Who We Are
We pride ourselves on being non-judgemental, a team of people who are there when things are going well, but also when things don’t go to plan. We’re trained professionals, but our work isn’t clinical or about ticking boxes. It’s built on strong relationships, shaped by each person’s needs and how they want to be supported.
Most of the support we deliver comes at moments of crisis, but it doesn’t stop there. The work we do centres on creating safety, building trust and helping people take next steps in ways that feel right for them. From providing safe homes to supporting recovery and access to specialist care, we’re a values-led organisation that’s here to do the right thing for the people we support, not just the processes or systems around them.
Why We Exist
For many people, some services can feel fragmented, impersonal or difficult to navigate, particularly when life already feels unstable or overwhelming.
People often find themselves passed between organisations, expected to retell their story or fit into systems that were not designed around them.
We exist to close those gaps by bringing housing, specialist and psychologically informed care together, so people get support that fits what’s happening in their lives in the moment.Â
Our Mission & Vision
Our Strategy
Like any strong organisation we’re keen to grow and develop, but we always do this in a considered and intentional way. We recognise that we achieve more when we work together and are committed to working openly and collectively with funders, commissioners and partners. Therefore, we focus our time on doing right things, only bidding for services where there is a new commission, a gap in service, or where the current service doesn’t meet people’s needs.
Our Thinking On
Policy and campaigning
If we’re to achieve our vision, part of our role is about questioning systems and approaches that don’t work or meet people’s needs.
Every day we gather more understanding of where services are falling short, where gaps exist and where processes create additional barriers for those already facing difficulty. This detail, alongside evidence and lived experience, informs our conversations with partners, commissioners and other decision-makers.
By making a constructive contribution to local and national discussions around homelessness, health and social care we help to influence better service design, stronger funding and more impactful delivery, driven by real evidence.
Our Story
For more than 180 years, we’ve worked alongside people in Liverpool who’ve been pushed to the margins, changing and growing as needs have changed.
What started in 1846 as a response to poverty, homelessness and hardship has evolved into wide‑ranging, trauma‑informed support for people facing homelessness, mental ill health, addiction and domestic abuse. From wartime crisis response to tackling rough sleeping during the pandemic, we’ve always stepped up when it mattered most.
As our work expanded beyond the traditional YMCA focus, it became clear the name no longer reflected who we are. In 2026, we became independent and took on a new name You Matter because that’s what we believe, and that’s what our work is about.