Frequently Asked Questions

Please contact us for further information about parking.

Yes, please check if we have availability first. We require a minimum of 60 hours of volunteering time. We have a broad range of opportunities for you to get involved with from volunteering in Youth/Community sessions, office admin, fundraising and events. Select the volunteering option from the dropdown menu of our contact form to send us a message.

Door 84 offers a variety of spaces available to hire, perfect for community groups, businesses, and individuals. The facilities can accommodate small meetings to larger gatherings and outdoor events. We are happy to explore options that best fit your needs. Prices may be negotiable depending on number of rooms hired and length of license agreement. For more information, look at our Room Booking page.

We are able to deliver our Youth and Community provisions through a combination of income sources. These including rental income, room bookings, successful funding grants/awards, and our own community fundraising program. Want to help us make a difference? You can make a donation—every little bit helps! Or, if you’d like to explore other ways to support us, just get in touch! We’d love to chat.

Good question. The building has been used for many things over the years since it was built in the 1830’s, such as a Military Barracks and an Industrial School for Girls. However the Charity has been running youth club sessions since the 1930’s. See our History section on the About Us page for more information.

Absolutely! We’re thrilled you’re interested in volunteering at Door 84!If you’re keen to jump into our awesome youth and community sessions, we ask for a commitment of at least 60 hours. This helps us ensure you and our attendees get the most out of your time together! But, we’ve got tons of other ways to get involved! Think office admin fun, fundraising superstars, and event gurus! These roles are super flexible, and there’s no minimum time commitment required. Look at our volunteer page to apply or select the volunteering option from the dropdown menu of our contact form to send us a message.

Yes – we would love to have you as a Volunteer at our events. If you can’t attend on the day but would like to contribute by baking cakes or donating raffle prizes, this is ok too.  Select the volunteering option from the dropdown menu of our contact form to send us a message.

Fantastic question! We love welcoming university placements to Door 84! Firstly, we would need to check what opportunities we currently have available. We ask for a minimum of 60 hours to make sure you get a great experience, but we’re super flexible! We’ve had placements go way beyond that, even over 400 hours! So, whatever your schedule, we can likely make it work. You’ll get to dive into all sorts of exciting stuff! Think fundraising and events, getting your admin skills polished, and even getting involved in our awesome youth and community sessions. It’s a chance to build a really diverse skill-set! Look at our volunteer page for more info, or select the volunteering option from the dropdown menu of our contact form to send us a message.

Great question! Yes, absolutely! Once you’ve completed your required 60 hours of volunteering with us, we’ll be delighted to provide you with a reference for future employers. It will reflect your valuable time and experience here at Door 84.

To keep things clear and organized, we ask that you chat with our Volunteer Coordinator before incurring any expenses. They’ll be able to give you the most accurate information.

Yes, you do need an enhanced DBS. We can assist you with this process, but this may incur a charge of £20. The volunteer coordinator will discuss this with you.

As a general rule we are an open access youth club meaning young people are free to come and go as they wish. Some parents/caregivers are happy for their child/children to leave the session early or to go to the local shops. However, some parents/caregivers may prefer their child/children remain in the building throughout the session. Where we have been made aware of this, we will encourage the young person to wait with us whilst we contact a parent or carer to confirm if they are allowed to leave. We are unable to physically stop someone leaving the building, and if a child leaves without permission we will contact a parent/caregiver/emergency contact as soon as possible.

No, any food provided as a meal or part of an activity is included in the £1 entry fee.

In order for us to keep children safe on trips, it is essential that we have an established relationship with them. Therefore, they must have been regularly attending sessions for at least 6 weeks prior to day excursions. Ideally longer for residential trips. This means we will have had time to not only build a trusting relationship but also to identify the level of support and supervision they may need.

Unfortunately, we can not accommodate children under the age of 13 years in Wednesday youth sessions. This is because we sometimes facilitate sexual health services and offer contraceptive advice. Under UK law, those aged 12 and under are not permitted to access these services. We do however explore and promote healthy relationships within all sessions. We do have Monday sessions available which accommodate the full age range from 8 to 17 years, which a lot of sibling groups attend together. Please note, we sometimes invite young people who are almost 13 to attend the Wednesday sessions as a taster. However, this is at the youth team’s discretion.

Most allergies, medical and mental health needs can be accommodated by our staff who are trained in food hygiene & first aid. Please ensure these needs are clearly stated on the sign-up form. You are welcome to speak to a member of staff in more detail if needed. Call 01904 623177 to discuss further.

As our provision is “open access” we can not take responsibility for children under the age of 8 years for a number of reasons. These include that we would have to register as a educational or care provider with OFSTED. Whereas, our purpose is to provide social engagement and exploratory experiences for young people. Furthermore, we do not have insurance in place for children under the age of 8 years and can not provide high enough staff to child ratios to meet legislative guidelines for children under 8 years.

Please contact our Youth Manager 01904 623177 for a chat prior to attending if you feel that they need extra support. Door 84 is able to work with a wide range of young people thanks to our trained staff & volunteers. If our sessions are deemed inappropriate for a young person’s needs, we will help identify other available services in York.

