We recently celebrated the grand finale of our year-long Heritage Project with a wonderful afternoon of reminiscing, reflection, and celebration. The event marked the successful completion of the initiative and officially launched a wealth of new resources created to preserve our 170-year history.

The celebration saw former and current staff, volunteers, and members from across our organisation’s lifetime gather to reflect on the project’s achievements. Over the past year, our team has successfully preserved hundreds of historic documents, photos, trophies, and artefacts, alongside recording dozens of oral histories.

Guests at the event were the first to view the new permanent heritage exhibit and archive now housed here at Londonderry YMCA, as well as the digital highlights and new podcast series now available on our website.

The celebration marked the culmination of a year of hard work and dedication. Thanks to the care and diligence of everyone involved, our rich legacy has been successfully preserved for generations to come.

Special Guests and Tributes

We were absolutely honoured to welcome several distinguished guests to help us mark this milestone.

We were privileged to welcome Mr. Mukesh Sharma, Trustee and Deputy Chair of The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Chair of the Northern Ireland Committee, who kindly shared a few words with our attendees. We extend our sincere thanks to Mukesh for his kind and encouraging support. We were also delighted to welcome Lara and Ellen, two of Northern Ireland’s future heritage leaders, who joined us for the day.

Special thanks are also extended to Deputy Mayor Niree McMorris for attending and celebrating this important community milestone with us.

A Community Effort: Acknowledgements and Thanks

This project was made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with thanks to National Lottery players.

An initiative of this scale requires immense collaboration, and we want to express our deepest gratitude to:

• Our Heritage Committee: For your vital guidance, care, and invaluable support throughout the entirety of this journey.

• Our Attendees: To everyone who joined the celebration, thank you for making it such a memorable afternoon. We hope you enjoyed looking back through our shared history as much as we did!

• Our Business Partners: Sincere thanks to the local businesses and specialists whose expertise and professional support made this project a reality.

How to Access the Heritage Resources

While our full archive and exhibit are permanent, in-person fixtures here at the Londonderry YMCA centre, you can explore featured highlights and our brand-new podcast series online right now.

• Explore Online: Visit our dedicated Heritage Page

• Plan an In-Person Visit: To arrange a time to view the full physical archive and exhibit in person, please get in touch with our office:

  • Email: heritage.lderry@ymca-ireland.net

  • Phone: 02871301662