This year, we are asking local businesses and families to join our ‘Alternative Secret Santa’ fundraiser.  Instead of exchanging material gifts, you donate your Secret Santa budget to Southend YMCA and get a thank you certificate in lieu of your gift.  

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Here's how it works:  

• Sign up: Each participant and group agrees to contribute their Secret Santa budget  

• Collective donation: The pooled funds are then collectively donated to Southend YMCA  

• Celebrate: Each ‘group’ will receive thank you certificates for all participants in lieu of their Secret Santa gift.   

The collective donations will be added to our ‘Present for Life’ campaign which makes a significant difference in the lives of those experiencing youth homelessness in Southend-on-Sea.  

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Instead of exchanging material possessions that may lose their novelty over time, you will be choosing to invest in experiences that truly matter – the warmth of a safe shelter, the nourishment of a warm meal, and the hope for a brighter future. 

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The 'Alternative Secret Santa' is part of our large annual Christmas fundraising campaign called 'Present for Life'. Your present is for life. All donations to Southend YMCA go towards strengthening future prospects of the vulnerable young people we support. It's not something that will be opened, used once, and discarded.

 

The support that Southend YMCA gives its young people positively impacts their future selves and arms them with valuable skills needed for a fulfilling life. Whether that's our housing services that support residents to live independently and responsibly or our counselling and mentoring teams who work with young people in the local area to build core skills such as confidence and resilience.