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.