CLEVEDON’S YMCA will benefit from the advice and expertise of a new worker thanks to an initiative ran by Vodafone.

Sarah Johnston has begun working at the Marson Road facility after being selected as one of 500 people to take part in the company’s World of Difference programme.

The 40-year-old from Portishead will be providing strategic and management services to help the YMCA team to work as effectively as possible and develop its partnerships with other agencies and charities to provide support for young people in the town.

The Vodafone programme, which aims to give people the chance to work at a charity of their choice, will pay Sarah to be at Clevedon’s YMCA for four months.

She said: “I am excited about the opportunity of using my skills and experience to benefit young people in my local area.

“It is really important all young people have access to support and resources regardless of their financial position and personal circumstances and Clevedon YMCA work hard to make this happen.

“They are very small and very local.

“I think they may lose out on some support because they work in what lots of people think is an affluent area, when there are actually real pockets of deprivation.”

* The YMCA is currently in need of more volunteers to help run its Y Friday sessions which take place from 8-10pm every Friday and are open to youngsters aged 14-17. Anyone who can help should email clevedonymca@gmail.com or call 01275 878405.