Help Us Score: The Final £2,800 for Door 84’s New Pitch!
After securing £36,000 in grants from the York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority, York Children’s Trust, and Minster Lions, we need just £2,800 more to build a brand-new all-weather pitch at our Community Centre located on Lowther Street.
Why We Need Your Help
In the heart of York, safe and affordable sports spaces are rare. This pitch will be a game changer for our 8 –17 year olds and the wider community. From speaking to young people who come to Door 84, we know how much they value having access to spaces to play sport and take part in social, physical activity. This is particularly true for those from a low-income household, who may not be able to travel to take part in sport, or perhaps can’t afford the costs associated with many out of school clubs.
“Our vision with this project is to overcome these barriers, and make sport much more accessible to young people growing up in central York” George Arksey – Youth Manager
A Safe Space to Play
For many of our members, local parks aren’t an option. An 11-year-old attendee at Door 84 shared,
“Parks are dangerous, and there is a lack of football pitches. To get to these is a long walk, and most of them are just fields anyway.”
How You Can Help
We’re turning to our supportive community to help us raise this £2,800 goal. Whether it’s the price of a coffee or a larger donation, every penny goes directly towards the pitch.
We just need this final push to reach our target, please help us succeed!
Donate to the Door 84 Pitch Crowdfunder Here!
Thank you so much for your support.
(llustration above is how the pitch might look once installed.)
Grace Smashes Marathon & Fundraising Targets!
A HUGE congratulations to Grace, one our amazing volunteers who absolutely smashed the Yorkshire Marathon, on Sunday, 19th October.
Running for Door 84, her original fundraising goal was an ambitious £500. But thanks to the incredible generosity of friends, family and community members, she hasn’t just hit it – she has smashed it, currently raising over £1000!
The money raised will make a huge difference to the lives of the young people and community members that Door 84 supports.
Grace shared her thoughts on the monumental challenge.
“The marathon was definitely not easy, with my legs feeling achy way earlier than I would have liked them too! However, I kept going with the help of so many supporters including my family and friends.
It was such a surreal experience to run over that finish line, and I am still processing the many emotions from the day.
I am so proud to have been able to support Door 84, and have raised over £1000 to help the people they support.”
A massive thanks to all who donated and and a huge congratulations to Grace for her immense physical effort and her success in fundraising.
She is a true inspiration!
If you’re interested in fundraising or offering support, please contact us or visit our Get Involved page for more info.
Making a Splash for Sparks!
We want to send a massive thank you and a huge congratulations to one of our incredible supported volunteers, Fin!
Fin is an awesome member of the team, supporting our inclusive adult Sparks sessions by helping to set up the arts and crafts, making sure everything is ready for a fantastic time. He also dedicates his time to sorting the food donations for our Community Pantry and food bank.
Recently, Fin set himself a huge personal challenge to raise money for the Sparks project: he decided to swim 35 lengths of the York Sports Village pool!
Why the big swim?
Because Fin knows what a huge hit the visits from Dress Up and Dream are! This fantastic local company provides talented performers in costumes – like princesses and superheroes, who entertain the group with live singing, dancing, and interactive fun that everyone at Sparks can enjoy.
Since we need to raise money to book the performers, Fin decided to take the plunge to make it happen again!
Fin completed his amazing challenge on October 10th and has raised close to £300!
Thanks to Fin’s energy and commitment, the beloved ‘dress up and dream’ characters have now been booked to attend a Sparks session in early December for a fantastic, festive time!
Fin, you are an amazing help and an inspiration to us all, congratulations on your achievement.
Thank you to everyone who sponsored Fin.
Click here for more information about our Sparks Sessions.
Grace Goes the Distance for Door 84
York student and volunteer takes on her first marathon to raise funds for Door 84.
When Grace first joined Door 84 as a volunteer during her time at the University of York, she quickly saw just how much of a difference the charity makes to young people and the wider community. What she didn’t expect back then was that she’d one day be running a marathon to support us!
On Sunday 19th October, Grace will take on the Yorkshire Marathon (26 miles) – her very first – raising funds for Door 84.
Grace says “this is a completely new challenge for me, one that’s been testing both physically and mentally. Training has meant long runs in the rain and mud, figuring out how to fuel my body properly, and pushing myself on the days when I’ve least wanted to.”
Grace trains three times a week, mixing long runs, intervals, and slower recovery runs – sometimes with friends joining her, and always with a favourite podcast to help her focus. She’s had to push herself to prepare for the full 26 miles.
Her fundraising goal is to reach – and hopefully surpass – £500. When the race gets tough, Grace knows she’ll find the strength in her supporters: “I know how hard I have worked for this day, and so when things get tough I hope I will remind myself that I can’t give up for myself and all the work I have put in.”
