The Yorkshire Garden Centres group has announced that Yorkshire Children's Charity will be its Charity of the Year for 2024 following a unanimous team vote.

Through a series of fund-raising events and collection boxes at the tills, the teams at Yorkshire Garden Centres' four sites at Tong, Tingley, Otley, and Bingley plus Dean's of York and Scarborough hope to raise £20,000 for the independent charity that aims to transform childhoods and improve the lives of thousands of disadvantaged children in Yorkshire.

The Charity of the Year fundraising is managed by a committee led by the People and Culture team. YGC's Group People and Culture Manager, Steph Harrison said: "Yorkshire Children's Charity aims to make sure no child or young person is left behind due to ill health, disability, or financial circumstance. They help children be who they want to be and get where they want to go, and we're very proud to support the great work that they do."

Plans to raise funds include a cycling sportive organised by the group's directors, a sponsored Three Peaks walk, a Total Warrior challenge plus in-house raffles, bake-off competitions, and collections. A group of 18 cyclists kicked off the fundraising with a challenging 85k cycle ride in the hilly Yorkshire Wolds that raised £4,600 for the charity last weekend.

"We are continuously blown away by the strength of the Yorkshire brand and our ability as a region to come together to do the right thing for children and young people who need our help. So, to find a partner in Yorkshire Garden Centres who so clearly aligns with our vision and mission is just fantastic," said Charlotte Farrington, CEO and Founder of Yorkshire Children's Charity.

Yorkshire Children's Charity was established in 2022 and exists to make things better for children and young people living at a disadvantage in Yorkshire. Through its grant-giving arm, the charity's work takes the pressure off children, young people, and their families by relieving their immediate struggles. Longer term, through intervention-focused project work, the charity aims to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty, resulting in happier, healthier, and more independent children and young people, who are empowered to meet their potential and have the most fulfilling life possible.

To contribute to Yorkshire Garden Centres' fundraising, please visit https://bit.ly/YGCYCC

Since Tong Garden Centre was acquired in 2015, the team and supporters have raised over £80,000 for charity. Previous beneficiaries of the Charity of the Year initiative include Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Forget Me Not Children's Hospice, Luke's Lads,Butterflies Mental Health, The Cellar Trust, Candlelighters and National Literacy Trust. In addition, the team has supported hundreds of smaller charities in the local community through its Kindness Pot initiative.

The Yorkshire Garden Centres (YGC) group comprises Tong, Tingley, Otley and Bingley Garden Centres and the recently acquired Dean's York and Scarborough. Otley and Bingley Garden Centres were known as Stephen H Smith's before they were acquired by YGC in 2022.