We’ve hit our £250,000 fundraising goal in record time!

YMCA Cornwall is celebrating an incredible milestone this month after reaching its ambitious £250,000 fundraising target in under nine months!

The Your Help, Their Future campaign launched in June 2025 with a generous £70,000 donation from The Duke of Cornwall’s Charitable Foundation. Since then, the community has rallied behind the project, with support pouring in from local residents, businesses, councils, and several charitable trusts and foundations. Thanks to this extraordinary combined effort, the first of the four new homes has already been completed.

Helen Wilson‑Prowse, Head of Operations at YMCA Cornwall, shared her appreciation:

“We are blown away by the speed and scale of the support we’ve received. On behalf of the whole team at YMCA Cornwall, we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has backed the campaign.

Reaching this £250,000 target and being able to complete one of the four new flats is a testament to how much our community cares about the future of our young people, as well as the dedication of the team here.”

YMCA Cornwall currently supports 50 young people who were homeless or at risk of homelessness. A further 46 young people remain on the waiting list, highlighting the urgent need for safe, stable housing.

A shared effort to build brighter futures

High Sheriff of Cornwall and representative of The Duke of Cornwall’s Charitable Foundation, Geraint Richards, praised the progress:

“I am immensely proud to see the impact of this project taking shape. We were delighted to support YMCA Cornwall with a donation to help launch this campaign, and it is inspiring to see how the contribution, combined with the extraordinary generosity of the community, has brought the first new home to completion so quickly.

These new flats will provide young people with safety, stability, and the opportunity to build a brighter future. I very much look forward to visiting later this month and meeting the dedicated team whose commitment has made this achievement possible.”

Careful planning as work continues

Work on the remaining three flats is continuing, with YMCA Cornwall working closely with suppliers to ensure budgets are used wisely.

Helen added:

“We are making great headway on the other three builds and are currently working with suppliers to secure the best possible value. With construction costs continuing to rise we are being extremely careful and proactive in managing project costs so that every pound raised is used wisely for the benefit of the young people we support.”

For young people like Michael, a current YMCA Cornwall resident, the impact is life‑changing:

“It’s changed my life coming here. I’m moving into my own flat and it’s gorgeous, and I feel so much joy knowing I’m moving to such a nice place.”