Wednesday February 1st 2023
Article written by Dr Andrew Longmore, Chairman of Penicuik YMCA-YWCA
After over 50 years of dedicated service to the community, it is with great sadness that the Trustees of Penicuik and District YMCA-YWCA have been forced to conclude that they are no longer able to continue to operate from their Queensway centre.
The challenge of maintaining services, as the level of core funding support from Midlothian Council has been systematically eroded, together with the loss of revenue from the Childcare service due to the Pandemic, has proved impossible to overcome.
Since December 2021 when the local authority, the local MSP and the Scottish Government were alerted to our emerging problems, we have continually sought alternative sources of funding and income, including significant loans against the value of the property with only limited success. With losses now unsustainable and reserves exhausted, the decision has, therefore, been taken to put the premises on the market, to repay debts and meet liabilities; and consider whether it is possible to deliver a different service model in other premises in due course.
As already announced, our childcare service will cease to operate on 17th February, although we continue to seek alternative provision for our adversely affected families and service users. With great sorrow, redundancy procedures have been initiated and will take effect for Childcare staff on that date, with our CEO and other staff members on 28th February, at which point most services at Queensway will cease.
Our highly professional, dedicated and loyal staff members have been the backbone of the “Y” for so long, and under CEO Scott MacFarlane, have done everything possible to try to save our services. The Trustees are eternally grateful for all they have done and for their unswerving commitment and support in these challenging times.
We are also grateful for the assistance we have had from Councillor Willie McEwan. His support is greatly appreciated.
We are hopeful that in time the “Y” will reappear in some form with a renewed focus on universal youth work – but that is for another day!
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