Unfortunately, we cannot allow parents/carergivers to stay in sessions. To comply with our Safeguarding Policies and procedures, all adults on site must be DBS checked. However, if a young person is attending for the first time, a parent/carer is able to look around the building and chat to the session’s senior worker.

If you have any concerns, please contact our Youth Manager on 01904 623177 as soon as possible in the first instance. They will be able to answer any questions and offer any support required.

You do not need to book your child onto a session. They will be required to complete a registration form if they have not attended before. This can be done here or completed during the session. However, booking is required for any trips/residential or specific projects that we run. This can be done via calling the office on 01904 623177, contacting us through our social media or speaking to a member of staff in session.

We offer a wide range of activities and games in each session. You can see what is on each night by looking at the online activity planner on our Youth Page, posters displayed around the centre or on our weekly social media posts. If your child would like to suggest some activities for future sessions, please contact us, we’d love to hear from you.

Yes, young people who are over the age of 14 can take part in work experience at Door 84. The nature of the work experience will depend on the opportunities available at the time and the needs of the young person. For more details, please select the volunteering enquiry option from the dropdown menu of our contact form to send us a message.

Yes – we always welcome young people wanting to become Young Volunteers. Please speak to a member of staff in session to find out more.

Yes – please let a member of staff or volunteer know you are leaving session. However, it is the responsibility of the Young Person to act accordingly to their Parent’s wishes.

We will always make time in sessions to speak to young people. This could be anything from exciting news you want to share or something that is worrying you. We can also help you to find out information which could help you make choices.

We would not disclose anything you chat to us about unless we feel we need to share this to keep you safe. In some cases we may need to speak to other professionals in order to do this. We will always tell you that this is going to happen if this is required.

Yes, you or your parents/carergivers will need to complete a registration form that can be accessed on the Youth Page, alternatively, it can be completed during the session.

We offer a wide range of activities and games in each session. You can see what is on each night by looking at our Youth Page or by checking out the posters at Door 84. We also post about the activities on our social media each week, If you’d like to suggest some activities for future sessions tell us we’d love to hear from you.

Yes, you can bring friends, this is a great idea! They will need to complete a registration form as you did when they first attend. Their first session will be free!

Yes, but it is your responsibility to look after them and keep them safe.

Unfortunately you cannot bring your own bikes or scooters into the building or into our outdoor space. You are welcome to travel to Door 84 on your own bike / scooter, and lock it using our bike racks in front of the building. We have scooters that you can borrow to use in sessions.

Our café is open to everyone of all ages across the city. We offer a warm family-friendly space.

Yes, it costs £1. This includes free hot drinks and biscuits.

The café is open every Wednesday from 2-4pm. The food bank and the community pantry is open from 2–3pm.

The food bank provides access to donated food. The community pantry offers access to a wide range of purchased foods at low subsidised prices.

Yes, it is! We want everyone to feel welcome, so we’ve made sure our café is fully accessible.

Anyone! We’re here to help and support!

No, you can just turn up on the day – don’t forget your shopping bag.

Yes. We except card, cash and bank transfer.

We’ve got a mix of essentials such as pasta, canned goods and fresh produce (when available). We can also provide free personal hygiene and cleaning products to help everyone feel their best!

We’re here to help however we can, whether it’s signposting you to other services or just listening if you need to talk. We invite local professionals to visit, who offer free support and advice. Drop in to connect with the Local Area Coordinator, Ward Councillors, York Learning.

Yes, please! Donations make such a huge difference. Whether it’s food or a small donation, every little bit helps. Contact us for more information.

Yes, please that would a great help. We’re always looking for friendly faces to lend a hand. Just chat with us about how you can get involved or go to our Volunteer page to get more information.

Unfortunately, there is no parking available on site. If you are a blue badge holder you are able to park on local streets in available parking bays – please make sure you display your blue badge. There are many bus routes close to Lowther Street such as the No.1, 5, 5a and No.6. There is also the local car Park on Clarence Street which is a 5 minute walk from Door 84. Some of our group members also book taxis which allow them to be dropped off and collected in the Door 84 car park.

Some of our group members do come independently to the sessions. This is assessed on an individual basis as to the needs and support required for that person. For further advice, please contact us. Our Staff facilitate the sessions and do not provide any personal care for group members.

The session cost is £6.50 and includes refreshments for the participant and their caregiver. If you are new to Sparks your first attendance to either a Tuesday or a Thursday session is free!

No, you do not need to book a normal session. However, for trips and outings, sometimes we ask for you to pay in advance to allow us to plan ahead.

Yes, you are most welcome to attend both sessions.

We provide a wide range of activities from art & craft, games, karaoke, bingo, disco dancing and seasonal parties, trips & outings. Our activity timetable is produced every 2 months so you can easily plan ahead. Visit the Sparks page to see what’s on. We always consult with group members about what they would like to do here so we can accommodate their suggestions. We would love to hear about your favourite activities and ideas.

It’s simple! During our Sparks and Cafe sessions, caregivers can buy food at reduced prices, thanks to our partnership with FareShare. Just ask a staff member for more info when you’re here