Community action/Yorkshire and the Humber
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The gift of climate and ecological emergency is that we all get to work together. Ordinary citizens and community groups naturally share what they learn, and what they know of what helps. Everyone can help, everyone has something to offer, everyone is welcome. We all need to design, make and grow a better future for ourselves, our communities and our world. Together we CAN. Yes we CAN.
The aim of this page is to recognise, celebrate and encourage the self-empowerment of community agency networks (CANs) and community groups' activism across Yorkshire and the Humber. It's an introduction to local networks, groups, events, community resources and assets.
- Yorkshire and the Humber community climate action and ecological restoration is a separate page.
News
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What if we stopped treating social care like a service? A small village community in Yorkshire showed me another way, theconversation.com (Aug 20, 2026) - West Yorkshire moor brought under community ownership, thenews.coop (Oct 30, 2025) — Bridestones Moor, near Todmorden, will be managed by a CIC led by local ecologists, naturalists and residents
- Campaign launched to buy waterfall beauty spot, BBC News (Jul 17, 2025) — Campaigners say the community is ready to take responsibility for the future of the ancient woodland and waterfall
- Severe drought declared in six areas of England as reservoirs run low, theguardian.com (Oct 15, 2026)
- Ardingly Reservoir falls below 20% as drought persists, BBC News (Oct 14, 2026)
- A growing movement for perennials could play a key role in future food security, wickedleeks.riverford.co.uk (Oct 08, 2026) — In the wake of this summer’s drought and rising energy costs, there is renewed interest in perennial crops
- Citizens need to power Europe's future, demnext.substack.com (Oct 02, 2026) — The EU can enable new democratic institutions: in European countries; with a European Citizens’ Assembly as a 4th branch of government, and by legally enforcing the Global Citizens’ Assembly on AI, Claudia Chwalisz and Another Democratic Future
- Reclaiming the streets: the architects clawing back Europe’s car-centric spaces, theguardian.com (Sep 09, 2026) — The European Prize for Urban Public Space’s shortlist highlights projects helping people cope with climate crisis
- We’re the mayors of Paris, Milan and Phoenix. The heat crisis has us all facing the same question, Emmanuel Grégoire, Giuseppe Sala and Kate Gallego, theguardian.com (Sep 07, 2026) — Our three cities are learning from each other about how to protect residents. These climate policies are also public health measures
- Hunter Valley community group wins landmark high court climate change case over coalmine, theguardian.com (Oct 07, 2026) — Ruling on Mount Pleasant coalmine shows ‘we cannot continue to dig up coal … and pretend the consequences have nothing to do with us’, group says
- Citizens need to power Europe's future, demnext.substack.com (Oct 02, 2026) — The EU can enable new democratic institutions: in European countries; with a European Citizens’ Assembly as a 4th branch of government, and by legally enforcing the Global Citizens’ Assembly on AI, Claudia Chwalisz and Another Democratic Future
- Fifty Billion Seedlings: Can Ethiopia Replant Its Ravaged Forests?, e360.yale.edu (Oct 01, 2026)
Networks and sustainability initiatives
[edit | edit source]- Our Future, Grimsby celebrating its native resources, coming together as a community ready for the century's challenges. Our Future on youtube.com, added 10:18, 14 November 2024 (UTC)
- East Marsh United, community group from the East Marsh of Grimsby, dedicated to transforming where we live for the better. added 10:00, 9 July 2022 (UTC)
- Bradford Environmental Action Trust
- Green Futures, Grimsby
- Students for Sustainability, University of Huddersfield on facebook
- Bradford Community Environment Project
- Kirkbymoorside Environment Group
- Marsden & Slaithwaite Transition Towns
- Transition Richmond Yorkshire
CDC videos
[edit | edit source]Each week 3 different short videos from across the UK or world.
