SWANSEA's YMCA has officially launched a multi- million pound refurbishment of its city centre venue.

The £1.4 million project, which has been four years in the making, was officially opened by Welsh Government Minister for Housing, Regeneration and Heritage Huw Lewis.

The YMCA is preparing to celebrate 100 years at its building on St Helen's Road and now boasts a childcare centre, gym, nutritional training centre, cafe and theatre.

The YMCA directly employed five people in 2007 with an annual turnover of £150,000.

It now has a staff of 38 with a turnover of £1.5 million.

A total of 1,500 people come through its doors and according to chief executive Anne-Marie Rogan its core aim is to help people improve their quality of life.

Ms Rogan said: "It is about youth development, social responsibility and health and well being.

"That means employment support and training, youth work and health and fitness.

"For us creative industries are a huge hook." The chief executive joined ten of her counterparts from across Wales in September this year and travelled to America to see how the YMCA successfully completes its mission.

The group visited YMCA in a region of downtown Chicago which had seen 38 young people shot in a single day.

Ms Rogan said: "We learned leadership and how strong leadership works. A total of 80 per cent of Afro-Carribean young men they were working with in that part of Chicago had no male role models in their lives.

"That whole cycle had to be broken down and that was done by creating positive male role models."

Funding for its revamp included £385,000 from the Big Lottery Fund, £275,000 from the Welsh Government Strategic Regeneration Area Fund, £300,000 from the Government's Communities, Facilities and Activities Programme, £34,000 from Swansea Council's building enhancement programme as well as a substantial bank loan from Lloyds TSB and money from its own reserves.

rupert.hall@swwmedia.co.uk