YMCA ‘Wales’ And The Green, Green Pastures

Anyone who hasn’t read the previous post should do so before reading this. Pay particular attention to the comments, for therein lies great wisdom.

In that previous post on the planning application from YMCA Wales for new housing in Penrhyndeudraeth, I asked, “By what route did land in Gwynedd become the property of an organisation based in Swansea? But even if the YMCA owns the property, since when has this organisation been involved in property development?” I asked these questions because, even at first glance, the YMCA seemed an unlikely property developer.

Subsequent enquiries, and information received in the form of comments, now persuade me that my initial surprise at the YMCA going into competition with Wimpey and Redrow was justified. For it now looks as if the YMCA is acting as a cat’s-paw for another organisation that, for reasons I hope to explain, would prefer not to show its hand. So how best to draw the threads together, for this is pretty complicated?

In my previous post I noted that even though the organisation is called ‘YMCA Wales’ the only YMCA association or branch affiliated in the north is a tin shack in Trawsfynydd; otherwise there’s nothing further Flint YMCAnorth than Rhayader. Though out of a total of nine full-time YMCA Wales employees mentioned in the 2011/12 Report  two are based in “Flintshire”. Which I suppose raises the question, why is YMCA Wales paying for staff at unaffiliated associations? When I Googled ‘Flint YMCA’ this is what came up. Which now raises the obvious question, what is Green Pastures?

The answer can be found at the Green Pastures website. Green Pastures describes itself as a “Christian Social Enterprise” providing accommodation for the homeless. For the purposes of what might be afoot in Church homelessPenrhyndeudraeth, perhaps the important thing to know about Green Pastures is that it operates through franchisees, or ‘partners’. This panel from the website (click to enlarge) might give an idea of how this franchise system operates. The full page, and the video, can be found here.

Before leaving the Green Pastures website, I was struck by the distribution of the ‘partners’. Looking at the map (click to enlarge) we can see that GP is a largely northern English organisation, but with only one ‘partner’ further north than Harrogate. Then there is a cluster around London, plus a few outposts, one in Bridgend, the Well Christian Centre, another “Elim Pentecostal Church”. Surprisingly, there are four more ‘partners’ in the north east: the New Life Church in Green Pastures partners mapHolywell (which describes itself as “a church and a charity); EBVenture in Mold (no website); the Riverdee (sic) Church in Holywell; and the YMCA in Flint (again, no website). This cluster on the border explains why Green Pastures, despite being a very northern English outfit, and catering for the homeless, can manage without a presence on Merseyside other than Southport, nearer to Blackpool Tower than Liverpool Pierhead.

Some of you may now be thinking, ‘This is all very interesting, Jac, but pray tell – what has it to do with Penrhyndeudraeth!’ I’m coming to that, but first, let’s recap. There is a clear link, via Flint, between YMCA Wales and Green Pastures, yet another group in the homelessness racket. I say ‘racket’ because you mustn’t run away with the idea that the members of these sects are giving the homeless the clothes off their backs, or taking them in under their own roofs. No, it’s a business; a very lucrative business and someone else invariably picks up the tab. In Wales, the Welsh Government, your local authority, various other agencies. So let’s return to Penrhyndeudraeth. (I remember, vaguely, spending a wonderful and very drunken night there with the late, great Barrie Edwards of Harlech, complete with harp and penny whistle.)

Well, thing is, there just happens to be a church in Penrhyndeudraeth called Capel Fron. Once a Welsh Calvinistic Methodist chapel, now commandeered by happy clappies. In fact, Capel Fron is very typical of the kind of church that becomes a ‘partner’ to Green Pastures. Last November a new Pastor took over, by the name of Pete Campbell. He was ordained by Pastor Pete Day of Southport, which by an amazing coincidence is also Pete Cunninghamhome to Pastor Pete Cunningham, “co-founder of Green Pastures”, mentioned in this recent Southport Visiter report. Though the path has not always been smooth, as the same organ reports here.

What, I suppose, completed the circle, was learning that Pete Campbell, the new pastor in Penrhyn’, has Swansea connections. ” . . . Pete Campbell . . . was a worker at Townhill Baptist Church, Swansea. Both he and his wife Rachel have been ‘Relay’ workers with UCCF in the Swansea area.” (UCCF is the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship.) So we can assume that young Pete went to university in Swansea then, like too many others, stayed on for a while, making a nuisance of himself. (On the plus side, he didn’t become a Labour councillor.) I would wager my collection of Buddy Holly records that during his time in Swansea Predikant Piet had dealings with YMCA Wales.

