Sharing Food, Stories, and Hope at YMCA Cheshire

Our Monthly Community Meal Brings Community Together and Launches Stories of Change Campaign

On Friday 15 May 2026, YMCA Cheshire welcomed members of the local community to another wonderful Community Meal. It is held every third Friday of the month at 189 Gresty Road, Crewe from 12pm to 1:30pm.The event brought together residents, supporters, local leaders, and partners for an afternoon of food, conversation, connection, and hope.

The free monthly Community Meal continues to provide a warm and welcoming space. It is where people from all walks of life can come together, enjoy good food, and strengthen local bonds. This month’s menu featured a delicious Chicken Tikka Masala. It was served with rice and naan, alongside a flavourful vegetarian Veg Balti option. Afterwards, everyone had a serving of cake and pudding to finish.

Stories of Change

This particular Community Meal was especially meaningful, as it also served as a soft launch for YMCA Cheshire’s new Stories of Change campaign. Guests had the opportunity to view a mini exhibition featuring the journeys of former YMCA Cheshire service users. The campaign is set to highlight the powerful stories of resilience, transformation, and hope. The exhibition created moments of reflection and conversation throughout the afternoon. It was an opportunity of showcasing the real-life impact that community support can have.

The event began with a warm welcome from Becky Parke, Deputy CEO of YMCA Cheshire, who thanked everyone for attending. She encouraged guests to take part in YMCA Cheshire’s ongoing consultation for its 2027–2032 Strategy. Attendees were invited to complete a survey to help shape the future direction of the organisation and ensure that community voices remain at the heart of everything it does.

Special Guests and Looking to the Future

As part of the afternoon, Becky also presented a gift to the Mayor of Crewe, Sally Graham, in recognition of her continued and generous support for YMCA Cheshire over the past year. From attending events and supporting fundraising activities to championing community initiatives and encouraging those around her, the Mayor has been a constant supporter of YMCA Cheshire. The Mayor has consistently shown a deep commitment to YMCA Cheshire’s work and the people behind it. Watch her speech here….

Afterwards, guests enjoyed the buffet-style meal, networked, caught up with one another, and explored the Stories of Change exhibition. Connor Naismith MP for Crewe also joined the afternoon, meeting staff, completing the strategy survey, and speaking with attendees.

Alongside the exhibition, some token of hope (e.g. tea bag) was shared for the global 1,000,000 Acts of Hope campaign. The campaign encourages people to reflect on how small acts of kindness and compassion can make a lasting difference within communities. Please take a moment to add your name and message here: A Million Acts of Hope

Most importantly, the afternoon was filled with warmth, laughter, meaningful conversations, and a genuine sense of togetherness.

All things considered, YMCA Cheshire would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who attended, supported, volunteered, and helped make the event possible. We look forward to welcoming the community again at the next Community Meal.

Lastly, if you would like to take part in YMCA Cheshire’s 2027–2032 Strategy consultation and help shape the future of the organisation, you can complete the survey here: https://forms.office.com/e/eDsRj2ySFQ