Accessible Arts and Media

We want to see an inclusive society, where everyone gets the chance to shine. We’re helping to make that happen in York.

We’re a registered charity based in Chapelfields, York. We've been running arts and creative media learning projects in and around the city since 1982.

The people who take part in our projects include disabled young people and adults, older people living with dementia and memory loss and people with mental ill-health. We support their wellbeing by helping them develop the confidence and skills to connect with their local community and have more of a say in the things that matter to them.

Archbishop of York Youth Trust

The Archbishop of York Youth Trust was established by Dr John Sentamu, the 97th Archbishop of York, in 2009. The Youth Trust is founded on Christian values and is inclusive to all in its ethos and activities. We believe that every young person is unique, of great worth, and has the potential to change our communities for the better. We exist to empower young people to serve their generation, putting the needs of others before themselves, as displayed in the life of Jesus and people from many faith traditions.

Cash For Kids

Cash for Kids is a grant-giving charity helping the children that need it most across West Yorkshire, The Yorkshire Dales, Harrogate and York.

Our mission is to improve the lives of disadvantaged children and young people in our communities who are affected by illness, poverty, neglect or have additional needs. We believe that all children should be able to express their individuality, achieve their potential and live life to the full. Please help us to help them.

We work with local grass-roots organisations across the region that aim to make a difference to young lives, and directly support families who often have nowhere else to go through our regular grant rounds.

We commit that at least 80p from every £1 we receive goes back into our local communities.

Citizens Advice York

We offer free, confidential and impartial advice on issues including debt, welfare benefits, employment, housing and discrimination.  We help people at drop-in sessions in Central York, by telephone and at neighbourhood outreach sessions.

We are an independent charity affiliated to the national organisation Citizens Advice.  We have 40+ volunteers, supported by a small professional staff team who run the organisation and provide essential training and supervision.

In 2017-18 we helped 4,770 people with some 11,750 problems.   We helped with debt, benefits, housing, employment and many other topics.  We helped to claim £1,183,654 in unclaimed benefits and our work makes a tremendous difference to people’s lives.

Everybody's Cycling

We are a Community Benefit Society providing fun and practical cycling events, experiences and activities. Our aim is to encourage people of ages and abilities to enjoy the wellbeing benefits of cycling.

We were founded as a social enterprise in 2008 by Jim and Sally McGurn. They could see that the general public needed opportunities to try-out cycling in an enjoyable, traffic-free environment, so we developed specialised bike try-out events for city centres, schools, workplaces and community groups.

Jim and Sally have a son with Downs Syndrome and Autism, so they were keen to develop particular support systems for anyone with a disability wanting to take up cycling. However, they found that the products on the market gave poor choice, quality and affordability. There were also few comparative try-out opportunities. So Get Cycling began sourcing and retailing disability cycles: some new and others refurbished by us. This soon grew, but operating both events and retail under one roof became hard to manage, and confused customers. So all non-retail activities are now run by Everybody’s Cycling, a new, charitable Community Benefit Society, financed by over 90 community shareholders. All assets, staff and activities transferred in 2020. The two organisations support each other, but have separate boards, governance, finances and aims. Everybody’s Cycling aims to be particularly strong in Yorkshire, but operates nationally, too.

Explore York Libraries and Archives Mutual Limited

Explore provides the public library and archives service for the city of York.

We run 14 libraries including York Explore – our flagship library and home of the City Archive –  5 Reading Cafes, a mobile library, and a home library service.  We employ 90 people.  Explore inspires everyone to challenge their imagination, explore their potential and connect with each other, supporting and enriching our communities.

Explore came into being in 2014 as a mutual industrial and provident society with charitable status.  We have worked with the Cabinet Office and the Department for Culture Media and Sport to share our learning and expertise in the mutualisation of services and contributed to a toolkit on alternative delivery models for public libraries.

We are one third owned by staff and two thirds by our community members. As a member you own one share in Explore and can have a say in the development and delivery of the service. Anyone over the age of 16 can become a member.

We are firmly rooted in York with a board of directors who are all local people and understand the city’s needs. The Chief Executive and board oversee our work, monitor performance and set yearly plans and budgets. Our staff, community members, library users and partner organisations also have opportunities to get involved to help us develop and provide better, more responsive services.

We are registered with the Financial Conduct Authority and recognised as having charitable status by HMRC. We are governed by a set of rules which define what we do.

We have a contract with City of York Council. The initial contract period ran from May 2014 to 31 March 2019. After a competitive tendering process in 2018, Explore was the successful bidder and we were awarded a new fifteen year contract to run from April 2019 to March 2034.

Family Fund

Family Fund is the UK’s largest charity providing grants for families raising disabled or seriously ill children and young people. Last year, we provided over 150,000 grants or services worth over £48 million to families across the UK.

