USA to Europe and Beyond

Since starting with YMCA in my hometown of Houston, Texas, USA, I’ve had a desire to learn more about the movement from a global perspective and see where I might be able to play a role in empowering young people around the world. Thanks to my role at YMCA England and the great people I work with, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend the YMCA Europe General Assembly (GA) in Edinburgh, Scotland; taking the first step toward achieving this goal.

There I interacted with and learned from YMCAs from across the continent. From camping services offered in Germany to the PlusOne mentoring programme run by YMCA Scotland, I’m continuously fascinated by the diversity of our services and the variety of vehicles we’re using to engage young people. I was exceptionally proud to learn of the work YMCA of the USA did with Romania in regards to restoring a presence of YMCA in the country, which happens to be the birthplace of my wife. 

Not enough can be said about the staff and volunteers from YMCA Scotland for arranging activities outside of the General Assembly to bring us all together as a family. The highlight of which was arranging a private performance of the Soul and the Machine, a production following the life of Sir George Williams and the beginning of YMCA, for the delegation at beautiful Palmerston Church (great name!).

A truly humbling experience came on Day 2 when the national secretary of YMCA The Netherlands asked me to lunch to discuss my work in brand relations at Y-USA and YMCA England and Wales. It was a conversation that would continue throughout the GA and expand to include delegates from Sweden, Norway and Germany.

My favourite part of the GA was attending the Youth Empowerment Space (YES) meetings. The young people gathered here showed where the real strength of YMCA lies. Members put forth ideas and debated how young people can play a larger role in future GAs, not only in regards to overall participation, but governance as well.

Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a more rewarding experience. It further ignited by desire to serve the movement globally and I hope to have the opportunity to interact with new friends and colleagues in the future.

Palmer Hestley

YMCA England and Wales
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