YMCA Europe Movement Strengthening Committee meeting

YMCA Europe Movement Strengthening (MS) Committee meeting | 27-30 September 2024, Qawra, Malta

The Movement Strengthening Committee of YMCA Europe, established in 2019, is created to implement YMCA Europe’s strategic priorities connected to capacity building of Movements in Europe. The Committee meets four times a year, including one face-to-face meeting.

The current composition of the Committee is the following: Anthony Camilleri, Gerhard Wiebe, Ian McKenzie, Jillian Law, Marina Martynenko, Paul Smilliie (Chair), Roberto Gerace and Olga Lukina as YMCA Europe’s Executive Secretary for Strategy and Movement Strengthening.

The Agenda of September face-to-face meeting included the following key elements:

• Introductions and expectations
• Recent Movement Strengthening Updates
• Evaluation of the Movement Strengthening work since 2019 generally
• Outlining Strategic priorities for the upcoming years and aligning them to the World YMCA’s movement strengthening strategy
• Reviewing the current Movement Strengthening tools according to the set strategic priorities
• Planning the year 2025 and identifying key performance indicators
• Coordination with World YMCA: SAMS group, updates on joint process of Health Assessment and Minimum Membership Standards
• Coordination with other organisations providing movement strengthening services
• Health Assessment and Organisational Development process
• Roadmap of newly developing initiatives review
• Ecosystem of educational services in YMCA Europe
• Responsibilities of the Movement Strengthening Committee members
• Budget
• Next meetings, etc.

Following recent discussions, the Committee is preparing to release a new draft of the movement strengthening strategy and accompanying toolkit in the near future.

The subject of education requires further attention and engagement with additional stakeholders. By the end of the year, a new concept focusing on an ecosystem for talent development and education is expected to be introduced.

Since 2019 the Movement Strengthening Committee has managed to build a good working infrastructure for achieving the results.

• MS Strategy and Terms of Reference were created
• The Committee regularly meets and functions according to ToR
• MS is in the Strategy of YMCA Europe
• MS in the Implementation Roadmap of Vision 2030
• Health Assessment culture is being developed: from 0 to 27 National Movements involved
• MS Toolkit exists and being updated
• MS Library as a collection of best practices including our own articles and publications (more than 20 of our own articles)
• Manuals created: Organic Governance, Governance Brief, Board Induction Guide
• Continuous structured work of the Committee led by Paul Smillie
• Full time staff position is in place
• Leadership Academy continues its 6th cohort
• Leadership Academy Online platform
• Impact Measurement Tool is created (together with WOSM and Maynooth University)
• Individual Organisational development approach is being shaped: there are pilots, working templates and process
• New organisation – YMCA Cyprus – is being developed
• Roadmap and initial guiding standards for newly developing organisations are created
• Global Minimum Standards, Health Assessment and MS Strategy are drafted together with the Global WAY team
• Property Development Network functioned and conducted three webinars and several individual consultations
• Y Consultants initiative was created and piloted, etc.

Learn more about Movement Strengthening Approach & Tools

 

The Committee members were privileged to pay visits to the shelters of YMCA Malta and learn how the social work is organised in terms of direct and support services. Incredible know-how in the field of work with roofless people, which should be spread out over the whole continent.

Apart from the Movement Strengthening Committee meeting, the team managed to organise other important visits and events.

Paul Smillie and Olga Lukina met Y Friends (Y’s Men) of YMCA Malta providing continuous support to the movement tackling the questions of history, preparation of the upcoming 50 years anniversary and succession planning.

The meeting with the Staff Team of YMCA Malta was organised, including a workshop on Impact Measurement. YMCA Malta’s Board gathering was devoted to analysis of health assessment and identifying key organisational development priorities.

It was a highlight to meet some of the partners of YMCA Malta –  AX Hotels – providing the opportunity for the MS Committee to meet in one of their venues. YMCA Europe and YMCA Malta presented a memory token with a deep gratitude for continuous support of social work across the whole country and building Community Wellbeing in Malta together with civil society organisations.