VIY secures funding from York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority to deliver Community Retrofit programme

The funding forms part of more than £6.5 million awarded across York and North Yorkshire to support innovative projects reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping the region move towards its ambition of becoming England’s first carbon negative region by 2040. The programme sits within the wider Carbon Negative Challenge Fund delivered by the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, supported by David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.

Programme overview

The Community Retrofit Demonstrator projects will:

• Improve energy efficiency in community buildings through retrofit works
• Provide hands-on green skills training, mentoring and qualifications for young people
• Upskill local tradespeople in retrofit and sustainable construction
• Engage over 1,000 local residents through open days and workshops

First project completed in Scarborough

The first project has now been completed at Betton Farm, Scarborough where a workshop barn was upgraded with:

• Roof insulation improvements
• Thermal upgrades to reduce heat loss
• Internal refurbishment to improve functionality and comfort

Community open day

As part of the project, VIY also hosted its first community retrofit open day at Betton Farm, which welcomed 59 attendees, including industry guests, local residents and trade partners. Special guest Katy Robinson, UK’s Most Influential Woman in Construction (CITB), also attended, see what she had to say about her visit at Betton Farm here.

People took part in tours, discussions and a retrofit survey, with most saying they left feeling more informed about retrofit and its benefits. It was a really positive sign of growing interest and understanding around greener buildings.

Empowering young people with green skills and qualifications

We’ve had 20 young people take part in the first Retrofit Demonstrator project at Betton Farm, referred by North Yorkshire Council, Scarborough TEC, Supporting Choice and the Youth Justice Service.

They’ve been learning practical retrofit skills, including working with insulation, with most working towards City & Guilds and NOCN accreditations.

A core aim of the programme is to help young people build the skills they need as the UK moves towards a lower-carbon future.

Building on wider retrofit work

The North Yorkshire programme builds on VIY’s growing national portfolio of retrofit and regeneration projects, including previous work supported by initiatives such as the Hornsea 3 Community Fund in Norfolk, and community refurbishment projects across Bristol and the South West.

In Bristol, VIY has been supported by the Bristol City Leap Community Energy Fund, a partnership working to accelerate low-carbon infrastructure and help the city reach net zero. As part of this work, we’re developing multiple community retrofit projects with partners including Bristol Energy Network, the Centre for Sustainable Energy and the West of England Combined Authority.

Across all of this work, the focus stays the same: improving community spaces so they’re warmer, cheaper to run and better for the environment, while giving young people real, practical skills they can build a future on.

We’re excited to deliver this programme and build on the momentum already created. With more projects to come across North Yorkshire and beyond, there’s plenty more to look forward to.

➡️ If you’d like to find out more or talk about working with VIY on retrofit, get it touch with our Retrofit and Green Skills Director at tom@teamviy.com.

VIY partners with MVT to support grassroots music venues

We’re proud to be partnering with MVT to launch Stay The Night and Feel At Home, two programmes of capital improvements in grassroots music venues across the UK. Funded by the grassroots levy, a £1 contribution per ticket on shows over 5,000 capacity, distributed by the LIVE Trust, these programmes are about practical, on-the-ground improvements where they matter most.

• Stay The Night transforms underused venue space into artist accommodation, helping reduce touring costs and easing one of the biggest financial pressures facing live music today.
• Feel At Home upgrades backstage spaces so artists arrive somewhere that’s welcoming, functional, and ready to support them.

This isn’t just about improving buildings – it’s about improving the conditions artists work in, making touring healthier, fairer and more sustainable. At the same time, the projects support NEET and at-risk young people to learn hands-on trade skills and boost their employability skills.

These are not grant schemes and venues do not receive funding or manage construction. Instead, projects are fully delivered by MVT and VIY, removing barriers to participation and ensuring high-quality outcomes.

Bev Whitrick, COO at MVT says: “This partnership is about fixing real, structural problems in the grassroots touring ecosystem. We know that rising costs, particularly accommodation, are making touring increasingly difficult. Stay the Night addresses that directly, while Feel At Home ensures artists are properly supported when they arrive. At the same time, these projects create meaningful opportunities for young people to gain skills and experience. It’s practical, it’s immediate, and it delivers long-term impact for both venues and communities.”

First Completed Project: Voodoo Daddy’s, Norwich

Our first project is now complete at Voodoo Daddy’s in Norwich, where the grassroots venue has expanded into a newly acquired neighbouring building. The project has created dedicated, self-contained artist accommodation alongside upgraded backstage facilities, transforming previously unsuitable space into practical infrastructure for touring artists. This includes a living area in the new building, with six bunk beds, a shower room, a kitchenette and a functioning toilet.

Ben Street ,Voodoo Daddy’s Venue Manager says: “It’s been amazing to be involved with MVT’s Stay The Night initiative and see our green room transformed into an artist accommodation space. Working alongside the VIY team, the mentors and young people that have helped with the project has been a real pleasure and it feels good to know that they’ll be gaining valuable vocational experience and accreditation here too. The work has already had an impact by allowing us to book in a number of international acts who were struggling to make a show work in Norwich but were happy to confirm once they knew we could offer nice and convenient accommodation right by the venue!” 

Five further projects have now been approved across the North East, Yorkshire, the Midlands and South East London, with additional match funding identified to support delivery across England and Wales. The next phase of the programme will prioritise venues in Scotland and the South West of England.

We’re excited to continue working with MVT to deliver more projects that support grassroots venues, strengthen the touring ecosystem, and create meaningful opportunities for young people across the UK.