Our aim is to help young people develop the skills, confidence and independence needed to sustain tenancies, access education and employment opportunities, and contribute positively to their local communities.

Much of this work takes place at George Williams House, our supported accommodation service in central Southampton, where our teams work daily with young people to build the foundations for independent, positive futures.

It is important to be clear from the outset: the majority of anti-social behaviour reported in the area around George Williams House does not involve our residents. It involves individuals who are not connected to our service but who gather nearby. This distinction matters, and we are committed to helping our neighbours, partners and the wider community understand it.

Understanding the Challenge

Like many organisations working in town and city centres, we know that a small number of incidents of anti-social behaviour near our services can raise understandable concerns among our neighbours. We take these concerns seriously, and we want to be open about both the reality of the situation and the action we are taking.

What We Are Already Doing

We have not waited for problems to escalate before acting. Over recent months, we have:

  • Strengthened our behavioural intervention processes, ensuring that where anti-social behaviour is observed involving our own residents, clear and consistent consequences follow.
  • Built closer partnerships with the police, including regular engagement with local neighbourhood policing teams and community safety partners.
  • Convened multi-agency conversations, bringing together local authority community safety teams and other organisations to agree shared commitments and actions.
  • Supported vulnerable young people at risk of exploitation, recognising that some of the individuals drawn into anti-social behaviour near our services are themselves vulnerable and in need of support, not just enforcement.
  • Maintained transparent reporting, ensuring incidents are properly logged with the local authority so that resources and support can be targeted where they are most needed.

Working Alongside Our Local Police

We want to recognise the individual police community support officers and neighbourhood policing contacts we work with, who have consistently shown great integrity and empathy in how they engage with our residents, our staff and the wider community. Their commitment on the ground has made a real difference to the relationships we have built locally.

At the same time, the scale and nature of the anti-social behaviour we are seeing calls for greater resourcing to match it. Tackling unacceptable behaviour effectively — and giving our residents, staff and neighbours the reassurance they deserve — requires a policing presence with the capacity and powers to act, alongside the dedication already shown by the officers we work with.

Why We Need an Engaged Community

Tackling anti-social behaviour effectively is not something any single organisation can do alone. It requires a genuinely collective effort — YMCA, police, the local authority, community safety teams and local residents all playing their part.

That is why we are asking our neighbours and the wider community to work with us. If you witness anti-social or criminal behaviour near our services:

Reporting through these proper channels does more than address individual incidents — it directly shapes how community safety resources are allocated locally. The more accurately behaviour is reported, the better equipped our partners are to respond.

A Shared Commitment

While YMCA continues to strengthen its own support, safeguarding and behaviour management processes, community safety requires a collective effort. We remain committed to working with police, local authorities, community safety teams and local residents to create a safer environment for everyone. Our residents, our staff and our neighbours all deserve to feel safe, and we will continue investing in both preventative support and positive opportunities for young people as part of that commitment.

Supporting Young People to Thrive

We recognise that every young person arrives with a different story and different needs. That is why our approach focuses on understanding the individual, identifying support needs early and working collaboratively to help residents achieve their goals.

Alongside practical support, we are continuing to develop a wider programme of opportunities and learning designed to improve future prospects, strengthen independence and support long-term positive outcomes.

We believe young people deserve the opportunity not only to overcome challenges but to thrive. Achieving that is not something we can do in isolation — it depends on our residents, staff, police, local authority and neighbours continuing to work together. We remain committed to that partnership, and we welcome everyone in our community playing their part in building a safer, more supportive community for all.