YMCA National General Secretaries from around the world gathered online on 16 December 2025 for their fifth and final meeting of 2025, marking a year of progress and setting the stage for significant milestones ahead.
Honouring service and leadership
The meeting opened with farewells to two dedicated leaders:
- Robert Feith, YMCA Netherlands
- Alina Pop, YMCA Romania
Both leaders have made significant contributions to their national movements and the global YMCA.
Movement-wide progress
Denise Hatton, CEO of YMCA England & Wales, provided updates on the Movement’s Learning, Innovation & Impact initiatives, highlighting collaborative efforts to strengthen YMCA’s work across communities worldwide.
Building momentum for Toronto 2026
Kerry Reilly from World YMCA and YMCA Scotland shared news about the 21st YMCA World Council, scheduled for Toronto in July 2026. With the Early Bird registration deadline approaching on 19 December, the event has already attracted over 1,000 registrations.
National Secretaries are encouraged to take advantage of the Early Bird pricing before the deadline.
For more information about World Council, visit www.worldcouncil.ymca.int.
Federated leadership
The meeting featured a special address from Angela F Williams, President and CEO of United Way Worldwide, who offered valuable insights on leading complex federated organisations.
“Nothing is as complex as a federated model,” Williams noted, “except perhaps a federated global model! And that’s what you have.”
She emphasised that while good governance provides the foundation for success, the essence of effective leadership lies in articulating and maintaining commitment to a clear vision, specifically highlighting YMCA Vision 2030 as the movement’s “North Star.”