A new type of event is making waves in York. Designed to create positive and meaningful change from the ground up, STEW focuses on community building and grassroots giving to make the city a fairer and more inclusive place.
STEW: Round Two (the second of its kind) took place on 8th October at the Bluebird Bakery in Acomb and was designed to give local people the power to decide how money is spent. At a time when people are calling for change, the success of STEW proves that there is an appetite for spaces where communities can join together and intentionally do things differently, driving progress that works for everyone, not just the few.
Local people gathered on the night to eat together, chat with like-minded people, and hear pitches from grassroots groups in the area. The three groups that presented on the night were – The Land, The Mixed Bag Players, and Over the Rainbow Café.
Each pitch was only 4 minutes long and filled with passion, and once they were over, the audience was asked to vote for their favourite. The group with the most votes won the majority of the nights’ funding prize pot, which came to £561 overall. This funding was raised through ticket sales and the generosity of those who attended and should help groups bring their project to life.
The Mixed Bag Players won the most votes and walked away with the lion’s share of the funding, £361. They’ll use this in their mission to create theatre performances by and for people in recovery from addiction or mental illness.
Tom and Jay from the Mixed Bag Players said:
“We are buzzing that we won, it was a really good feeling. We could tell that the people in the audience were really listening to what we were saying and from our conversations afterwards, we felt that people understood what it is that we want to achieve.
The atmosphere was warm, welcoming, and mutually supportive. It didn’t feel like we were in competition with the other pitchers, and in fact, we think that there are opportunities to collaborate, which we are going to explore.”
York Together (the small collective that hosts STEW) plans to run more of these events in the future, using them not only to provide financial support to grassroots projects but to connect local people.
Anjelica Finnegan, York Togethers’ Development Lead, said:
“STEW isn’t just about the money; it’s about a sense of belonging. In a world that feels more polarised than ever, it’s important to create spaces for people to come together and reimagine what might help make York a more just, fair, and sustainable city. The beauty of this type of funding is that it’s direct, it’s transparent, and most importantly, it’s powered by local people choosing to back each other.”