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Reflecting on the Big Community Challenge 2024: Changing Landscapes
As we wrap up this year’s Big Community Challenge (BCC), we’re reflecting on a month of transforming York’s landscapes, where employee-volunteers, partners, and communities came together to make a lasting impact. This year, our focus was on connecting communities with nature through both practical and creative opportunities, enhancing the environment while fostering social connections.
Our projects spanned across the North, South, East, and West of York, linking to St Nicks’ York Green Corridors project. Volunteers worked on sites all over the city, with routes leading into the city centre and culminating in North Street Gardens which is a key part of a longer-term project funded by Nature Hubs.
In partnership with City of York Council’s ECO Team, the Councillors for Environment and Climate Emergency, St Nicks, and the University of York, we carefully selected sites that play a crucial role in preserving and improving biodiversity across the city. Through the dedication of over 500 employee-volunteers who contributed over 1,300 hours of their time, we brought these sites to life, creating spaces that benefit both people and wildlife in York.
Our teams dug in deep to plant over 17,800 plants and bulbs, sow wildflower seeds, and install new features like benches in North Street Gardens. This collaborative effort not only supports York’s biodiversity but also strengthens the community’s connection to these green spaces, making them places for everyone to enjoy.
The Big Community Challenge was more than just physical transformation, it was about building bridges between people and nature, developing a sense of belonging, and creating opportunities for social and environmental growth.
Read our Big Community Challenge 2024 impact report to see this year’s challenge in numbers.
A Huge Thank You to Our Partners and Employee-Volunteers
We couldn’t have achieved this without the incredible support from our partners, including St Nicks, City of York Council, the University of York, and many others. Together, we made significant strides in turning these green corridors into thriving ecosystems that connect our city in more ways than one.
This year’s BCC showed the power of community action in changing our landscapes for the better. We’re excited to continue these efforts, and we know that the work done this year will have a lasting impact on York’s environment and its people.
Stay tuned for more updates on our future Big Community Challenge projects and how you can get involved in making York a greener, more connected city.
Together, we’re making a better York!
Watch our Big Community Challenge 2024 photo montage.
For enquiries and information please contact info@yorkcares.co.uk.
