Working together to support children’s mental health
The Principle Trust Children’s Charity provides free, week-long respite breaks for children and families across Yorkshire who are facing some of life’s toughest challenges, including mental health difficulties, trauma, disability, serious illness and financial hardship. Through its family-friendly holiday homes in Blackpool, Filey and the Lake District, the charity gives families the opportunity to step…
Businesses urged to get ready for new tobacco and vaping laws on 29 October
Businesses in York are being urged to get ready for new tobacco and vaping laws that come into force on 29 October 2026. Trading Standards officers at City of York Council are working with Humber and North Yorkshire’s Centre for Excellence to help businesses understand the changes and what they need to do. The new…
Cleaner air for York as Smoke Control Area expands citywide
From 1 November 2026, the whole of York will become a Smoke Control Area to help improve air quality and protect people’s health. The change follows a decision earlier this year and will introduce the same rules across the whole city. At the moment, around 80 per cent of York households are already covered by…
Golfers tee off for air ambulance fundraising drive
Community-minded business people hit the golf course with accountants and business advisors Azets to raise £9,081 for Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Nearly 100 players from the county’s business community teed off at Sandburn Hall in Flaxton, near York, for the firm’s fourth annual charity golf day. Proceeds came from ticket sales, donations, competitions and activities, while…
York launches campaign to shine a light on hidden financial abuse of older people
A new city-wide campaign is launching across York to raise awareness of financial abuse against older people and encourage victims, families, friends and neighbours to seek support. Led by City of York Council in partnership with Independent Domestic Abuse Services (IDAS), Age UK York and a range of community organisations, the campaign aims to help…
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust survey identifies area of high biodiversity value at Yorkshire Building Society HQ
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust has undertaken a detailed biodiversity survey in the woodland located on the grounds of Yorkshire Building Society’s head office in Bradford. Covering around four hectares, the area stretches from the rear of the Yorkshire Drive offices through to neighbouring Parkside, forming a green corridor in a busy urban area. The study forms…
Plans Submitted for New CTEC Construction Training Facility
Proposals to create a state-of-the-art construction training facility in Leeds have taken a major step forward, with a planning application now submitted to Leeds City Council. Leeds College of Building (LCB) acquired the Melbourne Street site last November and is set to transform it into a new Construction Technical Excellence College (CTEC) building. Located next…
Children invited to discover new-look Crombie Avenue play area
Children in Clifton and beyond are being invited to enjoy the newly transformed Crombie Avenue play area, as the latest improvement funded through City of York Council’s investment in parks and play spaces officially opens this week. The refurbishment has completely refreshed the play area, creating a modern, inclusive and accessible space where children of…
More progress to deliver York Central
Work to deliver new homes, job opportunities and public spaces at York Central is set to take another step forward. At a meeting of the council’s Executive next week (6 October) members will consider the sale of parcels of land to York Central Limited and Network Rail, and whether to endorse the Mayoral Development Zone…
Major progress made on £750,000 investment in York’s parks and play areas
Hundreds of children and families across York are already benefiting from major improvements to parks, play areas and green spaces, with more projects set to be completed over the coming months. A progress report on the council’s £750,000 Parks Investment Fund will be presented to City of York Council’s Executive on 6 October, showing how…
Transpennine Route Upgrade Community Fund now open for applications
Communities across the North are being encouraged to apply for a share of £270,000 as the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) opens applications for the third year of its Community Fund. Community groups, schools and charities located within five kilometres of the Transpennine route, between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York, can now submit applications for projects…
A Year in Partnership: Sentio and Smart Works Yorkshire
Looking back on twelve months of backing a charity that’s now reaching further than ever. “Smart Works gave me back my confidence that has been lost for too long. Everyone here is amazing and so kind. Thank you for everything.” — Shannon, Smart Works client A year ago, Sentio Partners, a mid market M&A firm…
Children help officially open new-look Glen Gardens play area
Children from Tang Hall Primary School will help to officially open the newly transformed play area at Glen Gardens, marking a step forward in a series of council-funded improvements to parks across York. The opening event celebrates the major investment in the popular community park and highlights how local children helped shape its final design….