So this is how I think it stacks up. YMCA Wales has applied to erect housing in Penrhyndeudraeth. (But remember, you don’t need to own the land in question to put in a planning application.) It may be being done this way so as not to draw attention to Capel Fron and Green Pastures. For given the link of Pastor Pete of Capel Fron with Swansea (and, almost certainly, YMCA Wales), and then the link between YMCA Wales and Green Pastures, a hardened old cynic like me is bound to assume that Green Pastures is the driving force with YMCA Wales merely fronting the project. If so, then these properties for which planning permission has been applied, and / or others planned for the same site, might be catering for the local homeless. And if there’s a shortage of local homeless, then prayers will be answered and homeless people will turn up from foreign lands, speaking in strange tongues.

I may be wrong on some details. And it could be just an incredible series of coincidences. But I think the time has come for some honesty from YMCA Wales, Capel Fron, and Green Pastures. It is also time for local politicians and media to start asking what exactly is going on. One thing I’m sure of: it is not a straightforward case of YMCA Wales applying to build private housing on land it owns in Penrhyndeudraeth.

CONCLUSION: As I’ve been saying for years . . . Wales has a Third Sector completely out of control and excessively large because the funding available has attracted grant-grabbers and shysters from over the border, who have often had to import the problems to justify the grants! An insane system only possible because of the weakness and connivance of successive ‘Welsh’ Governments.

There are rural areas of Wales – even urban areas such as Carmarthen – now experiencing an invasion of unwelcome Christian sects. In some cases congregations are moving en masse. These sects have primitive and reactionary attitudes to many issues, from evolution to homosexuality. They believe in the ‘laying on of hands’, the ‘casting out of demons’, and similar practices the rest of us believed were left behind in medieval times.

They often to try to hide their true nature by doing ‘good works’ which, when examined more closely, are invariably paid for out of public funds, and always serve as a front for proselytising. For the ‘good works’ they specialise in serve up a regular supply of weak and vulnerable people, desperate for support and open to suggestion. We should not be welcoming these sects into Wales. No local authority, and certainly not the ‘Welsh Government, should be funding or in any other way helping these groups. Nor should our elected bodies have anything to do with organisations, such as YMCA Wales, that work with these sects.

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Brychan

There’s a bible bashing squad in Newport (Gwent) who have just teamed up with Green Pastures and they’ve just acquired a six bed house for imported ‘problems’.

https://twitter.com/GraceSpaces/status/1143814364992069633

The main activity of Amazing Grace is to provide ‘homeless pods’ which assist people who come to Wales claiming to be homeless and then qualify under ‘local connection’ as applicants for social housing. They operate in Newport and Wrexham. They have applied for Welsh Government grant and work with the Wallich. These pods can be erected in on ‘spare’ industrial land without planning permission.

Paul Davies

Mo Sykes & Bargoed YMCA:

Mo Sykes is a trustee at Bargoed YMCA. In her capacity of Bargoed YMCA trustee (and as CEO of YMCA Wales), she disbanded Bargoed YMCA’s Management Committee on 6/9/12 following the wishes of Manager Joanne Price, in order to remove dedicated Vice Chair Wendy Davies (21-years at the Association) and Paul Davies BA (son, 14-years at the Associations); these were replaced by Graham Davies (no relation) and the ‘Friends of Bargoed YMCA’ a group whose sole objective was the publication of their history book “Bargoed YMCA 75th Anniversary”, August 2013. Said book includes information researched by Wendy Davies over 19-years, which was to be included in her authorised Bargoed YMCA history book. YMCA Wales CEO’s Mo Sykes and National Council Chairman Peter Landers, were aware of this and other breaches of ethics, the Constitution and Complaints Procedure, but ignored the matters.

Following a small claims hearing on 23/10/14, Wendy, Paul and Colin Davies (family) lost the hearing, as our book was “not published”, despite our research being included, without permission, recognition or acknowledgement. Today, Christmas Eve 2014 we received letters from Cardiff County Court, stating that we are to pay Bargoed YMCA, The Friends of Bargoed YMCA and Graham Davies’s legal costs, the sum of £9,800. Owen & O’Sullivan Solicitors, Ystrad Mynach are demanding this sum by 31/12/14, or they will “commence enforcement proceedings” against our home, in Gilfach Bargoed. We have no other assets, funds, or income, as we are either on the dole or long-term sick.

Owen & O’Sullivan Solicitors, Bargoed YMCA (inc. Trustee Mo Sykes) and co, will instigate proceeding to force a sale on our home, that is the sort of vindictive, arrogant and ignorant people they are, whom have no interest in the community, having banned ourselves and our group The Community History Project (assisting with our original history book), without justification, or a right of appeal. Bargoed YMCA, assisted by Mo Sykes, ignored by YMCA Wales (now in administration), Peter Landers Chairman of the National Council of Welsh YMCA’s – whom stated that he would only get involved if invited to attend a meeting by Bargoed YMCA:- have zero interest in resolving these and other issues, internally or externally, despite forming part of their Complaints Procedure, and or are a Governing Body.

