YMCA Victoria is building the 200-unit village at Armstrong Creek, 12km south of Geelong CBD and part of a larger retail, educational and sporting development.

Across Australia there are 24 independent YMCA member associations, each with their own volunteer board and local mission. YMCA Geelong explains there is a tsunami of people approaching retirement age and an urgent social need to provide affordable and ‘aspirational’ options.

A major YMCA objective is to ‘bond all tiers of generations within the community’.

Some interesting background on the YMCA. It was established in 1844 in London on the principles of 'muscular Christianity' – the development of a healthy body, mind and spirit. It reached Australia in 1855 and now operates in 125 countries from its base in Switzerland.

In Australia its 24 associations operate 741 locations in the areas of healthy living, empowering young people and social impact. They have 12,000 staff and 4,000 volunteers and each year they record 30M ‘participations’ in their programs and services, including 4.3M swimming lessons and 3M children services across kindergartens, early learning and out of school hours care.

We were pleased to have John Summers, Executive Officer: Disability and Age Services for YMCA Victoria attend our LEADERS SUMMIT last month.