Whilst our volunteers have been taking a well-earned break over the summer, the York Cares team along with Evora Construction, City of York Council and Foxwood Residents Association have been busy planning the annual York Cares Big Community Challenge.

The challenge will take place between 14 and 16 October at Foxwood Community Centre and will bring together over 150 employee- volunteers to re-invigorate the site.

Sue Galloway, Secretary of Foxwood Residents Association said: “Foxwood Community Centre is the hub of community activity in an area of York which faces it challenges. This project will be a boost to residents in the area and encourage them to be more involved in the revival of the fortunes of the community centre and the community.”

Whilst the centre, in York’s Westfield Ward, is used regularly by a variety of community groups for a whole range of activities the garden is no longer fit for purpose and is seldom used.

An outdoor space where residents can go to get involved with gardening, socialise or simply relax and enjoy the surroundings would be a welcome addition for this aging community where few have their own gardens.

Under expert supervision from Richard Elam, Director Evora Construction, and his team, volunteers will be installing seating; building raised beds and planting them up; constructing a rock garden and creating a barbecue area to create a vibrant garden. They will also be sprucing up the nearby playing field to encourage its use for sporting activities.

Richard said: “We are delighted to be working with York Cares on the Big Community Challenge for the third year running. The challenge allows us to use the skills we have within the company to transform sites for the benefit of the wider community and we’re looking forward to this year’s challenge in Foxwood.”

For more information about the Big Community Challenge, visit the York Cares LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/company/york-cares and follow @YorkCares on Twitter #Foxwood Challenge