Our purpose is to improve the lives of low-income families raising disabled or seriously ill children and young people.

Our mission is to provide items and services to all low-income families in the UK raising disabled or seriously ill children, that they could not otherwise afford or access, and that help improve their quality of life, realise their rights, and remove some of the barriers they face.

Our vision is that all families raising disabled or seriously ill children have the same choices, quality of life, opportunities and aspirations as other families.

We provide grants for a wide range of items, such as washing machines, sensory toys, family breaks, bedding, tablets, furniture, outdoor play equipment, clothing and computers. It can be a struggle financially, emotionally and physically for families raising a disabled or seriously ill child, and these grants help break down many of the barriers families face, improving their quality of life and easing the additional daily pressures.

Guild of Media Arts

IDAS

IDAS is the largest specialist charity in Yorkshire supporting people affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence.

Our services include refuge accommodation, community based support, peer mentoring, group work and access to a free, confidential out of hours’ helpline.

Our teams of accredited specialist workers (IDVA’s and ISVAs) support people through the criminal justice system in addition to providing emotional support and safety planning advice.

We recognise that most victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence are women and we provide a number of single sex services such as refuges to women and their children.  However, the majority of our services are accessible to anyone who is affected by abuse and we encourage male and LGBT+ victims and survivors to access our support.

For children and young people, we have developed one to one and group support. Our young persons’ RYPP (Respect Young Person’s Programme) also works with families where the young person is abusive.

We pride ourselves on our professional, responsive and innovative approach.  With over 40 years’ experience we have been at the forefront of developing new and unique services and were the first organisation in the UK to develop free online training and Live Chat support for survivors.

Our funding comes from the local authority, trusts, the Police Crime Commissioner, donations and grants.

Kyra Women's Project

Founded in 2013, the Kyra Women’s Project was the brainchild of Yvonne Copley. Yvonne was aware that after any intervention or when people are feeling vulnerable and alone, there is a need for support. Through research and after meeting with a range of organisations in York, she learned that many women had to wait a considerable length of time to receive the specialist intervention and support they desperately needed. This occurred at a time when they were vulnerable, often isolated and at risk of making poor decisions. In addition, a lack of support following formal specialist treatments diminished their effectiveness of primary intervention and outcomes.

Kyra Women’s Project began as a support centre for women, run by women, providing encouragement, companionship, information, training, and importantly, a sense of belonging.

Kyra supports women to help overcome challenges and make change in their lives. It acts as a support group to prevent a relapse in behaviour and develop new habits.

Martin House Children's Hospice

Martin House provides family-led care for children and young people with life-limiting conditions. We support families from across West, North and East Yorkshire, both at our hospice and in the community. Our families are at the heart of everything we do and we value each member as an individual with their own needs.

Some children might receive hospice care for a relatively short time, for example if they have a malignant disease such as cancer where palliative care is an option. The majority have longer term, progressive disorders such as Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, or Batten's Disease. These children might use the hospice over a much longer period of time.

We accept referrals for children and young people aged 0-19, including babies diagnosed in the antenatal stages. Even without a referral, both families and professionals can seek advice at any time from our experienced professionals who are experts in paediatric palliative care.

The hospice itself is a place where children, young people and their families can come to stay from time to time along their journey and find support, rest and practical help. It is a place of love and understanding, a peaceful place but one that can also have a lively, friendly atmosphere full of fun and laughter, where children and their families can enjoy the best quality of life.

We also have a community team who support families in hospital and in their own homes, and are often involved in advanced care planning. They ensure that families are able to spend quality time together and make informed, supported decisions about their child’s care.

All of our families are offered the best possible support in bereavement, whether through one to one sessions or as part of our support groups. We have groups for siblings, parents and grandparents and offer a service to families of children who have died from a life-limiting illness but did not use the hospice. This could include sudden or traumatic death. 

MySight York

MySight York is a thriving, independent, local charity working to help people with sight loss to remain independent.

Our aim is to support people in York to live well with sight loss. Our experienced staff and friendly volunteers are always happy to help. You will find information about the organisation and the services we provide on this site. If you would like to know more about anything we do please telephone on the number above, visit our city centre premises

Speakers for Schools

Founded in 2010 by ITV’s Political Editor, Robert Peston, our aim is to end educational inequality by giving all young people access to the same prestigious networks available to the top fee-paying schools in the UK. Through talks from today’s influential figures via our Inspiration programme, our Experience work experience programme linking state school students to industry-leading companies and networked support partners we are helping level the playing field for young people of all backgrounds. And, we keep our services for our schools and students entirely free of charge.