Further background information; follow the illegal *under Bargoed YMCA’s Constitution* disbanding of the entire Management Committee on 6/9/12 by disgraced YMCA Wales’s CEO Mo Sykes & Bargoed YMCA’s Manager Joanne Price, the “new business minded management committee” (Joanne Price), met on 25/10/12 in secret and decided to close down our 18-year old children’s club ‘Triangle Club’, and the voluntary run ‘Circles Club’, “immediately”, without discussion, or a right of appeal, with less than a weeks’ notice (letter signed by ex-Chair Bev Horrell & ex-Vice Chair {now Chair} Paul A. Davies {no relation}), dated 9/11/12, received 12/11/12 the clubs were forced to close on 14/12/12 & 19/12/12.

At the ‘Final Farewell’ party for 18-year old Triangle Club (children aged 5-13), then Vice Chair Paul A. Davies threatened to strike a 14-year old volunteer helper; this was reported many times to the Management Committee, President Cllr. Harry Andrews (ex-Caerphilly Council Leader), YMCA Wales, Mo Sykes and Peter Landers. We have never received a response, and Paul A. Davies is now Bargoed YMCA’s Chairman.

The only response from YMCA Wales’s CEO Mo Sykes, was during a telephone call in November 2012 “Bargoed YMCA is responsible for its own businesses.” However, Mo Sykes was at the time a member of Bargoed YMCA’s Management Committee, a Trustee (still is), and YMCA Wales forms part of Bargoed YMCA’s Complaints Procedure.

I do not believe Bargoed YMCA is a Christian organisation.

I hope this post reaches the attention of Mr. Jac o’ the North.

Signed, one of Bargoed YMCA’s victims of abuse, harassment and threats.

Brychan

Note – Since Mo Sykes landed in Bargoed and disbanded the local committee we see that YMCA Bargoed and District Branch has today has been named and shamed for not paying the minimum wage to an employee. In fact they underpaid one worker by £1,372.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-34606587
Christians running slavery.

fignia ap jones

is the church of england still the largest landowner in the uk??…..trendsetters i think!¬

The Red Flag

The Elim Pentecostalists have got themsleves involved in a food bank scheme running in parallel with the ‘official one but not in tandem. In fact they get a bit shirty if you ask if they are working together. ( the official one being the yellow wheelie bins in the local supermarkets, the contents of which are distributed via the communities first set-up) The Elim mob dish theirs out thrice weekly at the hall or lodge or chapel or whatever you call their gaffs – which puts them in direct contact with some of the most vulnerable people. Handy that.

Jac

That’s how they like it – lots and lots of desperate, suggestible people.

daffy2012

Big Gee makes some good points regarding organized religion. However, I recognize little of what he describes in the chapel that I was brought up in and the minsters that we had there.

Seen this Jack? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-23304989#TWEET821789

Jac

As the grandson of a deacon I have to agree. But Big Gee don’t hold back.

The link you provided is to a story I dealt with last year. The land in question was bought by Guernsey-based South Wales Land Investments, fronted by a Langley Davies. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-19480925. Among Langley’s other interests was Nemo Loans. Now the curious thing is that a week last Friday my provider received and passed on to me an e-mail from Nemo Loans, the first of its kind I’d ever received. Here it is. https://jacothenorth.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/Nemo-loans.png

Jac

Here’s the link to my mention of South Wales Land Investments. (Scroll down.) http://bit.ly/15wBkzZ

David Ditchburn

I have just stumbled on your blog and as an ordinary person brought up on a pit village in Cumbria who decided to accept Jesus as Saviour and Lord as a child of ten I have not read such garbage and bile written by what must be very hurt inadequates like your bloggers for ages. I was in a church that Pete Cunningham helped run in the early 1980s and believe me this man has dedicated his whole life in helping the needy.
Still I suppose most people will see what unfair plonkers most of your bloggers are for yourselves.

Big Gee

If you’d read my earlier post daffy2012, you would have noticed that I prefaced what I went on to say with these words:
“Organised religion has ALWAYS been a scam & a racket. With the exception of a few pockets of genuine well-meaning humanitarians who have in the main failed abysmally, I would include the Welsh nonconformist religions in that failed few . . . ”

I too was brought up in a Welsh Calvinistic (non conformist) chapel environment, that’s why I say “With the exception of a few pockets of genuine well-meaning humanitarians . . . ”

There have been exceptions, but I’m talking about “Christendom” GENERALLY.

