York Cares welcomes a wave of new members

Employee-volunteering charity York Cares, has welcomed six new businesses into its membership, bolstering the number of people available to support community projects in the city.

The Cabinet Office, Clive Owen LLP, ETAS, Grand Central, REAL Alliance and Trustmarque bring the total number of local businesses that encourage their staff to volunteer their skills and time to address community needs to 34.

York Cares seeks to match the skills and expertise of employers and their employees to  community projects where they can have the most impact. The charity focuses on community, social, environmental and sustainable initiatives that can improve the landscape and the lives of those in and around the city.  

Holly Hennell, York Cares Manager, says: “We are delighted to welcome our new employer members into York Cares and look forward to working with them to make a tangible difference in the city. 2023 has been one of our biggest and busiest years yet and the difference employee-volunteers have made in the community is huge."

Employee-volunteers from York Cares’ membership organisations give more than 5,000 hours of their own time each year to over 50 community organisations and schools in some of York’s most disadvantaged areas. The new members will significantly boost community efforts via employee-volunteers and fundraising, as well as benefitting from workforce development opportunities such as teambuilding, leadership skills, project management and networking.

By working collaboratively, York Cares’ employers make an effective and strategic investment to help those who need it most.  The charity is most well-known for its annual ‘Big Community Challenge’, where employee-volunteers come together to work on a specific larger community need.  Projects have included improvements to community sites such as Viking Road play area, Clarence Gardens, Bachelor Hill, Westfield Marsh, Tang Hall Community Centre, Hull Road Park, Carr Junior, Osbaldwick, Westfield Community and  Woodthorpe Primary Schools, Gale Farm Court Independent Living Community, West Bank Park, Rowntree Park, Foxwood Community Centre and Bell Farm Adventure Playground.

In addition to its environment and sustainability initiatives, York Cares also runs an Aspirations programme which provides employability support to raise aspirations and enable people from all backgrounds and abilities to reach their full potential.

Its Social Connections programme connects older and younger people to bridge the intergenerational divide and reduce loneliness and social isolation.

This week York Cares is hosting its first ever Environment & Sustainability Week where volunteers will be deployed at community venues across the city to transform green spaces.

To find out more about York Cares visit www.yorkcares.co.uk.