We’re Proud to Say it’s the YMCA!

It’s Charity of the Year time once again! At Shooting Star we believe in starting the New Year as you mean to go on – by giving back to the local community. Each year we provide free advice and expertise to a charity or not-for-profit organisation who would not otherwise be able to afford ongoing PR and marketing services.

We are happy to announce that 2015 is the year of Lincolnshire YMCA! This year YMCA stands for Yet More Charity Activity!

The charity has been running in the county since 1869 and the good work continues today. Lincolnshire YMCA is involved with a number of projects including outreach programmes, youth work, housing initiatives, the running of a health club and two childcare facilities as well as international charity work in Romania.

Lincolnshire YMCA also works alongside the Nomad Trust to provide the county’s only night shelter for those in need of somewhere to stay. They also hand out free breakfasts and evening meals to Lincoln’s homeless who are going without food.

The charity is one of Lincoln’s biggest providers of supported accommodation, working with vulnerable people (eg elderly or disabled) to support and accommodate their housing needs.

In addition the YMCA hosts a vibrant youth centre at The Showroom, Tritton Road, which is home to Lincolnshire’s biggest rock climbing wall. There you can also find an arcade, air hockey table, table tennis table, pool tables and mini-bowling! The venue is also home to young parents groups and holiday clubs, helping young people in the area.

We’re looking forward to raising the profile of the charity and getting involved in a number of its projects.

We launched our Charity of the Year initiative in 2009 and since then have supported a number of organisations including Strut in the Community (now KIDS Strut), Lincoln Women’s Aid, cancer charity Candles, the Lincolnshire Sports Partnership (now Lincolnshire Sport) and The Ally Cadence Trust for Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

Last year we supported The Ethan Maull ‘Up Yours To Cancer’ Foundation, a charity set up to help raise awareness of osteosarcoma, a rare form of children’s bone cancer, and helped raise over £1,000 through Lincoln 10K sponsorship and our annual charity Chippy Quiz.

If you are involved with a charity or know of a charity which you think would benefit from working with us next year, please email hello@weareshootingstar.co.uk explaining why you think it should be our Charity of the Year for 2016.

JSA