Over 500 people enjoyed the YMCA open day at St John's House on Saturday (5th March), including our local MP.
Three hours of live music demonstrated the magnificent acoustics of the beautiful 18th Century Assembly Room, which was then turned into a catwalk for a fashion show organised by third year students from the Winchester School of Art. Many of the fashion show models are regular visitors to the re:fresh youth café which the YMCA have created in the 14th Century Undercroft on the ground floor.
Staff in the new re:fresh café kept visitors supplied with drinks, lunch and snacks. re:fresh is the exclusive territory of the city’s young people in the afternoon and evening but is open to the public from 10am – 2.30pm Monday to Saturday. All profits from the café and from the hire of the Assembly Room are ploughed back into the YMCA’s work with young people throughout the city.
Up to 9th March the youth café has had nearly 4,000 visits from young people since it opened less than 4 months ago.
Steve Brine, who joined on the visit by his new son William, said; “I was hugely impressed with the facility, the setting and above all the team who are so obviously focused on making this a huge success. I remember visiting the empty shell at St John’s House when the YMCA first took on the building and they have done the old place proud.”
The open day gave visitors a fresh insight into both what the YMCA does and how they can benefit from re:fresh and the other St John’s House facilities. They have already hosted weddings, charity balls and concerts in the Assembly Room, most recently a Pink Floyd tribute band.
To date the YMCA has raised just over £110,000 from donations and grants towards the target of £150,000 to cover the cost of refurbishing the historic Undercroft and turning it into a state of the art youth venue.
Pictured; Steve Brine MP with young people at the re:fresh cafe in central Winchester.
More information ... About the youth café, St John’s House and the YMCA in Winchester, contact the YMCA offices on 01962 864234 or see the website at www.ymcawinchester.org.uk See Steve's first visit to St John's House as mentioned above here.
More information ... About the youth café, St John’s House and the YMCA in Winchester, contact the YMCA offices on 01962 864234 or see the website at www.ymcawinchester.org.uk See Steve's first visit to St John's House as mentioned above here.