YMCA's red triangle stands for the mental, physical and spiritual aspects so important to the healthy development of every young person we serve. As such the health and well-being of our young users is a core element of our programmes. Across the YMCA in Scotland you will find a wide variety of programmes responding to the health needs of children, young people and families. These include:
Drugs & Alcohol
A part of everyday life for many of our young people in Scotland all YMCAs will address this issue.
Many YMCAs will deliver education programmes building on the excellent relationships with the young people and considering effects and consequences. In Fife for example YMCA delivers drug and alcohol education to all primary schools across the region.
For many of our young people however education is not appropriate as they use alcohol and drugs on a regular basis. For this reason many YMCAs provide a range of projects engaging young people re drugs and alcohol misuse.
In 2009 these included over 21,000 streetwork sessions where YMCA workers meet with young people where they congregate on the street corners and in public parks.
YMCA staff and volunteers engaged in these programmes aim to support young people's clear understanding of the effects and costs of the misuse of drugs and alcohol and to support those suffering from these effects to deal with the consequences in the best possible way.
We all see the statistics about alcohol and Scotland; YMCA works really hard every day of the year to ensure that these statistics are not visited upon another generation of young Scots.
Health & Fitness
YMCA is well known around the world for its fitness programmes. In Scotland many YMCAs will provide gym facilities and sports facilities for hire.
More important to our mission, YMCA provides a range of programmes aimed at improving young people's health and fitness. In 2009 Bellshill YMCA won a national youth work award for its health and well being programme.
These programmes engage vulnerable young people in health and fitness activities that can include:
Smoking Cessation
Physical Fitness
Diet and Nutrition
Sports activities
Health and fitness for young people can be fun. Recent YMCA programmes have provided coaching in Parkour, the sport of running through built up areas, over walls and obstacles.