It's Your City project

 
 

From the 9th-20th October 2023 the YoYo team will be hosting 14 primary schools from across York for our 'It's Your City' project, a heritage trail experience around York, helping children to discover seven men and women of faith who have had an impact in shaping the spiritual landscape of our city. This project brings together the YoYo team with volunteers from churches across our city, as we seek to bless our local schools. With rising pressures on school finances affecting so many of our local schools, YoYo wanted to offer this project as a free, stimulating and memorable learning experience in the heart of our city. 

If you would like to donate to this project please visit our Crowdfunder page here

Celebrating the life of HM Queen Elizabeth II

YoYo would like to pay tribute to Her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. Much has been said about her faith, her service and her commitment over the days since she passed away. She was a shining example to us all in how to serve and care for each other. Our Executive Officer, Tony Bower has written a poem in commemoration of Queen Elizabeth. He has also written a poem relating to the story of the Good Samaritan, the Queen’s favourite Bible story. YoYo was blessed to receive a reply on behalf of The Queen acknowledging our 25th Anniversary last year. The poems and the letter are below for you to read as you perhaps reflect on your own memories of the late Queen.

 

Queen of hearts 

You humbled yourself

And devoted yourself 

And pledged yourself

Before the King

Who wears

a crown of thorns 

And you Your Majesty

were crowned 

With humility and compassion 

That touched this nation

That blessed this population

That graced this world

That inspired this world

With faithful 

faith filled service

As you remained anchored 

To your everlasting 

Saviour and Lord

And our lives are grateful

And our hearts are thankful

For you Queen Elizabeth

And all of the memories

And all of the legacies 

You have graciously given us 

Our

Humble

Servant

Monarch 

God bless you

And keep you

In His Kingdom

Of eternal grace

A Samaritan Speaks

Some people ask me

Why I didn’t walk on by

Why not leave his fate

And his future

To the circling 

Ravaging 

Vulture

In the sky

Why help someone

With a different religion

And culture

He wasn’t my kith or kin

A different shade of skin

and yet how can my heart forget

Or choose to neglect

This fallen man

In the human race

How can I choose to neglect 

Or my heart forget 

That no matter the differences

Whether enemies or friends

We all live together

In the worlds’ neighbourhood 

That there is a deeper brotherhood

That binds us

Not divides us

That kindness does not discriminate 

That compassion does not eliminate

Anyone in the human race

Anyone in need of an act 

Of grace

So I went out of my way

Sacrificed my pay

Walked the extra mile

Night 

And day

Until wounds were bound

Until a hotel was found

Until I put this injured soul

Back onto solid ground

 

Why did I help him?

Why didn’t I just 

Look away

Walk away that day?

 

How could I?

It could have been 

Me

Lying by the roadside

It could have been 

You

With no place to hide

And if I could do anything 

For 

Anyone

I would

Any boy

Any girl

Any woman

Or any man

Can act 

Like a 

Good 

Samaritan 

 

Wouldn’t you?