Southend YMCA's Secret Santa is a Christmas campaign that keeps alive the mystery, suspense, and surprise of holiday gifting for our young service users. If you want to make a difference, be a Secret Santa of our young service users, and choose a special gift for them during this cost-of-living crisis. For this, you will select a task to encourage our young person's life skills development. The reason for this scheme is that Southend YMCA's Christmas campaign is being seen as a way to tackle the present, cost-of-living crisis, to create a festive feeling among our young people and staff members and to encourage our young people to be engaged with others in the country and organization to improve their digital and life skills.

Charity Registration No. 1102837

Your gift is to help young people tackle the cost-of-living crisis and help them develop their life skills. All donations to Southend YMCA will go towards supporting vulnerable young people during this cost-of-living crisis and strengthening future prospects of the vulnerable young people we support.

The support that Southend YMCA gives to its young people positively impacts their futures by arming them with valuable skills needed for a fulfilling life. Whether this is through our housing services that support residents to live independently and responsibly, or our counselling and mentoring teams that work with young people in the local area to build core skills such as confidence and resilience.

We serve the young community without discrimination, we invest in the future of young people, and welcome others to join us to do the same. Examples are:

SUPPORTING VULNERABLE YOUNG PEOPLE LIVING IN NEWLANDS: When young people at risk of homelessness arrive at Southend YMCA, they often arrive with a carrier bag and a few clothes. Therefore, your contribution in the various ways such as:

£30 contributes to the cost of providing information, advice, and counselling sessions. This is vital because the rising cost of living has been associated with a reduction in wellbeing, including increased anxiety and worsening mental health and your donation will help reduce, or overcome this gap.

£15- £25 could contribute to their bed, bedding, and an essential starter kit.

£5 - £15 would help a young resident pay for the ever-increasing energy costs, or, helping our young residents to stay tidy (hot shower), warm and cosy.

SUPPORTING CHILDREN and YOUNG PEOPLES' MENTAL HEALTH: As parents and concerned citizens we know that the cost of living crisis has really impacted the mental health and well-being of children and young people, so:

£20 pays towards the cost of running our weekly youth club where young people can participate in positive activities, which offers an alternative to the streets where they may be at risk.

Any in-kind of donations relating to musical instruments and board games are welcomed.

Thus, please, give a present this Christmas that helps a young person to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.

If you are willing to provide an in-kind donation, we request you to send the donation/s to the address below:

Southend YMCA,

Newlands

85 Ambleside Drive,

Southend On Sea, Essex

SS1 2FY

To find out more about any of our projects and services please visit www.southendymca.org.uk and follow us in our social media platforms to stay engaged with this campaign

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For more information about the campaign or if you'd like to support us in another way, please contact marketing@southendymca.org.uk , our Fundraising & Communications team.

The rules of the Southend YMCA Secret Santa:

1.You can choose a gift (monetary or in-kind) and be a young persons Secret Santa this Christmas.

2. For the young person to receive the gift, a task has to be completed. The task should be one of the task of choices from the provided list. Use the comments section for identifying the task.

3.The young person completes the task to receive the gift.

4. Once the task is completed, the photos will be published on social media platforms in accordance with GDPR rules in order to keep all our donors informed and engaged with SYMCA.

Thank you.

The List of Tasks for Southend YMCA's Secret Santa

1. Attend a New Beginnings training session

2. Attend a support session

3. Take pride in where you live (Look after your surroundings)

4. Attend a housing music session on a Monday

5. Attend a housing cooking session on a Tuesday

6. Complete an Outcome Star to showcase your development

7. Support the Southend YMCA maintenance team to complete a task

8. Do something nice for another resident. Make them smile by doing something good

9. Do something nice for a member of staff. Make them smile by doing something good.

10. Random act of kindness for the community

11. Put up the Christmas Decorations