Ricky Murray

Ricky is our Young People’s Service Manager, he is responsible for the services and programme of activities that we provide to young people in Northumberland. He also oversees and maintains our activities monitoring database to ensure we are capturing and measuring the impact we are making to young people’s lives who access our services. Another key part of his role is programme development and working with our CEO and Fundraising Manager to identify opportunities and create new ways of working with young people.

Before joining us at YMCA Northumberland, Ricky was taking a break from the charity sector by working in construction, more specifically he was fitting expansion joints in car parks across the UK. Before that he had worked in numerous youth and social work roles for organisations in the North East of England, which some people might be surprised by. Ricky Joined us as a Senior Youth Worker in May 2024 and has rapidly progressed to the Young People’s Service Manager role from November 2024.

Ricky’s areas of expertise are music, data design and analysis and project management, offering a versatile skill set that bridges creative and analytical domains. The skills Ricky brings with him vary across different areas that would be more frequently seen in the business world, he has a desire to collect and use data to shape the direction of the work we deliver to young people, which had only just started to take shape. Ricky hopes that we will eventually have a greater understanding of the work we do and then we will be able to make more informed decisions. One of Ricky’s biggest accomplishments since starting here at YMCA Northumberland is building a new CRM system which can help with his goal of capturing more data.

In his own time, Ricky is a part time professional musician and he plays with a signed touring band called SLUG. In addition to this, he loves to attend the Stadium of Light to see his beloved Sunderland Football Club play with his daughter. His family also recently rescued an ex-racing greyhound which they love to go on walks with.

Ricky is deeply inspired by the resilience and joy of young people who, despite the immense pressures they face in today’s fast-paced world, find moments to simply have fun and be themselves. Equally, Ricky is inspired by anyone who decides to pick up an instrument and give it a try. That act of courage, curiosity, and creativity speaks volumes about the human spirit and the drive to explore and express oneself through music. Both remind me of the transformative power of passion and perseverance.

My favourite thing about being part of YMCA Northumberland is the opportunity to collaborate within a small, dedicated team that truly values communication and teamwork. It’s incredibly fulfilling to work alongside individuals who are equally passionate about making a positive impact on the lives of young people. Together, we create a supportive environment where our collective efforts lead to meaningful change, empowering youth to navigate challenges and reach their full potential. 

If I had to describe myself in three words, I would say I am funny (although my kids would disagree), passionate and awkward. I like to think that I have a good sense of humour, I like making people laugh whether it is with a joke or a bit of sarcasm and I am passionate about supporting young people and making a real difference in their lives whether that’s by offering guidance, encouragement,  just being a listening ear or making them laugh. I also think I can be a little awkward at times because I can sometimes blurt out random things or do something a bit silly, but I have learnt to embrace it, it keeps life interesting.

Whenever it comes to problem-solving, my approach is methodical. I like to get to the root cause of an issue rather than just addressing the surface symptoms. I take the time to break a problem down into smaller, manageable parts, analysing each aspect to understand what’s really going on.

I think the most important contribution I bring to the team is laughter. I think a bit of humour goes a long way in keeping morale high and creating a positive atmosphere. 

YMCA Northumberland