The Y.W.C.A's Work And Need

Northern Advocate, 19 May 1949, Page 4

The Y.W.C.A's Work And Need

An institution which has earned worldwide esteem for Its work in the interests of girls and young women is the Y.W.C.A.

The local directors are negotiating, through national headquarters, with one of these secretaries, who has been working with various associations in Britain during the past few years.

The organisation grew out of a society formed in London In 1855 to open a home for nurses returning from the Crimean War, and for young businesswomen. Today the Y.W.C.A. is international in scope, and, as it has always been, interdenominational in its constitution, which sets out that the purpose of the organisation is "the promotion of the social, physical and spiritual condition of young women.” In times of peace and in times of war the YWCA has played a worthy role in .New Zealand as it has done throughout the world. The New Zealand association la now adding to its many other schemes of helpfulness by sponsoring six displaced unmarked women, and it has accepted responsibility for placing them in suitable positions in the Dominion.

Whangarei people are indebted to a band of ladies who- have made self-sacrificing efforts to keep the Y.W.CJL in operation pending the arrival of a new secretary, and it is to be hoped that the public will show appreciation of these honorary workers’ efforts by making a substantial response to the annual street collection to bo held tomorrow.

The ladies have given valiant service during the. year, and the luncheons provided by them have been much appreciated, as have the various activities maintained for girls and young women who, away from their home towns, have found the YWCA a real boon. The board of directors are anxious to raise funds for repairs to the building, re-furnishing and other things required to enable the organisation to function more effectively when the new secretary arrives. For this reason the street collection deserves whole-hearted support at the hands of the people of town and district.

The Whangarel branch of the Y.W.C.A., like other branches throughout the world, has had to contend in recent years with difficulties owing to shortage of training staff, due largely to many secretaries having gone overseas to obtain experience.