Our Story (so far)

Back in 2023, the Lankelly Chase Foundation funded place-based work in York as a part of their promise to 'explore and test radically different resourcing systems for social justice work'. And so, York Together was born.

Since then, we have been evolving.

The early days

All of our founding members brought something to the table in terms of knowledge of the York scene and involvement in the various communities doing good work on the ground. Collectively, they chose to steer the work towards the support of grassroots groups, with the understanding that these collectives are excluded from mainstream funding whilst holding potential to be the best catalysts for change.

How it's going

The grant from Lankelly Chase is unrestricted, so over the past two years, we have taken the time needed to discover who we are as a team and where we want to focus without fear of failure. We've found a rhythm of work that suits us, trying out new things whilst getting to know one another and building a solid collective that works well together.

The way we're funded has given us the space to explore what is possible and learn through giving things a go. Through our STEW microgranting dinners, we’ve been exploring how people living in York can have a real say in how money flows in their communities.

Along the way, we’ve also invited people to share their knowledge and experiences, creating spaces where grassroots groups can connect and learn from one another. And where it’s been helpful, we’ve offered one-to-one support to grassroots groups, community organisers and activists - listening, encouraging and walking alongside them as they develop their work.

We are currently working on finding new ways of supporting and funding grassroots work, and hoping that we can bring a fresh perspective on how this type of change work can be done.

We have commissioned a learning partner to help us capture our story and how we've evolved.