Duke of Gloucester Visits YMCA Cornwall in Penzance

A young woman who once needed supported housing in Penzance has just completed the London Marathon for the charity that helped her. On Wednesday she met a member of the Royal Family who came to see the work for himself.

His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester visited YMCA Cornwall’s Penzance site on Wednesday, 13th May 2026 to mark a major milestone in the charity’s fight against youth homelessness across the county.

A Site Tour and a Significant Meeting

The Duke met staff, trustees, supporters and local figures during the visit, including Mrs Harriet Hills, High Sheriff of Cornwall, and the Chairman of Cornwall Council, Councillor Rob Nolan. Representatives from the Duke of Cornwall’s Charitable Foundation, Penzance Town Council and the Civic Office also attended.

He toured the site and stepped inside one of the newly completed self contained flats, where he met Dan, the new YMCA Cornwall Youth Ambassador. He also spoke with a former resident about her time in supported housing and her recent completion of the London Marathon for the YMCA.

The Duke met the maintenance and project team to hear about the work involved in turning existing spaces into high quality accommodation, and the practical challenges of delivering new homes in Cornwall.

The visit ended with the unveiling of a commemorative plaque to mark the opening of the first new flat and to celebrate the success of the charity’s fundraising campaign.

📷HRH Duke of Gloucester visits YMCA Cornwall in Penzance on Wednesday 13 May 2026. Photo by Penzance Council

What the Charity Said

Operations Manager Helen Wilson Prowse said: “We were delighted to welcome The Duke of Gloucester to our site to see first-hand the importance of the work we do to tackle youth homelessness and give young people the opportunity to thrive. Having some of our funders join the visit was important as we could not have achieved what we have without their support. The urgent need for safe, supportive homes for young people in Cornwall is sadly growing, but we have demonstrated what can be achieved when communities come together.”

Penzance Town Mayor, Cllr Stephen Reynolds, added: “Like many coastal towns, we face a chronic housing crisis, especially for our young people. The YMCA plays a vital role in helping address the need in our community not just for a place to live, but also providing essential support to help our more vulnerable young people navigate their way through their early adult years. The YMCA team deserves huge credit for the truly impressive fundraising effort that has made this project a reality.”

📷HRH Duke of Gloucester visits YMCA Cornwall in Penzance on Wednesday 13 May 2026. Photo by Penzance Council

A Growing Waiting List in Penzance

YMCA Cornwall provides supported accommodation for young people aged 16 to 24 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The Penzance site houses around 51 young people at any one time. Demand keeps rising and the waiting list remains consistently high.

The charity launched a fundraising campaign in summer 2025 to create four additional self contained flats by repurposing existing spaces on its site. The appeal passed its target early in 2026.

Four New Flats, Three Still to Come

The first flat is now complete and work is under way on the remaining three, which are due to be finished by the end of the summer.

The campaign was kick started by a £70,000 donation from the Duke of Cornwall’s Charitable Foundation, which helped unlock further funding for the project.

📷HRH Duke of Gloucester visits YMCA Cornwall in Penzance on Wednesday 13 May 2026. Photo by Penzance Council