St Helen's Square in York transformed by volunteers

St Helen’s Square in York is the latest area to benefit from York BID’s Rejuvenation Days, which saw nearly 100 volunteers repaint and clean street furniture, including benches, bike racks, and bollards.

The project was sponsored by Portakabin and involved support from residents and businesses, including Hilton York, Trustmarque, GMI Construction, and Nestle.

Carl Alsop, operations manager at York BID, said: "We’re always blown away by how willing people are to support our Rejuvenation Days and help make a visible difference to the city centre.

"This latest series has been a fantastic example of what can be achieved through partnership working – from our dedicated volunteers to Portakabin’s sponsorship of materials, and the installation of brand-new public artwork.

"It’s all part of York BID’s ongoing work to create a cleaner, safer, and more vibrant city centre for everyone who lives, works, studies, and visits here."

As part of the improvements, York BID has partnered with United by Design and poet Kitty Greenbrown to create ‘What we’re made of’.

The artwork appears on 14 electrical cabinets and bins around the square and combines to form a single poem celebrating York in all its dimensions.

Each piece includes a QR code that visitors can scan to learn more about the meaning behind each line.

Owen Turner, managing director and creative director at United by Design, said: "The opportunity to create a love letter to York, one that residents and visitors can encounter, explore and enjoy as they move through the city, was irresistible.

"We wanted to celebrate the York everyone recognises, but also look between the landmarks and familiar stories to uncover the smaller details, contrasts and nuances that make the city what it is."

Portakabin, which sponsored the Rejuvenation Days, said the project aligns with its goal of having a positive community impact.

Tabatha Hurst, head of sustainability at Portakabin, said: "We encourage all of our employees to use their annual volunteering days to make a difference to their local area and the Rejuvenation Days organised by York BID are a brilliant way for everyone to get stuck in and make a big difference in a matter of hours."

The artwork is part of York BID’s wider York Art Trail, an ongoing programme that tells stories reflecting York’s unique history and identity through public art.