About Us
YMCA believes in fairness and opportunity.
These are essential building blocks for a full and rewarding life: a safe home; acceptance; guidance; friendship; physical and mental health; academic support; employment skills; and access to real opportunities. Many young people have never known these things; other people have lost one or more as they grew up, but we all need them. All of us. At YMCA, we provide these critical foundations for a fresh, strong start for young people and a better quality of life in the community.
YMCA MK is an independent charity and affiliate to YMCA England and Wales. We opened our doors in 1981 and have supported more than 10,000 people aged 18-35 through emergency accommodation and supported housing. We provide supported housing dedicated to young adults in Milton Keynes. In 2020, we moved into our new state-of-the-art campus. It provides a home for up to 242 young adults across three stages of accommodation. Our social enterprises – such as our café, HomeGround – offer work experience, training and employment opportunities for our residents and a revenue stream for us.
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Our vision is that every young person in MK has the means and confidence to belong, contribute and thrive. Our mission is to provide young people in MK with a safe place to call home, people they can trust and support to fulfil their potential.
YMCA MK Leadership
Nicola Walker
Director of Resident Services
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Nicola Walker
Director of Resident Services
Mandy Hamerla
Director of People & Culture
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Mandy Hamerla
Director of People & Culture
Simon Green
CEO YMCA MK and Northamptonshire
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Simon Green
CEO YMCA MK and Northamptonshire
With a background in social housing Simon has been with the organisation since 2009 and enjoys seeing people feel proud working for or living at YMCA MK.
Fun fact – Simon is obsessed with football!
Jennifer Smith
Trustee
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Jennifer Smith
Trustee
James MacMillan
Trustee
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James MacMillan
Trustee
I am a Co-Founder and Non-Executive Director of Ambito Partners, which offers coaching and leadership services to individuals, teams and organisations. I am a qualified executive coach and member of the Association for Coaching. My previous professional experience was 25 years serving in the asset management industry as portfolio manager and analyst where I worked with a diverse range of clients.
I have substantial third sector experience having recently served as Chair, NED and Audit Committee member of Grand Union Housing Group (now Amplius) and spent 10 years on the Board of the Milton Keynes Parks Trust, looking after 5,500 acres of parkland on behalf of our community. Prior to that I worked as COO for a grant-making charitable organisation, which helped to alleviate the impact of HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa.
Liz Stephens
Trustee
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Liz Stephens
Trustee
Liz has worked in Human Resources for over 17 years, with experience spanning a range of sectors and organisations. In recent years, she retrained as a psychotherapist, driven by a deep passion for people and a desire to support others on their personal journeys.
She is excited to bring her combined experience in HR and mental health to her role as a Trustee, and to contribute to the meaningful work of YMCA Milton Keynes.
Diz Minnitt
Trustee
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Diz Minnitt
Trustee
Diz is a Social Worker by profession and recently retired as the Head of Service for Youth Justice in Milton Keynes. He is passionate about ensuring that children have the support and understanding they need to succeed, and he continues to work Nationally and Internationally to change Youth Justice and Education Systems so that they can enable children to achieve their potential.
Fun fact – Diz was the original bass player in the band Marillion
Jill Farnsworth
Trustee
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Jill Farnsworth
Trustee
Jill is a place management professional with experience in the public and private sectors. She is currently Chief Executive of MyMiltonKeynes, the City’s Business Improvement District (BID).
Fun fact – Jill is a massive World’s Strongest Man fan.
Pam Heath
Trustee - Treasurer & Company Secretary
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Pam Heath
Trustee - Treasurer & Company Secretary
Pam Heath is a qualified accountant with a long career working in large, well-known organisations covering finance, commercial and project management roles. For the last fourteen years Pam has been a school governor, with the desire to help support the experiences and outcomes of young people.
Fun Fact: Pam enjoys supporting Northampton Saints and watching most sports, particularly cricket
Jennifer Walker
Chair
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Jennifer Walker
Chair
Jennifer Walker has a background in managing development projects in Southern and Eastern Africa. She has over 20 years of experience in securing funds, developing relationships with stakeholders, philanthropic investment funds, grant making and managing the marketing of organisations.
Fun fact – Jenny loves nature and listening to country music (she’s a big Dolly Parton fan)!
Deborah Stuart
Trustee - Responsible for Complaints
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Deborah Stuart
Trustee - Responsible for Complaints
Debbie is a qualified housing professional. Her role as Director of Housing, Health and Wellbeing sees her lead a wide range of customer facing services. She brings to the role of Trustee a range of skills and experience for providing person centred services.
Fun fact – Debbie enjoys cooking and recently attended an Indian cookery course.
Philip Stainsby
Trustee - Health & Safety Lead
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Philip Stainsby
Trustee - Health & Safety Lead
Philip is a Chartered Surveyor specialising in the management of commercial property.
Fun fact – He is a lover of endurance sports and has swum from Europe to Africa.
Jenny Swift
Trustee - Safeguarding Lead
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Jenny Swift
Trustee - Safeguarding Lead
Jenny is a qualified social worker with significant child protection experience and a passion for trauma informed work. She is actively involved in social work education and development as well as working in the family courts specialising in drugs, alcohol, mental health and trauma.
Sophie Neal
Milton Keynes Food and Lifestyle Blogger
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Sophie Neal
Milton Keynes Food and Lifestyle Blogger
I am so proud to be an Ambassador for YMCA MK and use my platforms to raise awareness of the work they do. Young people are the future. If we don’t support the most vulnerable young people, what does the future hold for the City of Milton Keynes?
For me, supporting the YMCA is about protecting the future of our young people and our community.
Ronnie Kimbell
Fundraising Consultant and Mentor
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Ronnie Kimbell
Fundraising Consultant and Mentor
I always come away feeling uplifted from the YMCA. It is a real pleasure to volunteer for them, they are such a dedicated team doing very important work in the community!
Ryan Peters
CEO Brioche Pasquier
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Ryan Peters
CEO Brioche Pasquier
YMCA MK plays a significant role in the local community by providing various programs and services aimed at improving the lives of individuals. Typically focusing on youth development, empowerment and social responsibility, something I feel is important as we shape the future generations.
It is a privilege to be able to give a little back, supporting the amazingly dedicated team at YMCA MK to help change lives.
Get involved
It’s fun to support the YMCA. We are so pleased you would like to get involved.