Our members are integral to the decisions we make as a Society. They help shape everything we do: from the products and services we offer to the organisations we support. Every year, our members cast their votes to decide which charity should receive our annual donation. We’re pleased to announce that the High Wycombe–based charity Youth Enquiry Service (YES) was selected as our 2026 winner!
How YES supports young people
Founded in 1982, YES provides invaluable assistance to young people throughout High Wycombe and the surrounding areas. Each year, the charity delivers more than 1,000 hours of confidential, one-to-one counselling sessions to individuals aged between 11 and 35. Their approach is effective and innovative, ensuring support is both free and easily accessible. Their aim to intervene early allows YES to help young people develop coping mechanisms and build resilience.
Commitment to accessible mental health support
The primary aim of YES is to guarantee that young people can access mental health support whenever it is needed, without encountering any barriers. The charity’s work is based on principles that are non-judgemental, supportive, empowering, professional, independent, and inclusive. This ethos has been consistently upheld for over four decades.
They have developed and supported a broad range of programmes, including a lodgings scheme for 16- and 17-year-olds, sexual health services, and the Wycombe Rent Deposit Guarantee Scheme, which helped young people experiencing homelessness access privately rented accommodation. They also run innovative initiatives such as ‘Write On’, one of the first online counselling services in the country, providing anonymous support via email.
Proud to Support YES
On Thursday 23rd April, we welcomed Karen Skipper, CEO of YES, to our AGM in Chalfont St Peter, where she shared more about the charity’s work and the impact it makes locally.
‘The Youth Enquiry Service (Wycombe) is delighted to be voted Charity of the Year by the Buckinghamshire Building Society Members. We have been helping young people in the area since 1982, offering free counselling, mentoring and support, and have seen demand for our services grow over the last few years, as well as the complexity of need increase. Your kind donation will help us meet this additional demand and complexity and we are extremely grateful for both the funding and the validation of our service that this represents. Thank you.' – Karen Skipper, CEO of YES (Wycombe)
For 119 years, we’ve been proud to be a part of our local area, with our members forming the centre of everything we do. It’s a privilege to be able to extend our support to organisations such as YES, who have been an invaluable resource within the community and have made a tangible difference to so many.
If you’d like to learn more about the charity, please click here.
