
Seeing people who aren’t as lucky as others is really hard to process sometimes. Working here has really opened my eyes. It is a totally different world from what I knew.
Lindsey has worked for YMCA Doncaster as Executive Assistant since 2012.
She provides administrative support to the Deputy Chief Executive, oversees the recruitment process, and helps organises the annual Sleep Easy event among a range of other day-to-day activities.
Lindsey’s now a dab hand at customer service, but it wasn’t always the case. She explained how she used to be really quiet until she began working on a market stall when she was 14: “it really brought me out of my shell!”
The hands-on nature of her role means Lindsey gets to see first-hand how the residents benefit from the services and small touches YMCA Doncaster offers, and she loves it: “It’s really rewarding seeing the clients receive their Easter eggs or Christmas sacks, especially when that might not be something they’re used to. It’s a year-round job getting Christmas ready for 30 people, but so worth it – it starts from the day after I return from Christmas break to the following December getting everything organised. I also help to serve the Christmas meal every year. It’s such a nice part of my role.”
Overall, working for YMCA Doncaster has opened her eyes to all the need out there: “I was aware that there were homeless people. I knew these problems existed, but I’d never been faced with it before. Seeing people who aren’t as lucky as others is really hard to process sometimes. Working here has really opened my eyes. It is a totally different world from what I knew.”
Born in Pontefract, Lindsey now lives in South Elmsall with her husband and children. “Running after two young girls doesn’t leave you much time to yourself,” she laughed. But she did let on that she and her husband once bungee jumped from a crane (!) just because she “fancied trying it!”.
If you’d like to join us in our efforts to have a positive impact on the vulnerable young people of Doncaster, then take a look at our current vacancies!