The YMCA will open a campaign office at the Bessey School next week as it begins the fundraising campaign to construct a Scarborough Family YMCA at the same location.

Scarborough Superintendent Bill Michaud contacted the YMCA about using the school in November. The space will serve as a base of operations as well as an office, meeting area and a gathering point for volunteers.

“This is an exciting step for us,” said Dave Thompson, chief executive officer of the Cumberland County YMCA. “Our momentum in bringing a YMCA to this community continues to grow, drawing more and more volunteers into the mix, developing committees and committee work, and meeting with potential supporters and collaborators, all of which requires space.”

It is expected that YMCA staff and fundraising counsel will work in the office two or three days a week as the capital campaign nears its kick-off.

Locating the office at the future YMCA site also will help build community awareness about the project, said Gary O’Donnell, the volunteer chair of the Scarborough Family YMCA.

“Using the Bessey School site as our headquarters through our capital campaign will let us become part of the fabric of the Scarborough community,” he said. “This is an exciting and visible step in our progress towards bringing a YMCA to Scarborough as a community hub where youth, families and seniors will be welcomed.”