Covid: How Kirkcaldy YMCA pulled out the stops to provide lifeline in lockdown

They did what was needed to get groups, and individuals, through the most challenging of times.

Only now, more than eight months on, do they reflect on the sheer scale of the work undertaken - and how much it meant to so many people.

The lessons learned from it may also stand them in good stead as new ‘circuit breakers’ - tough new restrictions - loom large just as families were hoping for respite during the October school break.

For Kirkcaldy YMCA, the spring and summer of 2020 will be remembered as the toughest of times - and the exceptional contributions of its network of volunteers and groups.

Individually, and collectively, they were a lifeline to so many people across town throughout the most uncertain of times.

The organisation, based in Hendry Crescent., has just published its COVID report which reflects son the challenges of the last eight months.

It is packed with statistics which underline just how importance the YM was as groups were put on hold, services closed, and life shrunk to little more than four walls for many people.

Along with the rest of the UK, the YM went into lockdown on March 23 and everything stopped overnight.

But, within one week, it was looking at what it COULD do, rather than couldn’t.

It tapped into a network of support - from the third sector to Government - and the knowledge of its own team to begin creating a plan to make a difference.

By the start of April , it had launched online and telephone support services, and started to make precious contact with at risk children, and vulnerable people.

But there was much more to be done as the practicalities of living in lockdown emerged.

The YM report noted: “It quickly became apparent that there were issues around mental health, resilience, social isolation and access to food.

“We were finding that more and more families who were trying to support home learning were struggling to do this lack of IT equipment; no internet at home; the household only having one device - usually a parent’s phone, and issues with knowledge and understanding.

“People with children or dependent adults were finding it difficult to shop or spending much more on food and fuel through having everyone at home.

“This particularly impacted larger households with only one parent/adult at home. Mental health was being affected, from low level esteem, resilience and confidence.

“Anxieties were increasing and people’s abilities to cope decreasing. Knowing what we thought needed done, a number of funding applications were successfully made. “

It started with the essential - food.

Evidence of food poverty has been well documented across parts of Kirkcaldy, so the YM began by delivering:

835 fruit packs fresh fruit bags for families

696 soup packs everything you needed to make a pot of soup

6,534 home made lunches In supporting freedom of choice

And 256 supermarket gift cards were given out to help people minimise waste when they went shopping.

It also delivered 239 food parcels and shopped for 27 people. The message list included things such as 124 nappy packs, and 197 hygiene and cleaning packs.

Concerns over mental health were another key area.

With a support network in place, the YM called, used social media or set up Zoom meetings over 1070 times. Some became regular weekly check-ins to ensure folk were okay.

As we adapted to lockdown restrictions, 610 socially distanced doorstep chats were logged to help people who desperately needed to see another human face.

It also started to undertake group based online activity sessions for mental health, craft,; cooking and music making.

To support them, it provided 709 craft and activity packs, helping both adults and families be involved, keep busy and to create amazing things.

Isolation and anxiety was further reduced by being able to provide 66 devices - tablets; chrome books; phones; dongles and 43 data sims for a five month period to enable people to do three vital things - connect, learn and socialise.

Making connections lay at the heart of so much of the YM’s work.

It included mentoring support - 63 young people and 21 adults received weekly contact and support from staff - and 15 family fun sessions, outdoors in a ‘pre-owned’ marquee which it bought and put up on at its new Gallatown Bowling Club site.

Next to it sat a gazebo used for one to one counselling work for adults.

As spring stretched into summer, 118 children took part in the YM’s Active Kids project - five days per week for five weeks.

It ran at the Argos Centre, Kirkcaldy YMCA and bowling club site - three venues which meant the most vulnerable and at risk children and young people could engage in supported helpful, but fun, learning opportunities and experiences which benefited all in the family home.

Good mental health mixed with physical exercise as the bike hub loaned out 42 bikes, repaired 385 others, and donated w21 to help people get out, get healthy and stay stimulated and busy.

Noted the YM: “In achieving all that we did, we had 47 people volunteer in a range of services and support activities, with an incredible 376 participations by volunteers.

“This supported our food programmes, family fun sessions, mentoring services, the development of our outdoor nature play space and the Gallatown Bike Hub

The commitment and contribution made by our staff and volunteers, without doubt, was exceptional., A busy old time was had challenging Covid!”

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