YMCA Bournemouth has revealed an all-time high demand for its support services in 2022.

More than 2,000 sessions have been delivered for its housing support and counselling services to date.

The charity has been helping tackle various social concerns in the county – from housing and education to health and wellbeing.

They have been made worse by the cost of living crisis.

Among its key services, YMCA Bournemouth has provided temporary housing for 175 individuals.

It has also delivered 1,158 one-to-one support sessions to equip residents with the skills and confidence they need for a positive, independent long-term future.

Gareth Sherwood, CEO at YMCA Bournemouth, said: “The whole team at YMCA Bournemouth has worked incredibly hard this year to support our local community.

“The statistics outlining the aid delivered speak for themselves.

“While demonstrating the significant efforts of our team, these figures also demonstrate the public’s sheer demand for support, which is worrying in itself.

“With the cost of living crisis showing no signs of waning, demand will no doubt continue to rise.

“More work will needed to be done to help those in need.”

YMCA Bournemouth recently launched a new public low-cost counselling service in response to the increased cost of living pressures taking a toll on mental health in the county.

Since September, the charity has delivered a total of 1,003 counselling sessions.

Families continue to be supported through its play and care services.

Its child contact centres, which offer a safe environment where children can spend time with family members who they don’t usually live with, have delivered 1,587 hours of sessions to date.

YMCA Bournemouth has also helped more than 250 adults gain recognised training qualifications through its dedicated training courses.

In addition, its gym and leisure facility, The Junction in Broadstone, secured 3,000 new adult memberships and more than 5,000 spaces booked on its Holiday Club programme in 2022.

Membership and booking fees from The Junction contribute towards YMCA Bournemouth’s wider operations.

They allow the charity to continue supporting the local community with an extensive range of services.

Gareth said: “We want to continue doing everything we can to support our local community and their differing needs through our range of services.

“Our mission to create loving, dynamic, and whole communities has become even more fundamental in these times of hardship.

“We will continue to work collaboratively with other fantastic charities and organisations in our local area to deliver this mission and help overcome these ongoing issues in Dorset.”

• ymcabournemouth.org.uk