A group of York students has won the opportunity to have their very own I-phone application developed after winning The App Challenge final, held at the Ron Cooke Hub on Wednesday, January 18.
YUSU Welfare officer Bob Hughes has warned students to be vigilant after a student loans phishing scam has been revealed.
Her Majesty the Queen will be visiting York on Maundy Thursday, 5th April, as part of the 800th anniversary of York’s Charter for the traditional “Royal Maundy” ceremony.
A flood caused by a heating system “failure” forced the university IT services to shut down many essential systems on Sunday night, causing problems for many students on the eve of their exams and assignment due-dates.
On Saturday, December 3, the organisation’s Eco-Active Day will offer people of all ages the opportunity to plant fruit trees, and there will be other activities such as crafts and storytelling to occupy children.
The event, meeting at the York Environment Centre and lasting from 10am-2pm with lunch and refreshments provided, will run alongside St Nicks’ regular Eco-Active Day session to ensure all the new fruit trees get planted.
On December 3, St Nicks is also running a recycled crafts stall at the Choose2Reuse fair, which is organised by York & North Yorkshire Waste Partnership and will be held at York Racecourse from 10am-4pm.
The fair offers the opportunity to buy some funky and ethical Christmas presents and showcases upcycled creations from local designers and collections of charity, vintage chic and customised goods, as well as putting on fashion shows, free workshops and craft activities where you can learn create something wonderful from reuse or recycled materials.
Then on Monday, December 5 the organisation is offering another chance for people to get involved in orchard planting at St Nicholas Fields with their Bearing Fruit Work Day.
The Bearing Fruit project is funded by Ecominds, a £7.5million funding scheme run by Mind on behalf of the BIG Lottery Fund and involves people with direct experience of mental distress in environmental projects to improve their mental and physical health, and local communities.
Running from 1-4pm, the event is working towards the project's goals of free fruit, personal growth, biodiversity and the building of skills, and allows involvement at many different levels, ranging from one-off workdays, orchard planning and preparation, documentation and promotional activity to involvement in the Core Group. Educational opportunities will be tailor-made to individuals to recognise both horticultural and life skills elements.
Robert Elliott, an Events and Outreach Team member at Friends of St Nicholas Fields, said: “The events are a great opportunity to be doing something useful outdoors, get lots of fresh air, maybe learn a new skill, get fit, meet like-minded people, drink cups of tea and find out more about our exciting Bearing Fruit project.
“Bearing Fruit is a new project all about growth. Growth in confidence, teamwork, skills and of course… fruit!
“This year and next, our Ecominds grant will enable the establishment of a community orchard. This will be part of a Local Nature Reserve that is being developed on a site which was once York’s landfill site. It will let volunteers with experience of mental health distress and volunteers from the wider community come together, have fun, learn, laugh, and make the most of being out in and improving a much valued green space.
“In time, our project will also provide an abundance of free local fruit, not to mention the benefits of greater biodiversity.”
St Nicks held a similar event last month, when almost 30 people turned up for the wildflower planting day, and the organisation is expecting a similar turnout for these orchard planting events.
Encouraging others to get involved, Elliott added: “Friends of St Nicholas Fields informs and educates people about sustainable living. Commitment to the charity is galvanised by the need to tackle climate change and address sustainability.
“It's a way of helping the community, Friends of St Nicholas Fields, is a great asset and achievement, land previously used for landfill was reclaimed to establish the nature reserve. The local nature reserve enhances quality of life and is an opportunity for us to find out about the living world. The people who work at the charity are friendly, welcoming and supportive.”
Others events held by St Nicks include bird walks around the nature reserve, nature talks, environmental education courses, Green Away days offering education about sustainability and conservation, and Wild Watch walks and talks every Wednesday to discover different species in the area.
For more details on any of the events, ring Jonathan on 01904 411821, email volunteer@stnicksfields.org.uk or visit St Nicks’ website. For more information about the Choose2Reuse fair see here.
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