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YMCA Christchurch Brings Back the Spirit of the Past
MEDIA RELEASE
April 23rd 2012
YMCA Christchurch Brings Back the Spirit of the Past with Hot Cocoa
This ANZAC Day the dawn ceremony to be held in Cranmer Square will be sweetened by YMCA volunteers giving out free hot chocolate to anyone who needs something warm to cradle while paying their respects and remembering our soldiers lost in battle.
This is in particular deference to the YMCA involvement in all the Great Wars – YMCA volunteers providing a range of unpaid support and welfare services alongside the Red Cross. Rather than medical assistance, YMCA volunteers aimed to strengthen the spirits of the frontline armed forces through provision of hot cocoa to the men in the trenches, counseling, rest and recreation activities, entertainment, family support and, of course, giving away copies of the Bible… to name a few of their Christian endeavours.
The YMCA of Christchurch this year marks its 150th anniversary of providing a very wide range of programmes and services within Christchurch. Getting back to basic service to the community in all its simplicity by providing some warm comfort on a cold dark morning as we remember the sacrifices made by so many before us, was something that YMCA staff thought epitomized the spirit and heart of the organisation. “It is a great honour to be part of the YMCA on occasions like ANZAC Day, knowing that our organisation holds such mana, such history with our veterans.” Said CEO Josie Ogden Schroeder.
During World War 1, in charge of the New Zealand forces in France was one Major Jim Hay, who was also a YMCA representative and who later became Mayor of Christchurch. At a meeting in late 1917 which was convened to discuss how to address low morale in the NZ and British divisions at the time, Hay was part of some practical solutions of the YMCA - aimed at “improving local conditions and seeing to the welfare of the men, and also telling the men what they were fighting for.” i
i Johnson, S & J; Working with the YMCA Team in World War 1 The New Zealand Genealogist, Vol 39, no 313 pp 313-318 September/October 2008
Today the YMCA enjoys the wisdom and patronage of a number of veterans who use the City Y Health & Fitness facilities on a regular basis.
As part
of our 150th anniversary activities, the YMCA is collecting
memoirs from the public for publication and an exhibition of
Y history planned for the end of the year. Work to collate,
store and appropriately document a large amount of archive
material is underway in collaboration with Canterbury
University.
ends
YMCA
Building strong kids, strong families and strong communities
The Y has been in New Zealand for over 168 years, building strong kids, strong families and strong communities. There are 48 Y centres across New Zealand.
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