Charity Team Welcome Visit from Matthew Stephens to Strengthen Relationships with Rotherham Business Network

YWCA Yorkshire welcomed the President of Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, Matthew Stephens, to Fleming Gardens this month. Chamber members since 2018, YWCA Yorkshire was recently shortlisted for the much-coveted Charity of The Year Award and achieved Highly Commended status at the November 2023 ceremony.   

Matthew met with the specialist charity team working with people who have experienced homelessness, trauma, abuse, poverty and relationship breakdowns. In many cases, despite living in Rotherham their whole life, the people accessing support through Fleming Gardens don’t have the security or comfort of family to fall back on.  YWCA Yorkshire provides housing, support networks, training and access to education. Having a warm and safe place to call home, and compassionate, professional people to provide support through the tough times, can break the cycle and change the trajectory of a person’s life forever. 

Twenty-four percent of homeless families in Rotherham have no family or friends who can accommodate them, and domestic violence, relationship breakdowns and poor subsequent mental health are often cited as key contributors to homelessness. Seventy one percent of young women currently accessing Fleming Gardens report poor mental health, 74% have experienced parental domestic violence and 64% have themselves been victims of domestic abuse.  

 YWCA Yorkshire has developed a holistic programme of support that directly responds to challenges around housing, mental health, domestic violence, sexual assault, relationship breakdown and skills development.  

Following a successful tender process, the charity was recently awarded funding by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council until 2027, with a further option to extend until 2029. Now, with the Local Authority’s commitment secured, the charity team are reaching out to local businesses and community groups through the Chamber to build new partnerships so that they can offer more vital services. You can learn more about YWCA Yorkshire and how you can work with them to help make real change in the communities you live and work here: https://bit.ly/ywcayorkshirecorp2024