Communities Fund Employee Giving provided £1,680 of match funding
Ready Set Rawcliffe - Big Community Challenge 2026
York, England, United Kingdom
Aim
Boosting Rawcliffe Park’s climate resilience through diverse tree planting, wetland management, and habitat creation for local wildlife.
Who are we, and what is our project about?
York Cares is a charity with York at its heart, dedicated to making our city a better place to live and work. For over 20 years, our charity has been committed to helping local communities thrive. Our projects respond to the city where it needs us most, inspiring young and out of work people to reach their full potential, tackling social isolation, and supporting urban green spaces. York Cares is for York, guided by York - bringing people, communities and businesses together to create a happier, more connected city.
For our 2026 Big Community Challenge, we’ve chosen Rawcliffe Country Park as our focus. Working with the City of York Council's ECO Team and St Nicks, our volunteers will spend four weeks transforming the park into a more resilient, biodiverse space.
This project is a clear example of practical climate action. During the project we will focus on three main things: boosting wildlife by creating new wildflower meadows and habitats; improving the paths and signs so the park is safer and easier for everyone to use; and putting in the infrastructure, such as better storage and sustainable woodland management, to ensure the park stays in great condition for the long term.
Why are we crowdfunding?
Rawcliffe Country Park is a vital green space for the city, but it has faced significant disruption recently due to the major flood works on site. We are raising money to help the park recover and to fund the materials our volunteers need to make it more resilient to a changing climate.
By supporting this project, you’re helping us turn a recovering site into a thriving, climate-ready space that is safer and more enjoyable for everyone in York.
How we’ll spend the money raised
The £2,000 we are raising will go directly toward the materials needed for the project. A breakdown of the costs includes:
- Site Resilience & Environmental Management (£800): General materials and equipment to facilitate habitat creation, woodland management, and floodbasin maintenance tasks across the park.
- Trees and Wildflowers (£500): A variety of climate-resilient saplings and wildflower seeds to restore the habitats.
- Volunteer Kit (£500): Essential safety gear, gloves, and hand tools for the hundreds of volunteers involved over the month.
- Wildlife Housing (£200): Materials for the bird, bat, and hedgehog boxes that will be installed across the park.
Any extra funds raised will be used for additional planting and park maintenance.
How you can help
There are three simple ways to get involved and support our project:
1. Make a donation
Every pledge gets us closer to our goal. Early support can help build momentum and inspire others to give too.
2. Spread the word
Share our project with friends, family and your wider network. The more people we reach, the more likely we are to succeed.
3. Volunteer with us
If you’d like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch through the ‘Contact’ section using the subject "I want to volunteer my time or expertise" on our project page
This project successfully funded on 17th July 2026