YWAM first came to the Midlands in 1981 when God called a small team to reach the large urban centers of the region. Two bases were bought, the King’s Lodge at Nuneaton, and the Manor House outside of Derby.

From the Manor House, the team began working with churches in Nottingham and then started running a nine-month DTS called Operation Year. God then called the team to move into the city of Derby and in 1992, Overdale House was bought from the Council.

The building was in a dilapidated state, boarded up and being used as a drugs den. While the purchase of Overdale House was delayed, there was an arson attack, which burned the roof and interior of the house.

Though the house was badly damaged, God still said, “This is the house for YWAM”. This was a blessing in disguise, as it considerably reduced the cost of the property and provided insurance money to redesign the building, thus increasing accommodation and adding the large “Upper Room” meeting area. Much of this restoration work was done by the founders of YWAM Derby, Ian and Dorothy White.

Since then, over 300 trainees and missionaries have been involved with training and outreach at YWAM Derby.  s around the city, we have had overseas As well as many project outreaches in Brazil, Argentina, China, Thailand, Ukraine and the Netherlands, and missionaries from YWAM Derby have moved on to virtually every continent.