teacher of the year awards. We met up with him to find out what being nominated meant to him, how he got started teaching Zumba and why he loves it so much:

Great To Get RecognitionI got a text in November saying that I had been nominated for teacher of the year. I thought it was a joke! It was 5am and I was half asleep. I checked the website and it was all genuine. I was nominated by one of the members of one of my classes, along with about 30 other teachers across London.

The award ceremony was in central London, in Soho where the top place and runner up got awards. I knew I’d finished second as it was opening voting so all throughout the process I could keep ... ]]>Thu, 17 May 2012 15:30:26 GMT<![CDATA[ Discount voucher ]]>
To celebrate the launch of the Canteen website we are offering 15% off your food bill with this voucher.Enjoy a hot  lunch, a healthy salad, a delicious panini or a freshly baked pastry. All with a little bit off.

You can use it at YMCA Surbiton, YMCA Wimbledon and the YMCA Hawker Centre up until 15th June. One voucher per person, per day. If you fill in your details, we'll let you know about future offers and promotions.


    

]]>Thu, 17 May 2012 21:52:47 GMT<![CDATA[ Physical Activity & Obesity ]]>

A New Strategy
NHS Kingston and the Royal Borough of Kingston are working jointly to develop a new Obesity & Physical Activity Strategy for Kingston. They have launched a survey aimed at finding out what is going well and which areas need improving.  The information gathered will be used to shape the new strategy and affect the way these services are supported and delivered in our Borough.

Can you spare 10 minutes to complete the survey and add your opinion to the mix?

Please click here to complete thesurvey before 25th May 2012






]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 06:05:16 GMT<![CDATA[ Be Active Challenge ]]>The next challenge we have for our gym members is ‘Be Active’; designed to get you working your whole body by taking advantage of everything Y+ Fitness has to offer.

The challenge requires you to take part in five different types of exercise class (the price of which are included in all Y+ Fitness memberships) and complete five different gym based exercises.

Challenge CardWhen you sign up, you’ll be given a Be Active Challenge Card, which you’ll need to get signed by a class instructor after every class and by a gym instructor after every exercise. When you’re done, hand the card back to reception and you’ll be put in a raffle along with all the other people who finished the challenge at your Y+ Fitness centre.

From each centre, the first person drawn will win a Heart Rate Monitor donated by Precor. The second will win a <... ]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 14:28:48 GMT<![CDATA[ Need Help With Funding Bids? ]]>External funding is vital to so many of the projects we run. Grants and trusts subsidise Sports Room, resident drama workshops and ballet classes for young women that encourage a more active lifestyle.

As you can imagine, our Fundraising Grants Officer submits a lot of funding applications and has picked up a lot of tips and techniques along the way. We would now like to pass on this knowledge to other organisations via a practical and affordable workshop.

When putting a bid together, you need a well structured and focused plan. You also need to be adaptable. There are a lot of funding sources out there but you need to be ready and prepared to adapt your programme in order to be eligible and for your application to stand out. 
<... ]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 11:51:16 GMT<![CDATA[ What We Got Up To This Easter ]]>

After two weeks of bike riding, swimming, bowling and trips to the park, it’s time for the children from Space@Basement to head back to school. Despite the odd and unpredictable weather, we still made the most of the outdoors toasting marshmallows in the forest and splashing around at Hampton Pool.

We can’t wait to do it all again in June! Click here for more details and on the picture below to see more photos from the Easter Camp on our Facebook page:

Pro-Active South London’s Active Celebration programme, YMCA Wimbledon are running 8-week courses in ladies ballet and boccia this summer; with boccia being free and ballet just £1 a session.

Under the Love2 and Able2 projects, Pro-Active South London aim to get more adults participating in sport and physical activity, improving their health and well-being. 

Love2 Ladies BalletDesigned for beginners, this course will incorporate classical ballet techniques to develop posture, flexibility and muscle tone.

