By Melina Cannon

REDDITCH and Worcester YMCAs have formed an alliance to increase the number of people who benefit from their services.

Both will continue to operate as separate charities but will work together under the banner of the Worcestershire YMCAs Alliance to take their services to new areas of the county.

The alliance's pilot project was a holiday playscheme and it now aims to work on bigger projects in other areas of the county, the first of which is a training course entitled "You Can Do It" which has already run successfully in Worcester.

The alliance now wants to take the course to areas which have not previously benefited from YMCA services.

Redditch YMCA chief executive Alan Fraser said: "Many people think of the YMCA as a single organisation but actually each local association is an independent charity that affiliates to YMCA England.

"While this means we can focus our work successfully on small, local communities, it can also mean areas without their own YMCA can miss out on our services."

Current services range from a pre-school nursery, after-school clubs and a sports programme in Redditch to a series of training courses in Worcester, as well as the provision of supported accommodation for men and women.

Worcester YMCA director Bernard Kelly said: "Both YMCAs have built up a reputation for delivering high-quality services in our own areas.

"But there are many people across the county who could benefit who are missing out because they don't have a YMCA near them.

"By working together we aim to share our skills with each other and increase the number of people who can access our various services."