Communities where everyone can flourish | Our new 5-year plan
by Celia McKeon, Chief Executive Officer, Two Ridings Community Foundation
Across North and East Yorkshire, people are stepping up every day to support each other. Running food hubs and warm spaces. Breaking down barriers and creating opportunities for people to learn new skills. Helping families stay afloat and stay hopeful. Bringing people together to build friendships, tackle challenges and create community.
These are the actions that change lives. And as we look ahead to the next five years, they’re also the foundation of the future we’re planning for.
This work doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because people choose to give, and because community groups have the resources they need to act.
That’s where Two Ridings comes in.
We’re here to help people and businesses give with purpose, so that this collective community impact continues to grow. Together, we turn generosity into real, lasting change. And we do it in a way that is grounded by our values – rooted, inclusive and accountable.
Our Vision is simple: communities where everyone can flourish – today, and for generations to come.
Our Mission is to inspire giving that brings people together, strengthens community, and makes life better for everyone in North & East Yorkshire.
Our new 5‑year plan is built on what we’ve heard directly from community groups across our region. They’ve told us that, across the board, demand for services exceeds the capacity to meet it. That they are dealing with issues that were previously dealt with by statutory organisations, and supporting people with increasingly complex individual needs. They’ve observed that the fault-lines within and between communities are growing, pointing to the need for work to build trust and inclusion. They’ve warned us that high levels of deprivation, unemployment, poor physical and mental wellbeing, isolation and loneliness, combined with low levels of education and social mobility, make it hard to build safe, inclusive, thriving communities. They are asking for an urgent shift towards more consistent, joined-up support, that addresses both crisis situations and enables long-term wellbeing and prevention.
For these reasons, our 5-year plan focuses on the issues people tell us matter most, recognising the links between them all: tackling poverty, improving health and wellbeing, building stronger communities, championing equity and belonging, and taking action on climate.
And we will continue to focus on backing local community groups, who work day in, day out, to respond to these challenges, and create tangible improvements to people’s lives in the places where they live.
To achieve this, we’re focusing on three priorities that will guide everything we do:
1. Inspire and grow giving
Need across the region is rising, and all funding is under pressure. To address this, we’ll grow giving by building deeper relationships with donors, strengthening partnerships, and attracting new supporters—individuals and businesses—into our place based funds in York, Hull, Harrogate, Selby, Scarborough and surrounding areas, as well as our thematic funds.
We’ll give people meaningful ways to invest in their communities through legacy and corporate contributions, building our endowment and increasing unrestricted funding so groups can, in turn, build long term resilience.
Success means increasing annual grant‑making, expanding our network of committed donors and partners, and continuing to serve as a trusted home for community investment.
2. Fund and nurture community group
Community groups told us they need stability, trust and flexibility to drive change on the ground. That’s why we’re prioritising flexible, multiyear and unrestricted funding wherever possible – giving them the space and security to respond to local challenges and deliver lasting impact.
We’re also keen that people with direct experience of the work that we are funding are involved in determining how grants are allocated. We will continue to facilitate community panels, and increase the extent of participatory decision making in our grant processes, because we know that this improves the quality of the decisions. We remain committed to investing in leadership, through our HEY Confident Futures programme and network, and to providing more opportunities for shared learning, connections and collaboration.
3. Champion community-led impact
Too often, the crucial role that grassroots groups play in strengthening the social fabric of our communities is overlooked. We’ll change that by telling the stories that matter -showing the real impact of community action, from personal stories to wider change, and why it deserves investment.
By strengthening relationships with key partners, amplifying community voices, and sharing what works, we aim to grow our reach, influence policy decisions, and ensure community led change gets the recognition and support it deserves.
What makes this work possible
Behind the scenes, we’re strengthening the way we work so we can support communities for decades to come.
Our enablers keep us accountable and future ready: skilled and supported people; transparent and robust governance; strong, sustainable and responsible finance and investment; responsive digital systems; and simple, impactful communications. Together, these foundations ensure every pound given, partnership formed, and decision made is rooted in trust, excellence and lasting community impact.
Why this matters
At its heart, our 5‑year plan is about people. It’s about making sure that when someone needs a helping hand, there’s a local group there whom they can connect with. It’s about ensuring those groups have the funding, trust and backing not just to keep going, but to thrive. And it’s about giving donors a clear, powerful way to be part of that change.
Because communities flourish when people come together.
And together, that’s exactly what we’re here to do.