The 8-week course, for ladies over 16, runs every Wednesday from 2nd May to 27th June, 12pm to 1pm. The course costs just £8, £1 per sessio... ]]>Thu, 17 May 2012 15:15:16 GMT<![CDATA[ Old School Gig ]]>


You Tube Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy4gYiSnEVs



A big thank you to George for putting together this fantastic video of footage from the recent Music Room Old School gig.

Three Times the Charm kick off with a cracking version of Sweet Child of Mine, followed by White Tiger, Tearaway (with a bit of classic Nirvana), I Was a Hurricane and the Baby Faced Assassins. Stay to the end for the 'secret video'.

This month sees the sad departure of Dan Hoyes from Music Room. Dan has developed and nurtured the project from the beginning and has mentored dozens of young musicians, song writers and techni... ]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 01:16:34 GMT<![CDATA[ A Visit From The Easter Bunny ]]>The YMCA Hawker Centre played host to a very special guest over the Easter holiday. The Easter Bunny arrived with a big basket of eggs, which were quickly snaffled up by excited children attending the Space Holiday Camp.

The fluffy big bunny wasn’t the only wildlife the children had seen that week as they had just returned from a trip to Drusilla’s Zoo famous for its ring-tailed, red bellied and black lemurs.

YMCA Space run camps for ages 4 to 13 in venues across Kingston and Wimbledon during every school holiday. Details of the next camp may be found here.

]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 06:05:19 GMT<![CDATA[ Weight2Go ]]>
At the end of April, the Weight2Go programme is back at YMCA Wimbledon. The free ten week programme will help you lose weight and make healthier lifestyle choices. We run the course twice a week, on a Monday evening or Tuesday morning, so that it easily fits into your schedule.

What Does The Course Cover?Weigh2Go is run by members of the Y+ Fitness team at YMCA Wimbledon who have been trained by the local NHS to deliver the course. It covers topics such as eating habits, understanding food labels, changing your eating behaviour and looks at changing and improving your physical activity levels.

When Does It Start?Our Monday evening sessions start on 23rd Ap... ]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 19:10:59 GMT<![CDATA[ Try Y+ Fitness For Free ]]>
On Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th February, you can try our Y+ Fitness facilities for free*. Come and find out what equipment we have in the gym or have a go at a class you may not have considered before. It's a great chance for you to see what we offer with no obligation and no commitment.

After your work out, if you think that Y+ Fitness is the right gym for you, you can take out an annual or monthly membership that weekend and not pay the joining fee (usually £25).

No need to book. Just come along to find out if Y+ Fitness is your gym.

ClassesAt our Open Weekend, you can try out the following... ]]>Tue, 15 May 2012 00:27:58 GMT<![CDATA[ Sleep Easy Registration ]]>   ]]>Thu, 10 May 2012 12:12:36 GMT<![CDATA[ Joanne Budd: Why I'm Taking Part In Sleep Easy ]]>
One of the many people already signed up to take part in Sleep Easy this year is Joanne Budd; one of our residents at YMCA Surbiton. Having spent the best part of 6 years homeless, Joanne is keen to raise awareness of the issue that she feels is worse than people realise and believes events like this can help do just that.

This is Joanne’s story:

My BackgroundI was in a violent relationship for three years. The police were called on many occasions but I would never do a written statement and because I wouldn’t, the police and the council couldn’t help me. In the end I decided enough was enou... ]]>Tue, 08 May 2012 00:24:02 GMT<![CDATA[ Free WiFi ]]>

It's great to be able to check your email while you’re out and about or catch up with the news over lunch. It's even better when you can do it for free!

If you pop into YMCA Surbiton or YMCA Wimbledon you can use our WiFi for 30 minutes, free with every purchase over £1.50 from Canteen. And one hour if you spend over £1.50. Just ask for a ticket at the till.

Outside of Canteen opening hours, Y+ Fitness members can use the WiFi for 2 hours. Ask at Main Reception for a ticket.