Community action/United Kingdom/Cycling activism, Community action/South East England/Saving water / ...This week's featured Global videos / ... read more about Cosmolocalism
Yorkshire and the Humber video
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UK and international events
[edit | edit source]UK events
Oct 1 - 7, 2026 (Thu - Wed) — National Vegetarian Week, discover delicious dishes and see how a veggie diet is a great choice for the planet, nationalvegetarianweek.org- Oct 04, 2026 (Sun) — Homeless Sunday, housingjustice.org.uk
- Oct 18, 2026 (Sun) — Church Action on Poverty Sunday, taking place each year on the Sunday closest to the International Day for the Eradication on Poverty, church-poverty.org.uk
Global or international events
- Oct 01, 2026 (Thu) — World Vegetarian Day, Oct 1 each year, bringing awareness to the ethical, environmental, health, and humanitarian benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle, worldvegetarianday.navs-online.org
- Oct 02, 2026 (Fri) — International Day of Non-Violence, observed each year on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, un.org
- Oct 07, 2026 (Wed) — World Day for Decent Work, October 7 is the World Day for Decent Work, ituc-csi.org
- Oct 10, 2026 (Sat) — World Mental Health Day, Oct 10, annually, wmhdofficial.com
- Oct 10, 2026 (Sat) — World Homeless Day, Oct 10 each year, drawing attention to homeless people’s needs locally and provide opportunities for the community to get involved in responding to homelessness, worldhomelessday.org
- Oct 10, 2026 (Sat) — World Migratory Bird Day, worldmigratorybirdday.org
- Oct 13, 2026 (Tue) — International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, Oct 13, annually, promoting a global culture of natural disaster reduction, including prevention, mitigation, and preparedness, un.org
- Oct 16, 2026 (Fri) — World Food Day, celebrated every year around the world on 16 October, often with a focus on food security, fao.org
- Oct 17, 2026 (Sat) — International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, Oct 17 each year, honouring victims of poverty, hunger, violence and fear, with participation by the poorest of people an important aspect of the observance of the Day, un.org
- Oct 17, 2026 (Sat) — International Repair Day, annual celebration for everyone who makes repair happen in their communities around the world. "Repair for Everyone"., openrepair.org
2021-2030, UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, International community action events
Community involvement
[edit | edit source]- Kirklees Democracy Commission, "We're growing a stronger local", democracycommission.org.uk, link checked 17:15, 13 October 2022 (UTC)
- Heading Upstream Published, Major report outlining Barnsley's success in promoting social justice through citizen and community action, 2017, citizen-network.org, link checked 09:19, 8 February 2025 (UTC)
Localism
[edit | edit source]- Supporting community business in Yorkshire and the Humber, powertochange.org.uk, added 11:45, 13 November 2021 (UTC)
- Yorkshire Party, building a stronger Yorkshire in a fairer UK
Community and voluntary action
[edit | edit source]Hambleton Community Action, Northallerton
Community resources video
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Food activism
[edit | edit source]- Community Allotment Growing Newsome
- Community orchard Growing Newsome
- Incredible Edible Todmorden (Community group)
- Todmorden's edible green route, on urbanpollinators.co.uk
- Incredible Edible Wakefield
- theshipleyfoodproject
Land activism
[edit | edit source]- Yorkshire, landjustice.uk, added 10:25, 7 January 2022 (UTC)
Social inclusion
[edit | edit source]For multiple deprivation in England, measured by the Indices of deprivation 2007, the most deprived council districts in the region are, in descending order – Kingston upon Hull (11th in England), Bradford (32nd), Doncaster (41st), Barnsley (43rd), North East Lincolnshire (49th), Sheffield (63rd), Wakefield (66th), Rotherham (68th), Kirklees (82nd), Leeds (85th), and Scarborough (97th). These areas are mostly represented by Labour MPs, with a few Conservative MPs representing parts of Leeds (with a Lib Dem MP) and North East Lincolnshire, and all of Scarborough. Apart from Scarborough, they are unitary authorities.
The least deprived districts are, in descending order – Harrogate, Hambleton, Richmondshire, Craven, and Selby – all in North Yorkshire. Like all of North Yorkshire, they are represented by Conservative MPs, aside from Selby which elected a Labour MP at the 2023 Selby and Ainsty by-election. At county level, the least deprived areas are, in descending order – North Yorkshire, York and the East Riding of Yorkshire which all have roughly the same level of deprivation, and lower than the majority of England, including Cheshire and Northamptonshire.
The region as a whole is one of the more deprived in England, measured by having far more Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs) in the 20% most deprived districts than the 20% least deprived districts.
Kingston upon Hull has the highest proportion of people not in education, employment or training NEETs in the region (and fairly high for the UK – 10.6%). This is another demographic extreme it shares with Knowsley in Merseyside.
In March 2011 the region had the third highest overall unemployment claimant count in England with 4.4%. For the region, Hull has the highest rate with 7.8% which is the highest for any English district; North East Lincolnshire is next with 6.4%, and Doncaster has 5.2%. Richmondshire has the lowest rate with 1.8% and Harrogate is next lowest with 1.9%. W
Social care
[edit | edit source]- Esk Valley Camphill Community, Live Together. Work Together. Grow Together. added 10:50, 27 August 2026 (UTC)
Community resources
[edit | edit source]Citizens data initiative
Who Owns My Neighbourhood?, Kirklees land ownership data
Commons
[edit | edit source]- Long Lands Common, added 16:20, 3 August 2020 (UTC)
Reduce, reuse, repair and recycle
[edit | edit source]- Repair Cafe, The Tech, Holmfirth, holmfirthtech.co.uk
About Yorkshire and the Humber
[edit | edit source]Past events
- May 5 Calder Bootstrap 2017, "a group of entrepreneurs, co-operators, activists and changemakers, looking to engage our community to co-create our next economy."
Campaigns
- Frack Free East Yorkshire, Coalition of Groups Opposed to Extreme Energy
Yorkshire and the Humber is one of the nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. It is one of the three regions covering Northern England, alongside the North West England and North East England regions, and covers the historic and cultural Yorkshire area.
Near you
[edit | edit source]| Authors | Phil Green |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-3.0 |
| Cite as | Phil Green (2014–2026). "Community action/Yorkshire and the Humber". Appropedia. Retrieved October 19, 2026. |