Big Gee

Organised religion has ALWAYS been a scam & a racket. With the exception of a few pockets of genuine well-meaning humanitarians who have in the main failed abysmally, I would include the Welsh nonconformist religions in that failed few (but only to a point), ALL religions are fundamentally organised to make money by controlling the poverty stricken masses and exploiting them through posing as the saviours of the poor and unrepresented. Organised religion is also a means to gain power & influence. Behind every war there’s a religion at work – not least the biggest wars of all in the 20th century. Wars also provide a fertile source for exploitation and money grabbing through people’s misery.

From the Vatican down to organisations like the YMCA, the top tier cynically and by sinister means use the malleable God-fearing & ignorant masses as tools to line their pockets. From gold lined churches in poverty ridden countries in south America to the biggest land owners in the UK (the Church of England) the process is the same.

As Wales is viewed as a poor (virtual Third World) country with inept politicians and a malleable population, where better to ply your dark arts to exploit?

They should certainly feel at home here, when you stop to think how many “sons of the manse” have landed up in Plaid!

The Red Flag

Even Christ knew organised religion was a scam – hence his total opposition to a professional cleric class. All had to be abandoned though to market it to the Roman Empire.

Jac

That’s what makes me really uncomfortable with these people. They claim to be following the teachings of Jesus and yet, with their love of lucre, they seem to have more in common with those Jesus condemned.

If they were following the teachings of Jesus then they’d be giving the homeless their own possessions; but no, for them ‘helping the homeless’ is just a business that puts them in touch with potential foot soldiers. And they’re clever, using an established and reputable organisation like the YMCA.

It’s bad enough when they’re doing this themselves, but a hell of a lot worse when local authorities start farming work out to them, as now seems to be happening in Flintshire. Also, Carmarthenshire http://ht.ly/1Zexac, though here it’s not Green Pastures, just another happy clappy outfit using public funding for its own ends.

Which then brings us to the use of Welsh public funding to deal with England’s problems. The fact that Green Pastures has four ‘partners’ in Flintshire but none in Liverpool speaks for itself. So why are Flintshire county council and the Welsh Government using money Wales can not spare to fund Green Pastures to spend on problems brought over the border into Wales?

Big Gee

Absolutely spot-on ‘The Red Flag’ – you’ve hit the nail on the head.

I spent a considerable amount of my earlier years studying & exploring this fascinating subject material. My conclusion is that ‘true’ Christianity (the unadulterated basic teachings of Jesus Christ, who, as you quite rightly pointed out, was hotly opposed to organised man-made religion and it’s associated falseness, exploitive practices, hypocrisy & blood lust through wars) got snuffed out by Emperor Constantine at The Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. From that point on the teachings of “Christendom” and not “Christianity” became the driving force of ALL the religions of Christendom who all spew out of the pagan rituals & teachings of the immoral Roman (Catholic) Empire. I have absolutely nothing to do anymore with ANY man-made religion after my peek into this Pandora’s Box.

Religion is a vehicle for exploitation, greed, money-making scams and generally the fleecing of the poor to line the pockets & the empires of the privileged (in the guise of it’s false pious face of respectability and principle designed solely to fool the naive and uneducated – hence the reason they never wanted the printing and reading by the masses of their bible). This incidentally is not the sole domain of Christendom – all other main-stream religious systems do the same to a greater or lesser extent. So called Christians are just exceptionally good at it. It percolates down to the tentacles of organisations like the YMCA and a horde of other similar, religiously aligned organisations. Political systems have been closely associated with this power/ wealth loving structure from time immemorial (“the harlot that commits fornication with the rulers of the earth” as John wrote in the Book of Revelation).

I recommend you read the writings of the late Rev. Alexander Hislop in his book ‘The Two Babylons’ (1916). If you like you can download a copy in PDF format from this link of mine:

http://sccambria.com/essays/The_Two_Babylons-Alexander_Hislop.pdf

Sorry to hijack your thread by bringing in religion Jac. However this is a cross over point between politics, exploitation and the evils of religion as it is perceived by many more enlightened ones. It all belongs in the same cesspit and needs to be exposed.

Jac

That’s telling it, Big Man! Never thought I’d see the Council of Nicea mentioned on my blog.

Jac

There’s a strong advantage for some of the happy clappy churches, with their objectionable views, from being associated with a respected ‘brand’ like the YMCA. Almost everyone thinks well of the YMCA even if they know little about it and have never used its facilities. While for a body like the YMCA, seen as belonging to a different era and consequently losing support, a new income stream is to be welcomed.

Red Flag

Elim Pentecostal Church? We’ve got one of them in Holyhead. Co-incidentally it became very very pro-active since the YMCA charity shop opened round the corner.