The money Grace raises will go directly towards keeping Door 84’s doors open and making a difference in people’s lives. Every pound can help in so many ways – from enabling young people to attend our youth sessions in a safe, warm space where they can relax and be themselves, to providing resources for our food bank, or funding activities for our adult social groups for people with disabilities. Quite simply, your support helps us continue to reach those who need it most and enhance lives across York.
For Grace, crossing the finish line will be a proud moment. “I will be so proud of how hard I have worked for months, and how I have been able to do this whilst raising money for such an incredible cause.”
We’re so proud of Grace for taking on this challenge, and we’ll be cheering her on every step of the way. You can cheer her on too – and support Door 84 – by donating to her Crowdfunder page:
Help Grace meet her target by donating here
Pedal for Purpose – 84 Miles for Door 84!
We’re raising funds to help our community get active through inclusive sports and movement-based sessions – from youth clubs trying new activities to our SPARKS project attendees enjoying bowling trips and more.
These opportunities build confidence, skills, and friendships – but they come at a cost, and that’s why we’ve launched Pedal for Purpose.
On Wednesday 22nd October, a static bike will take centre stage in our café at Door 84, Lowther Street, York.
Volunteers (and anyone who pops by!) will pedal all day to hit a target of 84 miles – the same as cycling from Old Trafford to York!
Whether you ride for a few minutes or a few miles, every push of the pedal helps.
Funds raised will support our Youth “Get Active” sessions and SPARKS project, with any extra going straight back into running our community services.
Please cheer us on, join the ride, and donate if you can.
Together, we can keep York moving and connected!
To donate via our Crowdfunder page, click here
Thank you for your support.
Team Door 84 Takes On The York 10K
Team Door 84 consisted of 10 brilliant runners who took on the York 10K this year. They smashed it – doing a fantastic job from the start line to the finish, powering through the unpredictable York weather!
Thanks to their dedication and hard work, they’ve raised an amazing £1,616 – all of which will go directly towards helping us keep our services running and supporting people across the community.
A huge thank you as well to everyone who came out to cheer on Team Door 84 – your support made the atmosphere even more special and gave our runners a real boost!
Didn’t get a chance to donate yet? No worries – there’s still time!
Donate here
Running for a cause: Door 84 takes on the York 10K!
We’re lacing up our trainers and hitting the streets for the York 10K, all to raise vital funds for our charity.
Join us in cheering on Team Door 84 as they run, jog, walk, and inspire – every step making a real difference. On Sunday 3rd August, our dedicated team will be taking on the scenic York 10K route, starting at 9.30am. Our amazing team of fundraisers are getting stuck in to support the work we do here at Door 84.
From our vibrant youth sessions and fun Sparks project to our essential Food Bank and welcoming Community Café, Door 84 supports individuals and families across the city to lead happy, safe, and fulfilled lives.
Why Your Support Matters: More Than Just a Run
Every step taken by Team Door 84 helps us continue our vital work. Your generous donations directly help support:
- Youth Sessions: Providing safe spaces and engaging activities for young people in York.
- Community Support: Offering practical help and a sense of belonging through our Food Bank and Community Café.
- Reducing Isolation: Helping individuals thrive in a social setting, build confidence, skills, and connections for a brighter tomorrow.
We are immensely grateful to every single person who has joined our fundraising efforts.
Spot the Door 84 Crew!
If you’re heading into town on the day – keep an eye out for the Door 84 crew! Our team will be dotted around the city giving out high-fives, cheering runners on, and spreading some classic Door 84 energy!
Join Us in Making a Difference – Donate Today!
Want to support our amazing runners and contribute to a fantastic cause? You can donate right now and help us reach our fundraising goal. Every single pound makes a tangible difference to the lives of people in York.
DONATE HERE
Let’s go, Team Door 84!
Roar for Door 84 at this year’s race!
We’re off to the races again – quite literally! Team Roar for Door 84 is gearing up for the 2025 York Dragon Boat Race on Sunday 13th July, and we’re bringing the energy, the oars, and the community spirit with us!
Teaming up once again with our fantastic rowers from, John Wright Electrical & Mechanical Services and RotaCloud, we’re more determined than ever to paddle our way to victory.
You might remember us from last year – in 2024, ‘Roar for Door 84’ proudly took home The Charity Trophy as the fastest charity team and even powered our way into the finals! This year, we’re not just hoping to reclaim that trophy; we’re aiming for an even higher finish in the overall standings.
The Dragon Boat Race raises money for a number of brilliant causes nominated by the Rotary Club of York – and our team is also racing to raise vital funds for Door 84 Youth & Community Centre. Every donation goes directly toward helping us continue to support young people, adults with additional needs, and the wider York community.
We’d love to see you there! Join us by the river next to Lendal Bridge on race day to cheer us on.
Can’t make it in person? You can still make a huge difference by donating online.
Click here to donate to Team Roar for Door 84!