AABIE celebrates 10 years of supporting communities as charity ball raises £80,000
AAB’s annual Charity Ball has raised more than £80,000 for AABIE, the firm’s dedicated charity, as colleagues, clients and supporters gathered at the Hilton Glasgow on Friday 18 September to celebrate the charity’s 10th anniversary. To date, AABIE has supported over 325 charities, awarded more than £590,000 in grant funding, and contributed over 7,000 hours…
More local people set to benefit from expanded Community Health Champions programme
More people in York will get help to find health services, support groups and wellbeing advice close to home thanks to a £14,000 funding boost from the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority. The funding will enable City of York Council to recruit and train a new team of Community Health Champions in neighbourhoods including…
Bradford researchers discover new way to treat deadly disease often diagnosed too late
Researchers at the University of Bradford have identified a promising new approach to treating a rare but devastating form of hypertension that affects around 7,000 people in the UK. The discovery, published in Research Connections, could pave the way for new treatments for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH), a progressive disease that causes blood vessels in the…
York organisations invited to apply for Good Place, Warm Place Fund
Community organisations across York are being encouraged to apply for grants of up to £5,000 to help provide warm, welcoming spaces for residents this winter. City of York Council’s Good Place, Warm Place Fund has £40,000 available to support organisations that run, or are planning to run, Warm Places during the colder months. Applications are…
Step outside as York Walking Festival returns for 2026
York’s Walking Festival is back this September so why not come and join us? Starting on Saturday 19 September and running through to Sunday 4 October, you’ll find a wide range of events to help you explore the city and countryside around us. You might be keen on local history, nature, wildlife, archaeology or just…
North Yorkshire homebuilders to install 10,000 Swift bricks
With swifts back in UK skies this summer, Barratt and David Wilson Homes, part of Barratt Redrow, has purchased for installation over 9,000 swift nesting bricks for its homes since 2016. Having smashed through its previous goal of 7,000 swift bricks for its homes by 2025, the developers have announced a new uprated target of…
A magical evening of film and family favourites
From iconic movie and television soundtracks to cherished family classics, experience the magic of live music at Price Hall, Bradford Grammar School with the British Police Symphony Orchestra. From the moment the first chord strikes, audiences will be transported into a world of adventure, imagination and nostalgia. This incredible volunteer orchestra brings the legendary music…
Hundreds of NHS staff across West Yorkshire take on 24-Hour Therapy Dash
More than 200 NHS staff from across West Yorkshire will run, row and cycle non-stop for 24 hours on 18 September to raise money for local hospital charities. The 24-Hour Therapy Dash began at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in 2025 and has since grown into a region-wide challenge, with NHS colleagues across West…
North Yorkshire housebuilder sets new standard for healthier, liveable communities
Barratt Redrow, the UK’s largest housebuilder, has launched Great Places, a new placemaking framework that provides a measurable approach to designing healthier, greener, and better-connected places across its future developments. This builds on the housebuilder’s existing placemaking efforts, with the framework representing the next phase of its strategy across its three brands, Barratt Homes, David Wilson…
‘Yorkshire’s Finest’ – Photobook of famous faces from Yorkshire to raise funds for York Against Cancer
Local award-winning photographer, David Charles, has captured stunning portrait photographs of some of the most well-known Yorkshire celebrities, put together in a superb hardback book – ‘Yorkshire’s Finest.’ ‘Yorkshire’s Finest’ has been created over the past 10 years and features photos from celebrities including Dame Judi Dench, Sean Bean and Gaynor Faye. All proceeds from…
New Council homes and £1m of improvements set to regenerate Walmgate
Work planned to regenerate the South Walmgate area with 36 new Council homes and new landscaping are just some of the improvements planned for a city centre community. A Neighbourhood Improvement Plan (NIP) has been taking shape following a series of consultations involving local residents, and is being presented to Executive for approval in early…
Make a difference in York with a rewarding career in adult social care
People looking for a rewarding new career are being encouraged to explore a wide range of opportunities within City of York Council’s Adult Social Care services. Whether you’re looking for a career change, already working in care and support, or are just starting out in your working life, there are a variety of opportunities available that help people in…
St George’s Crypt joins West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and invites businesses to help change lives across Leeds
