YMCA rebrands itself as simply 'the Y'

The organisation which was founded 166 years ago in Britain as the Young Man's Christian Association, has decided that it is time for a change and has moved to officially adopt a nickname that has been used for decades. The logo has also been altered to do away with the MCA letters.

"It's a way of being warmer, more genuine, more welcoming, when you call yourself what everyone else calls you," said Kate Coleman, the organisation's senior vice president and chief marketing officer, told the New York Times.

The new name is part of a campaign to publicise the Y's youth programs.

"We're trying to simplify how we tell the story of what we do, and the name represents that," said Neil Nicoll, president and chief executive of the organisation, told the paper. Read more