The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) has ditched the word “Christian” from its name, saying that the change will reflect better its role in society.
The YWCA, one of the country’s best-known charities, set up in 1855 to help young women going to London for the first time, has renamed itself as ‘Platform 51’ claiming that its original name “no longer stands for who we are or what we do”.
YWCA managers say that the name was chosen to reflect the fact that 51 per cent of people are female and that they can use the charity as a platform “to have their say” and “to move to the next stage of their lives”.
YWCA England and Wales, whose chairman is a homosexual “rights” activist and former equality quango manager, told the charities supporters:
“During the 156 years since we were founded, we’ve had to evolve to reflect changes in society and the needs and expectations of women. This is true not only of the work we do, but also of our name.
“Our original name no longer stood for who we are or what we do and people often confused us with another charity.”
The decision of the organisation appeared to open a rift between them and the worldwide YWCA. Officials at the World YWCA headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, told the media that none of the 124 branches in other countries will follow Platform 51's move.
“The name has been there for more than 150 years and we are not even discussing a change. We see our name as an opportunity for promoting Christian values and principles,” a World YWCA official said.
The YWCA was founded by Emma Robarts, who ran London’s Prayer Union, and Mrs Arthur Kinnaird, who ran a London hostel for nurses on their way to work for Florence Nightingale in the Crimean War. The organisation sought to be a social and spiritual support system for young English women.
In 2008, the US branch of the organisation supported Barack Obama’s Freedom of Choice Act, which made unlimited abortions throughout pregnancy, for any reason, the national law. Dr. Lorraine Cole, the CEO of the YWCA, told the media at the time that her group would be fine with the radical pro-abortion bill becoming law with Obama’s signature.
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