We heard about and took in; the Canadian National YMCA approach to brand marketing, toured the GTA's programme and strategy support function(we would usually call it 'head office' or 'support services'), heard about the GTA capital campaign strategy, how GTA's branch model works, the challenges facing GTA's main source of income, namely, health/fitness & aquatics and finished off with a visit to a 40 bedroom emergency accommodation unit that worked with hard to reach and vulnerable young people - all of which is being driven and packaged as 'Centres of Community'.
I mustn't miss out though the great presentation given by Richard Hughes from YMCA England on the success and progress to date around the great Advocacy work that is happening in the UK. I believe everyone was suitably impressed. Well Done Richard!!!
The enormity and sheer scale of things in the Greater Toronto Area is quite unbelievable, but believable it is because Toronto YMCA are doing it and getting on with it! This is an organisation that delivers to 75,000 members per year, has approximately 4.1million visits per year, covers an area of 150km from East to West, has 1000 staff & 2,500 volunteers and all delivered across 8 main locations.
A pretty amazing and staggering day, that should be viewed as aspirational and challenging whatever the size of Y we come from. I am also reminded that we are indeed 'All One' and that we are all are aiming for the same goal, whatever our scale. The aim to create communities that are Healthy, Happy and Connected.
I wonder what tomorrow will bring????.....
Great piece Dean, thank you.
ReplyDeleteDean, you are so right when you note that whatever the scale at which we work, YMCAs want the same things for our communities. I echo your comments about Richard's presentation -- David and I have already discussed how we can implement some of what we've heard.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this.
Mary Anne Roche
YMCA Canada