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.
Who we are
Our mission is simple: help young people belong, contribute, and thrive.
Across our campuses in Milton Keynes and Northamptonshire, we provide the safety, support, and opportunities that help young people move forward with confidence and independence.
We’re an independent charity connected to YMCA England & Wales.
What we do
Helping young people reach their full potential sits at the heart of everything we do. We provide:
- Safe, supported housing
- Life skills and personal development
- Education, training and employment support
- Wellbeing and resilience programmes
- A positive community where young people can grow and connect
In numbers
- We deliver over 3% of all YMCA housing in England and Wales.
- Our Milton Keynes Campus has supported over 11,000 young people since 1981 and houses up to 233 residents.
- Our Northamptonshire Campus offers tailored support for care-experienced 18–21-year-olds, housing up to 13 residents at a time.
- Our Your Next Move properties help support up to 49 young people across 38 properties, provide the stability they need to build independence.
- Our social enterprises – HomeGround Café and Conferencing – help fund safe homes and support for young people with every coffee bought and room hired.
- As part of the wider YMCA movement, we are connected to work in 700+ communities, supporting more than 570,000 people each year.
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Our vision is that every young person has the means and confidence to belong, contribute and thrive. Our mission is to provide young people in South Midlands with a safe place to call home, people they can trust and support to fulfil their potential.
YMCA South Midlands Leadership
Nicola Walker
Director of Resident Services
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Nicola Walker
Director of Resident Services
Nicola has worked at YMCA since 2019. During this time she has seen it develop into a strong organisation that she is immensely proud to be part of. She is passionate about providing a top quality service to the young people we serve and feels honoured to be part of a team where staff across the organisation are committed to their part in supporting our residents.
The variety of roles she has undertaken at YMCA has given her a broad understanding of the organisation and particularly our accommodation-based services.
Mandy Hamerla
Director of People & Culture
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Mandy Hamerla
Director of People & Culture
Mandy brings extensive experience in HR, organisational development and employment law. She has worked across a range of sectors supporting organisations to build high-performing teams, develop strong leaders and implement fair, effective people practices.
She has a Masters in HR Management and is FCIPD Qualified. She’s also a certified Gallup Strengths Coach and is passionate about helping people to reach their full potential.
Simon Green
CEO YMCA South Midlands
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Simon Green
CEO YMCA South Midlands
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!
Dr Anthony Holden
Trustee
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Dr Anthony Holden
Trustee
Tony is by profession a physicist and has an extensive background in youth work with 32 years as leader in the Scout Association including serving as District Commissioner in South Northamptonshire.
Fun fact – Tony plays trumpet and occasionally plays in the Parish Church with his wife Jacinta who is a concert pianist and organist.
Robert Higginbottom
Trustee
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Robert Higginbottom
Trustee
Robert has held senior management positions within the YMCA Federation, and other Federated Supported Housing Charities specialising in Supported Housing Management, Facilities Management and Charity Governance.
Fun fact – Robert has a keen interest in UK Heritage and Conservation.
Steve Brown
Trustee
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Steve Brown
Trustee
Steve has dedicated his career to working with some of the most vulnerable and challenging children and young people in the UK fo almost 20 years. Starting his career in a young offender’s prison and moving on to work in children’s homes into roles including Registered Manager, Responsible Individual and Director. Steve is passionate about providing the highest quality of care for young people and adults and supporting providers to achieve this.
Throughout his career, Steve has been committed to advocating for children and families, continually seeking to improve the quality of care and support. The experience gained over the years has not only enhanced his leadership skills but also deepened his understanding of the challenges faced by children in care. This journey has reinforced his belief in resilience and hope, both for the children served and for the professionals dedicated to their care. Steve has a proven track record of registering and managing ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’ residential children’s homes and maintaining the highest levels of care for children and young people. A strong leader and strategic thinker with the ability to inspire and cultivate productive working relationships with employees and stakeholders. Steve has significant experience in developing and implementing organisational strategies and operational plans to deliver key objectives.
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 South Midlands.
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.
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
Jennifer Smith
Trustee
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Jennifer Smith
Trustee
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 South Midlands 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 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 South Midlands 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 to help change lives.
Support Us
It’s fun to support the YMCA. We are so pleased you would like to get involved.