Directory to help find York’s community sports clubs

As part of work to increase levels of physical activity across the city, City of York Council has produced a directory of York’s community sports clubs.

The directory includes information and contact details for 115 voluntary sports clubs in the city offering a range of sporting and physical activity opportunities from angling to walking.

There is something for everyone with activities for all ages and abilities seven days a week, all-year round.

5,000 copies have been printed and are being distributed to schools, libraries and community centres across the city. The guide is also available to view online at www.york.gov.uk/communitysportsclubs.

 

In addition to this directory, the council’s Yorwellbeing service also offers support to local sports clubs through the Yorwellbeing club development offer. The service offers support on a variety of areas such as; funding applications, national governing body accreditations, facility development projects and community engagement.

For more information on the sports club directory or the club development offer please contact yorwellbeing@york.gov.uk or call 01904 553377.

Clubs who aren’t included within this year’s edition of the directory are asked to get in touch with the Yorwellbeing service so they can be incorporated into future publications.

What’s on in York -Advent Procession at The Minster

The atmospheric start to Advent returns to the Minster.

  • 3rd Dec 2017

Advent Procession

FREE

An atmospheric and breath-taking candlelit service of music, readings and prayers for Advent in celebration and anticipation of the arrival of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.

The service starts in darkness with candlelight gradually spreading throughout the cathedral as the flame is passed from one person to the next following the York Minster Choir’s journey from West to East.

Everyone is welcome to attend the popular service, with doors opening at 4.15pm. The service lasts for just over an hour.

This service will be full to capacity so please arrive early. Seats are unreserved and are on a first come first serve basis. You do not need a ticket to attend this service.

Bishopthorpe 1, Westfield 0

2.9 miles from Lowfields to replacement football pitch

The Council is to consider next week a  plan to spend £400,000 providing new football pitches for a team based in Bishopthorpe.

Good luck to “Bishopthorpe White Rose Football Club”. We wish them success.

However the Councils claim that this project will replace the football pitches, on which they hope to build, at Lowfields is complete “tosh”

The Tadcaster Road site (behind the London Bridge Service Station) is 3 miles from Lowfields. There is simply no way that Lowfields residents – old or new – would regard Sim Balk Lane as a convenient alternative for any kind of local leisure facility.

The truth of the matter is that the Bishopthorpe Football Club’s needs have grown over the years and they have (rightly) approached the Council for help. It is a coincidence that the Lowfields project came along at the same time.

The Council is being duplicitous in linking the two projects.

If a section Section 106 contribution towards sports facilities is available, then the £400,000 should be spent in the Westfield area. Last year, when the Executive first hatched its plan, they were talking about providing the current users of the pitches (Woodthorpe Wanderers) with new facilities. That idea seems to have been quietly forgotten.

Better still, the Council should leave the existing Lowfields pitches alone. Such a decision would be in line with the decision taken at the last Executive meeting which agreed to review open space provision in the City.

The plot hatched by Council officials is aimed at persuading Sport England to remove their blocking objection to the current Lowfields Planning application.

The Executive is also due to consider borrowing around £9 million to build houses on the Lowfields site(!) More about this later.

 

Councillors hand in New Earswick Pool Petition to Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust

The petition against the closure of New Earswick Pool was presented to the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust (JRHT) this morning, at the Garth, with over 1,400 signatures.

Local Liberal Democrat Councillors in Huntington & New Earswick ward are calling on the JRHT to properly consult on its proposals to close the pool. York Liberal Democrats are concerned that the value of this facility to the community is not being considered and that the decision to close goes against JRHTs stated social values.

The petition has received excellent support since being launched in October and has reached over a 1,400 signatures, including that of former Olympic swimmer, Adrian Moorhouse.

Cllr Keith Orrell added:

“Immediately after the Trust announced their intention to close the pool, we wrote to New Earswick residents asking them to sign our petition. Furthermore, we also put the petition online and people from across the city have now signed. The response has been amazing. We would urge anyone who has not signed our petition yet to do so.  We need to show the Trusts how strongly people feel about the pool.”

Cllr Carol Runciman said:

“We appreciate that housing associations are facing budgetary pressures, forced on them by the Government, but we would urge the Trust to work with users and local people to explore ways of maintaining this facility.  The petition we have handed in today represents local peoples desire to keep the pool and the JHRT should work with residents to this end.”

