NINETEEN York-based charities, social enterprises, voluntary and community groups have been awarded £60,000 of grant funding by York CVS, Make It York and City of York Council.

The three organisations have issued the grants to support a range of new initiatives for York residents.

Spanning a diverse range of creative art forms and social activities, the grants will support everything from fairy trails and community coffee mornings to youth theatre workshops, excavation projects, craft workshops and creative cafes.

Helen Apsey, head of culture and wellbeing at Make It York said: “We received a large number of grant applications of a very high standard, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to be able to award funding to such a diverse range of projects as a result.

“Working with City of York Council and with York CVS this year meant we could really broaden our reach and support many more projects - providing more opportunities for residents to get involved locally in wonderful arts and heritage initiatives.”

Meanwhile, Councillor Darryl Smalley, executive member for culture, leisure and communities at City of York Council, said that the grants will provide “essential support to some incredible local organisations.”

“The broad range of organisations that have been successful is testament to the amazing work of volunteers and groups across the city, helping to make York a supportive home to everyone”, Cllr Smalley added.

Receiving awards of up to £5,000 each, the new cultural and social prescribing grants support organisations across York’s voluntary and community sector with initiatives designed to boost physical and mental wellbeing.

For the first time the grant application process brought together two funding streams made available by the Better Care Fund.

This included the ‘Ways to Wellbeing’ project from York CVS - the city’s first social prescribing project which supports health and wellbeing through building social connections in the community, and the ‘Cultural Wellbeing Grant’ programme led by Make It York and City of York Council.

Emily Abbott, Ways to Wellbeing project lead at York CVS, said: “Ways to Wellbeing doesn’t just deliver social prescribing. An important part of our work is to grow social prescribing locally by widening and diversifying the range of support and activity available.

“We are delighted with the mix of new and well-established organisations we have been able to fund.”