The Lodge
Across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, too many young people face unstable housing – sofa surfing with friends, unsafe living arrangements, or even nights on the street. For young mums and their babies, that instability can shape a whole lifetime.
The Lodge is an early-years focussed service, providing a safe home and wrap-around personal support for single mothers and pregnant women aged 16–25 and their infants who are at risk of homelessness. Our aim is to offer a stable home and personalised support so every parent has the chance of a fresh start, and every baby can begin life in a nurturing, secure environment.
Why Housing Matters
Knowing my baby was warm and safe meant I could finally breathe and focus on being her mum, not just surviving.
Lodge resident
Our Approach
Living at The Lodge is about more than having a set of keys. Every young mum is part of a small, supported community, with a named support worker and early-years focussed wrap-around care for both her and her baby. Together we work on building confidence, routines and skills so you feel ready for the next step.
Safe Housing
A warm, secure home for you and your baby, with 1-1 support from a named worker, clear house expectations and practical help with benefits, rent and money management, so you can focus on parenting without worrying about where you’ll sleep.
Parenting & Life Skills
Tailored support with the everyday stuff of being a mum: feeding and bedtime routines, bath time, play and bonding, as well as cooking, cleaning, budgeting, form-filling and planning ahead so you feel ready for your own place.
Health & Wellbeing
Support to look after your mental and physical health and your baby’s early development, including space to talk when things feel heavy, links with health visitors and midwives, and information around sleep, stress and relationships.
Community & Connection
Baby groups, relaxed mum meet-ups, group sessions and trips that help you make friends with other parents, share experiences and connect with education, training or work opportunities when you’re ready.
YMCA helped me believe I could be a good mum and showed my baby and me we mattered.
Lodge resident
Find out more...
Accommodation
The Lodge accommodates up to 8 young women and their infants in a hub environment, with a 2-bedroom adjacent flat used as part of preparing families for their move into fully independent living, allowing us to help up to 10 families at any one time. The Lodge itself is in a fantastic location, set in a quiet spot with private gardens, excellent public transport and wider surroundings of family-friendly parks and beach.
To get in touch please call us on 01983 861076.
The programme
All families at The Lodge take part in activities delivered by the YMCA team, community volunteers and other agencies. Young women are supported to identify their individual needs with the ultimate aim being to empower them to live independently and sustainably as a family unit in the community. Activities delivered in the programme cover a wide range of essential life skills, including maintaining a home, parenting, healthy relationships, budgeting, eating well, and general health and wellbeing.
Happy healthy lives
A dedicated early years practitioner and supported access to local nurseries enables the young women to access education, training and employment, or simply essential time to themselves.
Applying for a place
For referrals and or general enquiries please contact the team on 01983 861076. Alternatively please contact Isle of Wight Council Housing Services on 01983 823040.
Getting to us
YMCA Isle of Wight, The Lodge, Sandown Rd, Shanklin PO37 6HU
The nearest bus stop is Winchester House.
We are right by Lake Cliff Gardens — only a 5 minute walk.
The nearest train station is Lake, around a 10 minute walk.
If you need help finding us, call: 01983 862441
Housing Performance Report
Should you wish to find out more about our outcomes and impact, our full Housing Performance Report is available below.
View reportHousing Complaints Performance & Service Improvement Report 2023–24
An overview of our complaints process, response performance and service improvements for the year 2023–24.
View report