St Leonard's Hospice

St Leonard’s Hospice is an independent charity, providing specialist palliative care and support for local people with life limiting illnesses. We have an In-patient Unit, Sunflower Centre and Hospice@Home service. In this relaxed and friendly environment, every patient is recognised and treated as an individual. With our support patients are able to enjoy the best possible quality of life. Our care also extends to support families and carers.

In addition to a team of highly experienced doctors and nurses, we have specialists in a wide range of roles including complementary therapy, lymphoedema care, physiotherapy, social work, bereavement, occupational therapy and spiritual care.

Our care is free of charge to patients and their families but not free to provide. As a charity we rely heavily on the generosity of the public to raise just over £5.2 million each year to run St Leonard's Hospice. This equates to £595 for every hour of every day. Although St Leonard’s does get some public funding the majority of the running costs have to be raised from donations and fundraising by the local community - businesses, groups and individuals. Legacies are by far our greatest source of income.

The Retreat York

We're a York-based specialist mental healthcare provider, supporting people who require expert therapy to improve their mental wellbeing.

We specialise in tailored care which is personalised and effective, providing:

* Psychological and psychiatric assessment and therapy services locally, regionally and nationally

* Neurodevelopmental assessment and therapy services for adults, children and young people with autism and ADHD

Our mission is to deliver high quality, sustainable, renowned mental health and wellbeing services, alongside Autism and ADHD services, helping people to live well with themselves so that we all live better together.

As an independent charity, we provide care to people who refer themselves and those who are referred to us by GPs and other professionals. We can often help when others can’t, enabling people to recover and get their lives back on track.

The Wilberforce Trust

We are the Wilberforce Trust and we are passionate about empowering people to gain confidence and independence with sight and hearing impairment including other disabilities to live fulfilling, independent lives.

The number of people affected by sensory impairments or sensory loss is growing and demand for services is on the increase. When you experience a deterioration in your vision or hearing, it can take time to summon the courage to talk to someone. Our teams have infinite patience and understanding and make that first call as easy as possible.

We provide caring holistic support to help people come to terms with a new diagnosis or to better manage an existing condition. While society may present obstacles, we seek to remove them.

Our vision is to see a world in which all people with a visual impairment, sight loss, hearing impairment, hearing loss or other disabilities, are truly integrated into society with equal opportunities in all aspects of life, and to know that our passion and commitment has been influential in bringing this about.

Our mission is to be a leading provider of high-quality support, training and care services, and to create opportunities, for people with a visual impairment, including those with other disabilities; to encourage and facilitate the development of these on a local, regional and national basis by being a model of good practice. Our aim is to do this in a way which enhances the quality of life of those we work with.

Two Ridings Community Foundation

Two Ridings Community Foundation (TRCF) is one of 46 community foundations in the UK. We operate in York, North Yorkshire, Hull and East Riding. We receive money from individuals, families, businesses, charitable trusts and public sector bodies. We give this money to charities and community groups who show us that they work hard, at a local level, to reach the people who need it most.

• Two Ridings Community Foundation has delivered over £7.7million in grants since 2000, and in 2016/17 we awarded over £1.5m in grants. Please look at the IMPACT section of our website for a closer look at a few of the projects we have supported.

• If you are a local community group or charity, the APPLY section of our website gives details of our eligibility criteria and which funds are open for applications. Online application forms are available to download here, too.

• Our donors range from individuals wanting to support their local area, through businesses wanting to be recognised in their locality as supporting good causes, to national funders who value our local knowledge. If a donor would like their contribution to go to a particular cause (mental health projects, young people, loneliness etc.) or to a specific geographical location within our area, then we can work to ensure that the money is spent in this way.

• If you are interested in donating to us, or in setting up a fund that we could manage for you, you can either donate via our Mydonate page, or arrange to meet with us to discuss things further. The GIVE section of our website contains lots of useful information regarding the different ways individuals, organisations and trusts can make a difference by working with us.

When You Wish Upon A Star

When You Wish Upon a Star has a simple mission, to grant the Wishes of children living with a life threatening illness. The charity was founded in Nottingham by Barbara White who was so inspired by a seriously ill four year old with a dream to meet Mickey Mouse that she wanted to bring smiles to the faces of many more brave and courageous children. Our Wishes have the power to transform the lives of the children and families we work with and since 1990 we have proudly granted over 17,500 Wishes across the UK.

Some children Wish to be a fairy princess or soldier for the day, meet celebrities or sporting heroes that range from the Red Arrows to Mary Berry and others Wish for a laptop to keep in contact with their friends and family whilst in hospital. One of our most popular Wishes remains the exciting opportunity to swim with dolphins and meet all their favourite characters in Disney World, Florida.

