What this funded
The Deciding Together Local Fund for York put people in York in control of £240,000 to design and decide on grants to help the city better respond to people facing multiple issues including homelessness, addiction and recovery, mental health and wellbeing, poverty and offending.
The aim of the fund was to
- Connect and help create space so that people can explore, understand, question and change systems that perpetuate disadvantage in York
- To involve people who live, work and access services in York – both how the fund operate and what the fund supports
- To learn and Share with others how funds like this can help change the way things are done
£218,00 was invested into the region with 20 community organisations awarded grants.
Due to the flexibility of the fund, that was created by people in York, it was able to fund everything from a £600 community project to improve the out door space of a local community centre to a £60,000 three year whole system piece of work to engage and better support York’s Transgender communities.
Ali Spaul, Lead on the Fund said:
“It’s been an honour to work with people in York with such wisdom, compassion and knowledge of their city and care for each other. We have been able to run a truly participatory process, funding activity that is really important.”
Miles, one of the Panel members said:
“I love that local people are making local decisions on how a pot of money can benefit local communities. Together we are shifting the power of how community money is distributed. It is all about connection – the right people, doing the right things, to get the right support and it’s often the smallest things that make the biggest difference. I am a more enriched person being involved in the Panel, my engagement with the network gives a real sense of purpose and achievement.”
Funding awarded to:
Lidgett Grove Methodist Church Funding to bring people in the community together at the Wednesday morning cafe. £600
Tang Hall Community Centre Resident led activity to improve community outdoor space, building connection and relationships lost during Covid. £760
The Conservation Volunteers Adapting processes so that people with dementia and other additional needs are more able to actively participate in activities. £835
Tang Hall Community Centre Bring together people, organisations and young people to build more collaborative approaches to supporting young people’s needs and hopes. £850
The Hut York Bringing isolated people with complex needed to connect in a creative space allowing them to express themselves through drawing. £995
Individual Bringing together partners from York City Council, charities and SME providers to share experiences, knowledge and ideas on parenting 0-4 year olds. £1,0000
Restore (York) Limited Funding to provide engaging activities for people impacted by homelessness. £1,000
Musical Mindfulness Musical sessions for children and young people to improve their mental health and wellbeing. £1,000
Alternatives to Violence Project Britain Addressing violence in our societies, providing training and support to enable people to understand and implement alternatives to violence. £1,000
Camerados Space to connect with others who live and/or work in the city in a comfortable “living room” space. £1,000
York Anti Racist Collective Bringing together Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people to build relationships and tell their stories. £4,140
The Collective Sharehouse Supporting a more collaborative way of working to ensure the foodbank can best support vulnerable people £8,500
Kyra Women’s Project Time and space to look at how support and services for women can be better improved and a more holistic approach that empowers women. £9,480
Our Father’s Heart Developing a social enterprise that will build the skills and employment of people who have challenges with addiction and offending. £9,850
Pilot Theatre Ltd Working with disadvantaged or marginalised young people to tell their stories, scrutinise their ideas for change through the theatre. £9,900
Anon Exploring how a collaborative approach may better support council tax recovery for people in arrears, developing practical solutions and means to mainstream collaborative practice £10,750
Friends of St Nicholas Fields Bringing together York’s Ecotherapy system to better collaborate, map activity and refer across services to improve systems for people with complex needs £21,300
York Centre for Voluntary Service Bringing together people with lived experience of poverty with civic and business leaders to create safe spaces to listen and learn to develop collaborative solutions. £30,000
York in Recovery Supporting a peer led recovery group to come together and influence wider system work that will ultimately give voice to usually unheard voices and support the system to be more lived experience led. £43,287
Generate Bringing together Transgender communities and the system that perpetuates marginalisation in order to understand, unpick and effect positive change in our city. £61,795