Cllr Chris Cullwick said:

“We fully support all the users of the pool who have come together in their determination to keep the pool open. We will support them where we can in order to help them achieve

Citywide review of green and recreation space provision

At last nights the City of York’s Executive call-in meeting regarding the sale of Willow Lodge, the Liberal Democrats called for a review of green and recreational space provision across York.

It was announced during the call-in, that the highest bidder for the sale of Willow Lodge had reduced their offer for the purchase of the land. The decision will need to come back to the Executive for a future report, after assessment of the commercial bids.  This report would itself be subject to the same possibilities of a call-in.

In a separate vote, Liberal Democrats Councillors called on Council Officers to undertake a review of green and recreational space, when considering future decision on developing Council land.

Cllr Andrew Waller added:

“There is a growing interest in public open space, whether it is playing fields or small recreational sites, which provide a break in the urban development of York.  All residents in York should feel that they are being considered when decisions are taken on developing Council land.

Now Drainage Board highlights Lowfields playing field development issues

click to view complete letter

According to the “Save Lowfields Playing Field Action Groups“ Facebook page the Ainsty Internal Drainage Board is unhappy with the Council’s plans to develop the playing field.

The Drainage Board comments come a few days after Sport England recorded a formal (holding) objection to the plans. Sport England say that the Council proposed alternative football pitch location (Sim Balk Lane) is unconvincing with any facility there likely to be used mainly by Bishopthorpe.

Lowfields Green – a candidate for the least imaginative architecture award?

Concerns about water run off rates, from what is currently a self draining grassed field, are not unexpected.

A glace at the Council unimaginative serried rows of new houses (see left) as well as offering little streetscape relief, have minimal green space provision.

Sport England objection

Hard surfaces increase water run off rates and neighbouring properties could be adversley affected.

Hopefully the Council will now withdraw its proposals and come with something that not only increases the availability of homes in the area but also addresses some endemic failings.

Not least amongst these are the lack of open space and sports pitches in the Westfield ward.

One of the consequences of poor leisure and other public services is that life expectancy in the area is significantly below the Citywide average

 

Yuletide at York Mansion House: A festive preview at the re-furbished house

York residents and visitors are being invited to take a sneak preview at York’s newly restored Mansion House this festive season.

Fully dressed for the Christmas period – complete with decorative garlands and a 10ft Christmas tree – the Mansion House will open its doors to the public for the first time since its £2.6m restoration, on the first weekend in December (Saturday 2 – Sunday 3 December).

As well as seeing the new-look Mansion House restored to its former glory, visitors will also be able to find out more about Christmas culinary specialities through the ages with food historan and broadcaster, Dr Annie Gray.

Younger visitors will also be able to write a letter to Father Christmas, and hand it over to the Lord Mayor, Councillor Barbara Boyce, for her to send on to the North Pole, receiving some chocolate treats for their efforts.

Richard Pollit, Mansion House Curator, said: “This is the first chance visitors will get to have a look at the incredible outcome of the resoration project. We’re so excited to open the doors to the public for the first time and are really looking forward to welcoming our first visitors.”

Councillor Keith Orrell, Interim Executive Member for Economic Development and Community Engagement, City of York Council, said: “York Mansion House is a beautiful building at any time of the year, but during the Christmas period it really take centre stage in the city. I hope that local residents will take this opportunity to see for themselves the marvellous retoration work – the biggest since the house was finished in 1732 – and find out more about the unique history of York’s Mansion House than ever before.”

The restoration includes a new-look exterior, with a brick-coloured facade and a polychrome crest – a colour scheme voted for by York residents in 2016 – and thought to be similar to how the Manison House would have looked in the 1890s.

The Mansion House will be officially re-opened on 27 January 2018 (Residents’ First Weekend), when visitors will be able to see the newly curated silver galleries for the first time.

York residents can get half price entry to the Mansion House with a York Card or proof of residence (such as a Council Tax bill). Full price entrance is £6.50 for adults, £5 for concessions and £3.50 for children. The house is open every day (except Mondays and Tuesdays) between 10.30 and 5pm until Saturday 23 December.

More details are available at www.mansionhouseyork.com. Tickets are now available and can be purchased by clicking here 

The ‘Opening Doors’ restoration project was made thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), funding from City of York Council and a variety of grants and generous donations totalling £2.6 million. The project sought to improve the visitor experience by beautifully restoring this gem of York’s architectural history, allowing more people than ever to enjoy it.