The Growing Impact of Our Community Meals

The Growing Impact of Our Community Meals

We’ve been busy over the past year as our Community Meal initiative as gone from strength to strength. Here is a snapshot of the impact:
– 21 Community Meals Hosted: Consistency is key, and we’ve shown up rain or shine.
– 418 Meals Served: That’s 418 moments of shared conversation and nourishment.
– 72 Volunteer Attendances: With an average of 3 volunteers per meal, our team is the secret ingredient that makes every event possible.

When the meals picked up again around August, we were a small group of about 10 regulars. It felt intimate, but we knew there were more people to reach. Fast forward to March 2026, where we hit a record-breaking 28 guests! Seeing our attendance nearly triple is all down to the welcoming environment our volunteers and guests have built together.

The winter months brought a special kind of magic to the meals. We hosted two incredible Christmas Meals which were made possible by the generosity of Bailey Capital and Assisted Living Project, who not only sponsored the events but joined us to share in the celebrations.

A community is only as strong as the people who show up for it. Recently, we recognised the commitment of two of our most dedicated supporters: Colin and Vanya.

Having been with us for the vast majority of our meals over the past year, they have become the familiar faces our guests look forward to seeing. To celebrate their incredible length of service, we were proud to present them with their official YMCA hoodies.

Get Involved

Whether you’ve been with us since those first meals in August or you’re looking to join us for the first time, there is always a seat at our table.

Want to help out? We are always looking for friendly faces to join our volunteer rotation. Come see why Colin and Vanya love it so much—we might just have a hoodie waiting for you one day, too!

Become a Sponsor

If you or your company would love to become a Community Meal sponsor, please reach out to Jane or Summer via events@ymcanorthtyneside.org, and they’ll happily talk you through sponsorship options.

Our Upcoming Community Meals

From April to September 2026, our Community Meals will run on the first Wednesday of each month, 4pm-5.40pm in Cafe 1879. All are welcome!