Every penny helps us empower people to lead happy, safe, and fulfilled lives. Thank you for getting behind us – we couldn’t do it without you!
Let’s make some noise (and maybe some waves) for Door 84!
Footsteps Raised £10,140!
Well that’s a wrap on this particular fundraising activity and what an amazing response!
In the past few weeks almost 200 of you have generously donated, resulting in an amazing total of £10,140 to provide food to our community in York.
I set out with an aim to raise £3,500 which was Door 84’s typical annual bill for Fareshare food. Having almost tripled that amount, Door 84 is now able to do more to help alleviate hunger across York over the coming year. They will be able to increase the quantity of food purchased and distributed through their Community Cafe.
The substantial excess that has been raised gives Door 84 the ability to confidently plan food-based support which is the foundation to a lot of the services they provide. Food gets people through the doors, and once they come the relationship starts and as the team learns more they can help people in other ways to enable them to build a better life. £1000 of the money will be used on administration and staff costs to run the cafe, including gathering quantitative and qualitative data on how this money benefits our community. This investment will support Door 84 in further funding bids by providing evidence of the impact they can deliver, something all grant-making organisations ask for so it is fundamental to our sustainability. There may also be the flexibility to offer some community food hampers as needed and support the youth team with food for their sessions as well.
A particular thank you to all those at Aviva who have supported this campaign. Aviva not only supported as a company by match-funding donations to the tune of almost £2000, but over 100 employees of Aviva selected this campaign out of a whole host of projects, as the one they wanted to support as part of their employee giving scheme. This has made a huge difference to the total raised and it’s great to have the support of a large local employer not just at a company level, but knowing the individual employees are all supporting Door 84 too.
When Door 84 set up this Footsteps for Food Campaign, we anticipated that it would be a combination of events that would get us to our target of £3,500 – the Yorkshire 3 Peaks challenge and 10 people running the York 10K on behalf of Door 84. Having smashed the target from the Yorkshire 3 Peaks, the York 10K sponsorship will be used to further support Door 84’s work for the community, with food being the foundation. Footsteps for Food – Part 2 will be launched soon and the funds will further support our goal of alleviating food poverty in our immediate community in the Groves and the wider York community across York.
To each and every one of you who have donated, myself and the entire team at Door 84 would like to say a huge THANK YOU for helping to make the lives of our community in York that little bit better.
Best wishes to you all.
Sue
Step by Step for Door 84: Tackling the Yorkshire Three Peaks
The day had finally come and what a great incentive I had. More than £4000 had been pledged by nearly 50 supporters, so there was no way I could give up. Thankfully I had company as the day was a social event for members of FitClub York, so it was a group of 12 of us who met at 6.30am and set off for the first peak, Pen-y-Ghent.
Early morning enthusiasm meant we tackled it with vigour, reaching the top around 8am and enjoying the fact we had ticked one off.
Then it was the long walk along the valley, past the Ribblehead viaduct and up the gradual incline of Whernside. It was along this stretch where we were overtaken by a number of fell runners doing the 3 Peaks Fell race. As we trudged along, the distance starting to take it’s toll, we had a bit of a surprise as Yorkshire legend and Olympian Alistair Brownlee ran past looking like he was taking a jog in the park!
At the top of Whernside we celebrated that we were more than half way round with 2 peaks under our belt.
The walk down was nearly enough to finish me off. A seemingly endless staircase of stone slabs to protect the moorland took us down the side of Whernside and eventually to where there was a very welcome chance for a breather and refreshment at a farm just outside Chapel-le-Dale. Everyone was suffering by this point, either cramp, blisters or aching joints were the topic of conversation but after a breather we all egged each other on to tackle the final 13km and up 400m to the top of Ingleborough, the last peak to be conquered. A steep zigzagging scramble gave great views back over the miles we had covered since Ribblehead, and a sense of achievement started to creep in as we knew we were nearing the end.
One thing that made the day more enjoyable was the sense of fun and shared experience amongst all the groups doing the 3 Peaks challenge that day. Lots of charity fundraising was happening, some were just doing it for the fun, but everyone was supporting one another and acknowledging that whatever level of fitness you had it was a tough walk and a day that we would all remember for a long time. This was really evident at the top of Ingleborough. Everybody was relieved to have reached the last peak and know that it was only downhill from there onwards. We celebrated with chocolate and then started the long path down back to Horton-in-Ribblesdale.
By this point we were all looking forward to the meal we had booked in a local pub. However by this stage, our legs were not capable of speed as every step was painful so it was another two and a half hours before we finally made it to the car. What a day!!
A huge thank you to all my sponsors, and to Aviva Community Fund for providing the match-funding.
The Door 84 community will now benefit from the funds that have been raised, and I look forward to seeing the team when I’m back in the office.
Just don’t ask me to run up or down the stairs – please!!