This year, the YWCA of Greater Wellington is celebrating International Year of Youth and making their organisation more accessible for young women to join.

YWCA of Greater Wellington’s Executive Director Makere Derbyshire says, “The YWCA here in Wellington is maybe one of the only organisations that has reduced its membership fee in this day and age, making it more accessible for women to be a part of the YWCA movement locally.”

Previous annual member fees for the YWCA in Wellington was $35 for unwaged and $50 for waged women. Now, students and unwaged women can become members for just $10, and waged women for $25.

Derbyshire encourages more women to get involved in the movement. “If you have had a connection with the YWCA in either Hutt Valley or Wellington Central - come back and join us.” says Derbyshire.
“If you are keen to volunteer we have mentoring opportunities with our Discover™ programme. Even if you have had no background with the Y, but you want to learn about the work we do, become a member to get involved.”

YWCA Membership Officer Claire Medcalf says, “We are keen to involve more young women at the YWCA through member events and courses. This month we are starting up the new Y’s Up series, for any woman to ‘wise-up’ about topics they want to know more about, including car maintenance, writing a will, cycle safely in Wellington and more. Every month until the end of the year, we will be giving women the chance to learn or try something new”.

The YWCA in Wellington has been recognised for over 100 years for tailoring courses for the varying needs of women over the years, including the Savings Club, introduced in 1914 to encourage low-waged young women to save weekly; the Hygiene for Girls lecture series, forerunner to sex education in the 1900s; and the Cosmopolitan Club, in 1945, which provided support and companionship for new immigrant women.

Medcalf explains, “We want to know what women today, especially young women, need us to offer so we can help women with things they really want to know, try or learn about.”

For more information, go to www.wgtnywca.org.nz

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