York Cares is a partnership of some of the city’s leading employers who are committed to making York a better place through employee-volunteering. Founded in 2005  we have worked with employers based in the city to harness the power of collaboration. Aviva are one of the founding members of York Cares and have been part of our Board since we were founded. Our Chair, Jamie Kew-Robson, Chair York Cares and Head of Assurance UKGI Risk & Governance, Aviva, helps shape our strategic direction.

“York Cares is a fabulous charity with volunteering at its heart, bringing people and businesses together through a variety of employee-volunteering programmes, to make York an even better place to live and work.” 

Jamie Kew-Robson, Chair York Cares and Head of Assurance UKGI Risk & Governance, Aviva

To see the impact Aviva employees had on York through volunteering with York Cares last year, read this impact report.

We offer a range of employee-volunteering both for individuals and teams helping to raise aspirations; improve environmental sustainability and bridge the intergenerational divide. 

What are some of the benefits of volunteering?

• Experience the positive effect on wellbeing that volunteering brings

There’s plenty of evidence  that shows  the benefits of volunteering from a wellbeing perspective.  Contact us to see the different opportunities available  and experience it first hand

• Use your skills, knowledge and experience to benefit the community

Use your professional skills to inspire children and young people or to support older people to feel more connected through developing technical skills.

• Spend time with colleagues outside your normal working environment

Get out of the office and into the community. It’s not only the local community who will benefit, it’s your professional community too.

• Develop your network

Not only does getting involved in employee-volunteering give you the chance to mix with people who work in your organisation, it gives you the opportunity to meet people from other leading employers in York.

Our Programmes

To ensure that we are consistently responding to and targeting need in the city, we have three core programmes. Although York is perceived to be an affluent area, there are pockets of deprivation  and there are many people and areas that need our support. When choosing how to get involved, you can choose the programme that best resonates with you or best reflects your interests.

Aspirations - provides employability support to raise aspirations and enable people from all backgrounds and abilities to reach their full potential

Environment & Sustainability – group volunteering  on practical activities for the benefit of the environment and the long-term sustainability of our city

Social Connections - bringing younger and older people together through meaningful connections to bridge the intergenerational divide and reduce loneliness and social isolation

Our Campaigns

As well as our practical volunteering opportunities, we also coordinate  collections  to support different causes across York.

• Work Wardrobe - professional clothing is collected and donated to students to remove barriers to employment. 
• Seasonal Collections - building on the success of our Christmas Collections, in 2024 we launched our seasonal collections. These collections provide support throughout the year, not just Christmas  and by collecting throughout the year we are able to support more causes. 
• Christmas Collections: items are collected and delivered to charities in York to support their work; charities include KYRA, Refugee Action York, SASH, Spirit of Christmas and The Island.