Food is anticipated to be core to YoCo’s position on York Central, as it is central to everyone’s existence. Many ideas have been discussed but all of them have required the sustaining nature of cake. Fortunately, Caroline has some good recipes and has made them part of most YoCo meetings!

Though now an artist, as a long term (now retired) delicatessen owner, she has been a passionate advocate of the role of good food in our lives. It brings people together.

Chris is a retired university teacher and researcher specialising in cultural policy. As the Focal Point of York UNESCO City of Media Arts he fosters links with 25 Media Arts Cities and the wider Creative Cities Network and liaises with creative sector organisations in York and beyond. He was the first Master of the Guild of Media Arts, subsequently serving as its Clerk until 2023. He previously chaired the board of Pilot Theatre, and remains a Director of Make It York.

Fay is an Organisational Development Practitioner in the Civil Service and studying a degree in 3D Art. She is interested how we can live in ways that enable all parts of society to flourish; where people can feel connected with themselves, each other, and the planet.

Helen worked with Phil to facilitate the My York Central public engagement, teaches heritage studies at the University of Leeds and is interested in how YoCo can bring to life and model democratic culture and community wealth building in ways that might spill over into the whole of the York Central site and beyond into York.

Helen is a Director of YoCo.

Joanne is a coach-facilitator who lives and works in York. She has been involved with My Future York on different projects and is inspired by the model of community engagement which finds fruition in YoCo. Joanne is increasingly aware that how we connect with one another locally will have wider impact.

Jai is a designer with passion for nature and sustainability. He likes to get stuck in on making the future visible, and anything to do with trees. Jai’s a co-founder of Wild Streets: a tool to make cities greener and more biodiverse through participatory democracy. He’s also one of the creators of Wild York, an interactive map of the city's green spaces; and designs and makes permaculture landscapes.

James runs a design practice that specialises in low carbon architecture and community led projects. He is co-founder and Director of YorSpace, a CLT that’s creating financially & environmentally sustainable, community led homes in York. He is a future resident of Lowfield Green Housing Co-op; the city's first co-housing community.

Julia works across disciplines; as poet, performer, ceramicist and researcher, developing different approaches to both artistic practice and project management. She is a Trustee at Commonword in Manchester, managed the British Library Inside Story programme working alongside Mark Hildred, and has worked with the RSA programming across the North of England.

Nigel is a Chartered Surveyor with 30 years’ experience working in the Estates teams of several public sector bodies, dealing with the full range of issues related to managing a varied national estate. He has an interest in ensuring the proposed new urban environment in York becomes a great place to live for all.

Nigel is a Director of YoCo.

Penny has 30+ years in paid work managing multi-purpose community organisations in York and Leeds. She is engaged in feminist campaigns and organising, additionally more recently with Edible York and York Environment Forum and has an academic background in Sociology and Social Policy.

Penny is a Director of YoCo.

Phil is an Architect and Passivhaus Designer. He lives in, and cycles around, York and currently thinks much about the past and the future. He runs an architectural practice, and collaborates with Helen Graham as My Future York, seeking ways to foster conversations about our shared future.

Phil is a Director of YoCo.

Sarah has over 20 years of housing and development experience from across both private and not-for profit organisations around the world; from business development, social investment and consultancy, and is the Group Development Lead at the regional Community led Housing Enabler Hub, covering North Yorkshire and East Riding.

She was first involved in community led housing in Florida when she volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and Sarasota Community Trust.

Since returning back to the UK she wanted to find solutions to the UK housing crisis and the impact that had on people and the economy. Sarah is the Co-Founder and Current Chairperson of Harrogate CLT. She is passionate about the power communities can have to create a more equitable land and housing system.

She strongly believes that community led housing has huge potential to help communities create places that work for them which is the reason why she became involved with YOCO and feels that York Central presents a once in a lifetime opportunity.