St George’s Crypt, one of Leeds’ longest-established charities, is proud to announce its membership of the West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce as it looks to build stronger partnerships with businesses across the region. For more than 90 years, St George’s Crypt has been providing care, compassion and hope to people experiencing homelessness, addiction…
Castle Howard introduces rare ancient breed cattle to major nature restoration project
Castle Howard has reached a major milestone in their 30-year Bog Hall Habitat Bank nature restoration project, by introducing a herd of rare White Park Cattle to the newly sown meadows areas. The Bog Hall Habitat Bank project is a large-scale 30-year restoration and rewilding project on the Castle Howard Estate, designed and delivered in…
TWC Facilities teams up with Tackle Prostate Cancer to boost awareness and support
TWC Facilities Ltd has partnered with Tackle Prostate Cancer, a UK charity that supports people affected by prostate cancer. As part of this, QR code stickers are being added to male hygiene bins across the sites TWC Facilities looks after. It’s a small, practical step that gives people quick and discreet access to information about…
University of Bradford ranked 1st (again) in England for improving access to higher education
Pictured above: Professor Gillian Murray, University of Bradford Vice-Chancellor. Credit: University of Bradford. The University of Bradford has been ranked first in England by the Social Mobility Commission for recruiting the most disadvantaged students, when location is factored in. The report covers universities across England and is designed to measure which universities do the most to improve access…
Major Transpennine Route Upgrade works to drive forward Huddersfield station transformation this autumn
Customers will soon benefit from a more reliable, accessible and greener railway as the Transpennine Route Upgrade takes another significant step towards the transformation of Huddersfield station and the wider railway this autumn. From Saturday 19 September until Sunday 4 October 2026, engineers will be working around the clock to deliver a significant package of improvements in and around Huddersfield, helping improve reliability, increase capacity and support…
Council launches public consultation over proposed extension of PSPO
City of York Council is seeking residents’ views on the extension of the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in the city centre. A PSPO is a legal power available to local authorities under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 and is designed to help address behaviours that have a detrimental effect on the…
Enrolment Hotline opens at Kirklees College for 2026/2027 academic year
For over 200 years, Kirklees College has been at the forefront of vocational and technical education, and it’s time for new students to join this historic institution. This morning, Kirklees College officially opened its Enrolment Hotline call centre, taking queries from the public who want to join a course starting in September. The hotline number…
TRU launches communication cards as part of its commitment to delivering a more accessible railway
The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) has placed accessibility at the heart of its transformation of the railway across the North since its inception. The latest example of this commitment is the introduction of new Customer Communication Cards, designed to help break down communication barriers between customers and railway staff. The cards include simple prompts and conversation starters to help…
New Cultural Passport scheme for young people in York and North Yorkshire appeals for project bids
Applications for proposals to help young people across York and North Yorkshire to benefit from arts, culture and heritage activities are now open. Developed by City of York Council, supported by David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire and funded by York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, Cultural Passports for Young People provide funding…
Core Telecom continues its support for The Endometriosis Foundation with laptop donation
At Core Telecom, we believe that businesses have a responsibility to support the communities and organisations that are making a real difference in people’s lives. That is why we are proud to continue our longstanding support of the Endometriosis Foundation through the donation of three laptops to help power the charity’s vital work. The Endometriosis…
School leavers and their families offered free online sessions to demystify Clearing ahead of A level results day
Pre-results day events aim to take some of the stress out of the rush for university places York St John University is pleased to be offering free online events designed to help prospective students and their families to navigate university entry. Taking place on Tuesday 4, Wednesday 5, and Thursday 6 August, the webinars will…
Kirklees College celebrates the impact of adult education as it launches its new adult course guide
