Announcing a new era for our movement

The YMCA is a worldwide movement, and it's very well-known across New Zealand. We have had a positive impact across so many lives throughout our history, and still do today. However, just like any organisation that's been around for a while, and particularly one which has a strong focus on supporting young people, it's really important that we stay relevant to the needs of the communities that we serve. Change is frequent, and it is fast.

Being known as The Young Men's Christian Association didn't reflect the reality of our organisation, which is inclusive and offers programmes and services for everyone. So we've chosen to call ourselves by an already familiar name - The Y.

Watch our story here.

It's a change that's been happening across the world for some years, including the USA, and more recently, in Australia. It's exciting to see it happen across New Zealand too - all of the other associations around Aotearoa are also making this change.

Although we've got a new logo and we'll start looking a bit different, we know how important it is to keep the best parts of our heritage. In researching our story, we've rediscovered some incredible tales - such as the fact that the YMCA first hosted a conference to promote the importance of young people's welfare in 1919. More than 100 years later we're still a leader in youth development, and have added a number of other strings to our bow - outdoor education, water safety, early learning, children's sport and recreation, and fitness for all ages, including specialist programmes for seniors.

This will be a multi-year journey, bringing our staff, customers and members along the journey with us. Our people are our greatest asset, and the reason we're here.

Thank you for being here with us.