We haven’t forgotten YMCA Hawker! WiFi will be available in the very near future.

]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 10:27:57 GMT<![CDATA[ More than a coffee ]]>

YMCA London South West is blessed with dozens of volunteers who give their time and expertise to help us with our work. Volunteers help in many areas of the YMCA including the Chaplaincy teams. The Chaplaincy service is for everyone, whether you use the YMCA or not, are of any faith or none at all.

Call into Canteen and you will recognise Chaplaincy volunteers in their distinctive t-shirts. They are there if you want to talk to someone about any issue (spiritual or otherwise), need advice or simply want to have a social chat over a coffee. It’s free, it’s completely confidential and if they can help or point you in the right direction, they will. Sue, who has been volunteering with the YMCA Chaplaincy Team for two years, said:

“People do really appreciate the gre... ]]>Sun, 13 May 2012 19:23:42 GMT<![CDATA[ Sleep Easy 2012 - A Great Success ]]>

It’s a strange feeling waking up from a light sleep, in multiple layers, a thick sleeping bag and a cardboard box. It’s a strange feeling being that exposed to the cold 5am morning air and sun. But it’s a nice, comforting feeling knowing that a warm bed is waiting for you.  Sadly, some can’t share that comfort.

On Saturday 28th January, over 140 people across Kingston and Wimbledon all ‘slept rough so others don’t have to’ as part of Sleep Easy. They donned their woolly hats and gloves to raise money for our work with homeless people in the local community and the work of Kingston Chu... ]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 16:45:41 GMT<![CDATA[ Kingston Business Awards ]]>

We’re immensely proud to say that at this year’s Kingston Business Awards, we won the 'Best Training & Development' category and were 'Highly Commended' in the 'Kingston's Favourite Business' category.

Gloria Ssali, our Learning and Development Manager, and Debbie Camp, Director of Corporate Services, attended the ceremony to collect our award (pictured above).

Gloria said “We put a lot of work and resources into providing our staff and volunteers with the opportunities to develop their skills through learning and development. We have a high number completing NVQ’s, First Aid Certificates, Health and Safety; plus a wide range o... ]]>Wed, 09 May 2012 19:39:57 GMT<![CDATA[ Residents Story: Roller Coaster Slowing Down ]]>
People come to live at the YMCA for many reasons. Here, Julian tells us his story. How he came to the YMCA after he lost his home and business following a family tragedy. He talks about his experience of the YMCA, his plans for the future and explains how his roller coaster life is starting to slow down.

If you would like to support the work of YMCA LSW, you can make a donation, take part in one of our events or become an Associate Member.


]]>Fri, 11 May 2012 01:14:52 GMT<![CDATA[ Battle of the Bands 2011 ]]>
Music Room’s Battle of the Bands 2011 certainly lived up to its name, with URAH.State narrowly pipping the rest to be crowned winners.  The three lads, who bought along a massive following, won a day’s recording in the Music Room Studio. Chris Born & The Highwaymen finished second and were awarded a £50 music voucher for Broadway Music (the event sponsors), while the interestingly attired Tearaway finished third.

The event was held at YMCA John Innes Youth Centre in front of a near capacity crowd of 150 young people. Each got to vote for their favourite performance, the result of which carried 50% of the weighting, while the other 50% was determined by the ... ]]>Fri, 11 May 2012 11:07:10 GMT<![CDATA[ Space Residential Camp 2011 ]]>As we set off down the M4 to our destination (Newgale YMCA) it was a beautiful morning in London with sunshine and blue skies.

As soon as we paid our £11 to cross the Severn bridge into Wales, guess what, the heavens opened! Packed tightly (and safely) into our mini bus were ten young people from the Royal Borough of Kingston (some accompanied by suitcases big enough to sustain a life abroad for six months) and three YMCA staff.