In addition to our Wishes throughout the year, we also organise a number of days out and treats for the children like our incredible Harry Potter-themed trips on-board the beautiful Belmond Northern Belle train, where characters entertain the children on their journey with weird and wonderful magic, flying broomsticks, props and costumes, keeping them amazed and entertained all day.

Every December the charity also enables hundreds of children to swap hospital beds for sleigh rides transporting them away from appointments, treatments and injections to the winter wonderland of Lapland on board our Santa Express flights. 

We believe every child deserves to smile and with your support we can provide time away, giving children and their families something to look forward to through times of uncertainty and often financial as well as emotional strain. Wishes allow the family to put their child’s illness on hold as they have fun and create precious memories.

York Archaeological Trust

York Archaeological Trust (YAT) is a self-funded educational charity and a leading professional archaeological organisation with offices in York, Glasgow, Sheffield and Nottingham. Founded in 1972, we have a reputation for delivering high quality investigation, research and public engagement for a broad range of clients and partners.

We engage with over 1.2 million people across the world each year through our attractions, events, projects, educational programmes, touring exhibitions, outreach activities and digital presence.

We also run five city-centre attractions in York including the world-famous JORVIK Viking Centre, and host one of the largest Viking Festivals in Europe.

YorkDevelopers

We support tech non-profit groups who have a similar mission and values and help promote their efforts to a wider audience in the City of York and throughout the Yorkshire region. We are a group of dedicated software and IT professionals who lead by example and meet often to share knowledge and experiences.

We believe that like-minded individuals in tech can grow community centred around a platform, skill or methodology.

We run many meetups and we also are lead organisers of YorkTechFest.

York Ending Stigma

Here at York Ending Stigma (previously known as Time to Change York) we are a group of York residents, employers, and employees coming together to share, as much or as little of, our mental health experiences through a variety of means to help end mental health stigma and discrimination in York. Our work includes projects on stigmatising language, the use of creativity (poetry, video, photography, blogs, art), radio interviews, and so much more, to change attitudes and beliefs towards people with experience of mental illness.

York Mind

York Mind is an independent provider of high quality mental health services in York and its surrounding area. Our wide range of services help individuals as they recover from a variety of mental health conditions. We are a leading local provider of services supporting individuals recovering from mental ill-health to achieve outcomes that will progress them towards recovery, social inclusion and integration in mainstream activity such as learning, volunteering or employment.

We believe that the condition does not define the individual. To that end, we campaign to raise awareness of mental ill health and combat the stigma surrounding mental health conditions.

York Mind aims to be an inclusive and accessible organization, emphasising the importance of acceptance and tolerance of the beliefs, opinions and wishes of our clients.

York Museums Trust

As an independent charity established in 2002, York Museum Trust’s (YMT) vision is ‘To work together with audiences and communities, to inspire, to share and to care for cultural heritage’.

Responsible for York Art Gallery, York Castle Museum, Yorkshire Museum and Gardens and York St Mary’s, the charity cares for over one million objects across collections as diverse as Geology and Fine Art, Social History and Archaeology.  All our collections are Designated as being of National Importance.

York Art Gallery

Built in 1879 as the venue for the second Yorkshire Fine Art and Industrial Exhibition, the building was purchased by the local authority and re-opened as York Art Gallery in 1892. Since that time, the gallery has developed an outstanding collection of paintings that range from 14th century Western European examples through to 20th century British work. Following a major redevelopment project, the gallery reopened in 2015 with a new Centre of Ceramic Art (CoCA) to showcase its important collection of British Studio Ceramics.

York Castle Museum

The York Castle Museum was founded by Dr John Kirk, a doctor from Pickering, North Yorkshire, and houses his extraordinary collection of social history objects reflecting everyday life in the county. One of its renowned displays is the reconstructed Victorian street, Kirkgate, that has been hugely influential in museum displays worldwide. The museum is housed in a former debtors’ prison and an adjoining former women’s prison, both of which are Grade I listed. The museum’s name comes from the fact it stands on the site of the former York Castle.

Yorkshire Museum and the Museum Gardens

The Yorkshire Museum is set in ten acres of botanical gardens, both of which were founded in the 1830s by the Yorkshire Philosophical Society. The museum currently houses a number of archaeological, geological and natural history artefacts from our extensive collections. Within the Museum Gardens are the ruins of the 13th century St Mary’s Abbey, a medieval Hospitium and guest lodge, and a 19th century Observatory.

York St Mary’s

York St Mary’s is a deconsecrated medieval parish church on Castlegate, close to the Coppergate Centre and the Jorvik Viking Centre. The bulk of the building dates to the early 13th century, with 14th and 15th century modifications and alterations. York Museums Trust have transformed this hallowed space into a unique venue for experiencing cutting edge contemporary art.