Kirklees College has launched not only its new Adult Course Guide for September 2026, but also a brand-new video, ‘Your Next Chapter’, which highlights the meaningful impact of adult and community education at the college. Produced in collaboration with Sam Teale Productions, an award-winning production company based in Kirklees, the new video shines a spotlight…
Leading North Yorkshire homebuilder highlights part exchange guarantee scheme
Barratt Homes is helping existing homeowners to move this spring with a helping hand from its Part Exchange Guarantee scheme. The housebuilder is encouraging families looking for more space, second-steppers and downsizers to consider its popular Russet Park development in Copmanthorpe. Homeowners looking to move to a new, energy-efficient home can take advantage of Barratt Homes’ Part Exchange…
Homecoming honour for organisation founder supporting the vulnerable
The co-founder of an organisation tackling health inequalities among vulnerable people has returned to her home city to receive an honorary award from the University of Bradford. Yvonne Stocks DL is co-founder, director and chairperson of Palm Cove Society (PCS), which address disadvantage, inequalities, education, community bias and health needs experienced by vulnerable people, including…
Trinity Leeds and White Rose Shopping Centre are driving local growth, contributing over £308m to the local economy and supporting more than 6,300 jobs
Landsec, owner of one of the UK’s leading retail destination portfolios, has released its annual social and economic impact report revealing how Trinity Leeds and White Rose are helping to drive local growth, contributing £308,095,816 to the local economy and supporting 6,347 jobs in 2025.* Together, Trinity Leeds and White Rose Shopping Centre play an important…
Hull Road Park awarded the coveted Green Flag Award as it is officially recognised as one of the country’s best parks
Hull Road Park in York raises prestigious Green Flag Award after achieving international quality mark for parks and green spaces City of York Council is celebrating today after receiving a Green Flag Award for Hull Road Park. It comes as the internationally recognised standard for parks and green spaces celebrates its 30th year. Hull Road…
Council’s new housing sweeps the board in design awards
City of York Council’s first Passivhaus development at Duncombe Square has won three awards at the annual York Design Awards this week. Lowfield Green has also won a Commendation in the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) 2026 awards. Winners of the York Design Awards were announced on Tuesday 7 July, and are for developments which…
York rivers trail launches to connect people, place and flood resilience
A new way to explore York’s rivers has launched this summer, inviting residents and visitors to discover how water shapes the city, its communities and its future. The York rivers trail: the rivers and us is a walking and wheeling trail along the River Ouse in York, combining art, storytelling and digital experiences to help people understand…
Craven College celebrates excellent Ofsted report
Craven College is celebrating the publication of its latest Ofsted report, which has recognised the College’s excellence across a number of key areas under the inspectorate’s new education inspection framework. The College achieved an impressive four ‘Strong’ judgements, recognising the quality of its education, student experience and employer-focused approach. Underpinned by expert teaching and industry-standard…
North Yorkshire housebuilder donates £3,000 to homelessness charity
Barratt and David Wilson Homes has donated £3,000 to Sleepsafe Selby, helping to support vulnerable adults experiencing homelessness. Established in 2018, Sleepsafe Selby aims to support local rough sleepers and help individuals to overcome challenges that prevent them from maintaining safe and secure housing. Providing accommodation for up to 10 people at a time, the…
Kirklees College and The Arcade Group are helping to make a difference in Dewsbury
Over the last four years, The Arcade Group in Dewsbury has been one of Kirklees College’s most valued employer partners, helping to provide our students with career-enhancing placements and opportunities. Since 2022, the group has worked with students and staff from a variety of subject areas to create some amazing opportunities. When speaking about the…
North Yorkshire river project delivers 9 ways to drive positive environmental change
York St John University report highlights the power of community engagement, spending time in nature and sharing local know-how across generations. A pioneering environmental initiative working across the River Esk and Coastal Streams Catchment is helping communities reconnect with nature while building a stronger foundation for long-term conservation and biodiversity recovery. The River Esk catchment…
TRU celebrates successful Community Fund projects across route
The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) is showcasing some of the organisations from its 2025 Community Fund round, who have used their grants to improve local spaces and places. Launched in 2024, the TRU Community Fund aims to help local community groups, schools and charities to create or enhance community-focused facilities across the 70-mile route. The second iteration in 2025 saw 35 successful applicants offered small, medium and large…