Open Country Yorkshire

14/10/2026

Thank you to our volunteer superstar Sally who organised a coffee morning supporting Open Country at Gracious Street Methodist Church, Knaresborough.

The generosity of those who popped in to enjoy home-made scones and a cuppa meant almost £200 was raised, and will make a real difference to us.

Thank you to all concerned 👏

14/10/2026

York Tandem Club Glow Ride 🌟

A riot of colour, lights, noise and chaos around the city last night! Lots of fun for our last ride of the season 💚

A video clip shows a group of tandems and riders who are bedecked with bright lights, hi-vis jackets and fairy lights. It is dark and they are about to sett off from outside York Minster, which is illuminated,

13/10/2026

You know it's time for the tandem season to end when the Bird Bingo comes out...

13/10/2026

The second of our 'Out There Together in The Park' events saw us doing a Poetry Workshop at Frickley Country Park with Helen Wilby.

A Walk Under the Rainbow of Life:
Climbing the now green hills in our different ways,
Kestrels and buzzards soaring above.
Where once the black coal was mined,
Below us the sleeping Barnsley Bed.
We are joined in walking like the war time mines,
Feeling the safety in our numbers.
Huffing and puffing up to the top,
Views of factories, houses and football pitches,
Dogs walking in paradise.
We feel freedom in the blowy sunshine,
Sharing the moment Out There Together.
Back in the day when life was simple,
A time of innocence and safety,
When weather was more predictable,
When neighbours could talk about old times.
The upright rocks guide us.
The look of a rainbow can change your mood.

With thanks to Wakefield Council

12/10/2026

🎉We have some lovely fundraising news to share!

We're delighted to announce that Open Country came second in the Skipton Building Society Community Fund at their Harrogate branch, securing £600 in funding.

A massive thank you to everyone who voted for us and helped spread the word. Your support really does mean everything to us. 💚

🚐 Meanwhile, our minibus campaign is still going strong, as we work towards our £88,000 target to raise funds for a new electric minibus. Every bit of support brings us closer to making it happen.

If you haven't seen it yet, please take a look at the wonderful campaign video Tom created to show why our minibuses make such a difference.

Want to support our minibus campaign? You can find out more an donate through our Givey page here: https://www.givey.com/newelectricminibusforopencountry

Every donation and share is hugely appreciated! 💚






https://youtu.be/abyhb1bY_5Q?is=pyHqtmcpPWo2A7MN

For Open Country our minibuses serve as lifelines to members. Witho...

12/10/2026

Last weekend, we had our first session from our brand new 'Out There Together in The Park' programme.

We had a fantastic adapted Pilates session with Rose from BodyBeats Fitness

Here's what people said about the session:
'Absolutely brilliant', 'enjoyable', 'relaxing', 'fun', 'therapeutic', 'sociable'.

We've got plenty more on offer over the coming months - why not give something a try!

These sessions are supported by Wakefield Council

10/10/2026

Our York walkers made a trip over to the beautiful market town of Masham today. A sunshiny but blustery day, the group enjoyed a wander along the River Ure to Marfield Nature Reserve and back. Followed of course by a cafe stop for tea & cake! (No pictures, too busy eating 😋)

10/10/2026

Our keen naturalists spent the day on the bog - namely Askham Bog near York. Highlights included sunbathing dragonflies and a Royal Fern as big as a person! We loved the brilliant new accessible boardwalk too - hats off to Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

08/10/2026

☕️ A little reminder! ☕️

Just a reminder about the Coffee Morning being organised by our wonderful volunteer Sally, in aid of Open Country. 💚

📅 Saturday 10th October
⏰ 10am – 12 noon
📍 Knaresborough United Reformed Church Hall
🚪 Entrance on Windsor Road

If you’re nearby, please pop along, enjoy a coffee and a scone, and support Sally’s fundraising efforts.

Thank you, Sally, for everything you do for us! 💚

08/10/2026

Our Thursday Walking Group enjoyed lunch at the wonderful gritstone outcrops known as the 'Spofforth Spires'. Boulder? We're getting bolder by the minute!