Broughty Ferry YMCA is situated in the centre of Broughty Ferry which is about four miles from the centre of Dundee. We were founded in 1866 in premises in Gray Street, moving nine years later to the present site in Brook Street which was formerly a church and then an infant school. In 1893 a gymnasium was gifted by the then President Alexander Jefferson Buist whose portrait has pride of place in our boardroom. The gymnasium is sited at the rear of the main building. In 1963 an extension was added to the premises in memory of Stephen Gillanders who was President from 1952-1962. The building has remained the same throughout the years until the present time. At present we have two part-time staff and a band of dedicated volunteers. We are very much a community building and strive to do our best for our local community. Our building is very dated but what it lacks in luxury is very much made up for by the community spirit to be found inside. We are about to embark on a project that will see the premises rewired and gas central heating installed. We hope that this will be the beginning of 'our dream' to move forward and further refurbishment of the rooms, which will make our Y more attractive for our youngsters in particular. We hope that this will be the starting point to strengthen our association in the years ahead.
Office Hours
Monday & Thursday 9am-12.30pm; Tuesday 9.00am-3.30pm; Wednesday 9.00am-12 noon; Friday 9.00am-2.00pm
Being part of the local community we provide meeting rooms for local clubs and groups. On various Saturday's throughout the year we have local groups and charities holding coffee mornings on the premises. Every Friday from May through until September we provide the venue for Broughty Ferry Council of Churches 'Christian Aid Hunger Lunches'. This is very popular with the members of the various local congregations and provides fellowship as well as raising funds for Christian Aid. At the beginning of July Broughty Ferry Traders Association hold a Gala Week in which we participate and allow the premises to be used for various events. All monies raised go back into the community to various projects or groups.
We have a long standing programme for our Girl's club which meets on a Monday evening. This club is for girls aged 5-14 years. The girls have various singing, dancing and acting roles. They put on a concert twice a year at Christmas and summertime to which their family and friends come along to support them. This helps build confidence and interaction with their peers.
The Thursday club is run for teenagers. The age range is from eleven upwards, the oldest being eighteen. This group prefers to make up their own programme and generally like to chill out adn do their own thing. They like to play darts, snooker, games consoles and take part in informal discussions. The age mix works well and interaction between the group is good.
There are many clubs and activities taking place in our Y. On Monday evening there is a line dancing class. We have an exercise class which takes place three times a week, with a dedicated band of ladies and one gentleman! There is a yoga class held on a Thursday evening (more information on this from www.yoga-dundee.co.uk. Tuesday's are particularly busy with sequence dancing, fishing club and St Andrews First Aid all holding classes. On Wednesday there is a children's tap class followed by an adult class. There is also ballet classes taking place with a further class on a Saturday morning. We have a ladies and gents badminton club held on Tuesday and Saturday respectively. Our resident football club 'Broughty United' use the facilities on a Saturday. Finally our 'Wednesday All Stars' are a group of middle aged male members who come along for a 'kick about' to keep themselves fit!