Romfords best kept secret, we really are. Ask most people in the surrounding areas if they know what goes on here and most don’t have a clue. A huge grey uninspiring tower, straddling the boroughs of Havering, and Barking and Dagenham to many its become almost invisible. From time to time, a resident may land themselves in trouble, their address will be published and the publicity that results is instant and less than desirable. Promoting our good work through the media, is not so easy. Sadly, in this society homelessness is not a sexy topic.

Here we accommodate up to 150 people in our hostel from every type of background. probationers, homeless, vulnerable youths and adults, temporary workers, students, as well as troubled youngsters who may no longer have the support of their families.
Every resident here is assigned a support worker, who if necessary will help them, to gain the life skills needed to get them into employment, get them used to independent living, coaching them in social skills, tackling ‘issues’ that they have with society, the importance of respect, and earning it. Issues that most of us deal with on a daily basis and take for granted, for some are far from easy, a typical example of this would be picking up the phone to enquire about benefits. Problems with low self esteem and anger management issues are classic examples of what our support workers face on a daily basis with our residents.

Support is given in a number of ways, courses and workshops as you would expect, but it not just about searching the job ads or writing cv’s, its about helping people to care about themselves, letting them know that people care for them, their opinions and their actions.
Many of our residents regain their confidence and enthusiasm for life by taking part in one of our outdoor pursuit weekends, for others its just about being in a ‘safe’ environment. We truly believe that informal education is the key to the development of young people.

We strive for all residents to be accepting of one another and to celebrate cultural diversity ,and all enjoy themed celebration evenings (our next one is in April with a Nigerian flavour).

Many people in the area do not believe that we have a problem with the homeless, and of course they are right, because Romford YMCA is right here invisible in the background providing a bed and support to those who need it.