A Taster of Toronto

We're 4 days into our YMCA Canada Discovery Visit so far and what I have to say is 'wow'! What I have got from our first stop in Toronto, is an overwhelming sense of what a professional and skilled staff team YMCA Canada and Greater Toronto Area  (GTA) YMCA really have. I've been particularly struck by the similarities between the YMCAs in Canada and England, and the journeys that both organisations have been through, as well as the paths that the Ys in both nations are both currently on. 

The time and effort put into developing great staff and leaders is really inspiring, and my backpack is stretching under the weight of all the materials/literature I shall be taking back to share with my colleagues in England! In regards to leadership development, one thing that really sticks out is GTA's model of Assistant General Managers, who are recruited 3yrs before opening up a new YMCA, and enter into a robust training and induction programme before taking on the General Manager role. We've visited a number of YMCA sites in Toronto and met a variety of staff members in a number of different roles and it's very clear how much their personal development has been invested in, and this is demonstrated in the quality of work being delivered. 

It's encouraging to see that we are on a similar journey to the YMCAs in Canada, and as Canada are slightly further along their journey, I look forward to being in the same place as them in a year or two. The welcome we received from our hosts was absolutely fantastic and it will be a pleasure to reciprocate this when Canadian staff visit England next year.