As the week unfolded, we got to know each other. We laughed a lot, argued a bit, some talked non-stop and some were quiet. We slept little, squeezed into wetsuits and we had some fantastic outdoor experiences. We threw ourselves from rocks into the sea, we kayaked around some of the beautiful coastline eating seaweed as a snack along the way.

We encouraged those that were fearful and cheered on those who were fearless. We jumped through the crashing waves, we wore dirty clothes (... ]]>Thu, 10 May 2012 21:11:49 GMT<![CDATA[ Mix It Up ]]>So, it's Autumn. The children are back at school, the holiday suitcases are packed away in the loft and there's a general feeling of getting back down to business.

Forget the New Year, now is the perfect time to make some fitness resolutions and really stick to them. It’s easier to stay motivated at this time of year too. The weather's better, the evenings are not so dark and with Christmas on the horizon, starting a fitness programme or refreshing your existing routine will deliver results by party time.

You can read more about why the tail end of the year is better than January for making changes here.

The key to success in sticking to an exercise programme at any time of year is to keep it interesting. Mix it up a little. If you usually stick to the gym, try a class. If you already take ... ]]>Thu, 17 May 2012 12:05:22 GMT<![CDATA[ Room Update ]]>This term is an exciting one for Room with new opportunities around the corner and new people joining the youth work team.

We are thrilled to welcome three students to our team who will working with our youth workers and volunteers to run projects from the Basement and YMCA John Innes youth venues. With events such as Battle of the Bands and projects like Engage back up and running, this term promises to be jam packed with opportunities for young people.

Room website coming soon, but in the meantime Music Room has its own website. For general youth work enquiries, please email Head of Youth Work Universities often have excellent health and fitness facilities, but many students prefer the convenience of a gym located near to where they live rather than where they study.

Taking on a gym membership may seem like a luxury, especially on a student budget but Y+ Fitness has an affordable solution.

Special student membership is available for only £199 per year, which works out at less than £4 a week. Or students can pay for a term (4 months) for only £85. This is a significant saving and includes the Y+ Get Started programme (normally £25). Student membership includes unlimited use of the gym and classes. With each YMCA Centre offering over 50 classes a week including Yoga, Pilates, Kh... ]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 21:27:22 GMT<![CDATA[ Junior Leaders Is Back ]]>It’s the summer holidays! Six weeks of no school, daytime T.V. and hanging out with friends. Bliss. As well as the fun side, those six weeks can be a great time to do something constructive, something that will be of benefit in the long run, when they’ve finished school or college or uni and the summer months are spent at work, looking forward to that week away in Spain.

Our Junior Leaders, who are aged 13 to 15, are doing just that this summer by working at one of our children’s summer camps. On the free two week programme, they’ll be working with children aged 4 to 11 and be able to develop their leadership skills and gain experience of working with younger children. They’ll also receive training on many aspects of playwork including; child protection, safe play practice, health & safety, working as a team and programme planning. It’s ideal for anyone who is thinking about a career or future paid work... ]]>Thu, 10 May 2012 00:17:02 GMT<![CDATA[ Chris Hollins Talks The Cha Cha Cha ]]>Sports personality and Strictly Come Dancing winner Chris Hollins visited YMCA Hawker Centre this week to shoot scenes in the steam room for his new BBC1 show The Great British Weather.

The show will explore our obsession with the British weather, give answers to why on earth it’s raining so much as well as take us on a storm chasing adventure in Milton Keynes. The Hawker steam room played a vital role in illustrating how warm air holds moisture.

While at the YMCA Hawker Centre, we asked Chris a few questions about gyms, dancing and fitness classes:

What’s your relationship with the gym like?

Whenever I come to the gym I always think back to my Strictly Come Dancing days because I spent five hours a day in the gym’s dance studio practicing and practicing. When I see the weights I don’t think of pumping iron, I think of the Cha Cha Cha. I hate going to the gym and find it ... ]]>Thu, 17 May 2012 10:53:09 GMT