Anonymous £1 Million Donation Fuels Community Support in York

For three years, St Michael le Belfrey, a church situated in York city centre, has been “transforming lives” using a £1 million gift from an undisclosed donor. This funding enabled the church to establish a social action program, which has provided assistance to individuals in the period following the pandemic. The program has allocated £200,000 in grants to various local charities, supporting projects such as horse therapy, the creation of warm spaces, and a café that employs ex-offenders. Alison Dawson, the program’s manager, stated that they were “absolutely blown away” by the contribution. She further commented: “It put us in the really great position of answering the question, ‘what would you do if someone gave you £1m for your city?’.” Ms. Dawson also noted: “It was really unusual to have that opportunity to support people in York in the way that we were able to.” Transitions CIC, an organization that offers children aged 10-16 who have become disengaged from school the chance to interact with horses, was one of the grant recipients. Ms. Dawson explained: “They provide horse therapy for children who are going through a rough time.” She elaborated: “They may be outside of mainstream education or they may have social, emotional, and mental health needs. The charity works with these children on farmland, where they can look after and ride the horses.” Hannah Brown, the founder of Transitions CIC, reported that the funds were invested in staff and facilities. She remarked: “We now have a wonderful indoor space, a shepherd’s hut, which the young people love and find calming and nurturing.” Ms. Brown added: “The grant has also enabled us to buy a new therapy horse, who is and will be instrumental in our equine therapy work going forward.” Other beneficiaries of the grants included Chocolate & Co café, which provides employment for ex-offenders and individuals recovering from addiction. Funding was also extended to York Vineyard, an organization offering soft play facilities and free baby clothing for refugee families, and the St Denys Tea & Chat Warm Space, a charity addressing loneliness and poverty. Ms. Dawson confirmed that the remaining portion of the original £1 million would be used to fund the church’s own initiatives for the next three years. These include a counselling service and a debt centre, which has already assisted eight clients in clearing £120,000 of debt. She concluded by stating: “We are really grateful to the donor, whoever they are, for that opportunity.”