Even Stronger Together | Richmond Yorkshire C

Even Stronger Together: Two non-profit community groups in Richmond are joining forces.

The volunteer-run Richmond Information Centre (RIC), based in the town’s Market Hall, offers in-person advice to over 35,000 visitors and locals a year. It is open 360 days of the year - more than many professionally run metropolitan Tourist Information Centres. It publishes walking guides, histories, public-service leaflets and a bi-monthly What’s On magazine, runs a fact-packed website, and offers free guided walks three times a week round the old town. RIC certainly lives up to its ambition of “welcoming visitors and locals alike”.

The Richmond Yorkshire Community Interest Company (CIC), also a non-profit organisation, was established in December 2023. Its aims are somewhat broader than RIC, which is to say it wishes to initiate incremental improvements throughout the town. The two groups certainly share the same social values, which strive to make Richmond an even better place to live and visit. They have also already collaborated on different projects.

Run by residents, the CIC has a wide range of backgrounds and skills. It is planning projects to support economic growth and resilience and serve both the local community and thousands of visitors who are essential to maintaining Richmond’s prosperity.

Already under way is an ‘Amazing Neighbours’ scheme, to recognise residents who have contributed exceptionally to their community. A panel of judges assesses the nominees each month and rewards one ‘Amazing Neighbour’ with £100-worth of shopping vouchers. In August, the CIC repainted the cast iron railings along Darlington Road and surrounding the town’s War Memorial. Over 30 volunteers and the professional painting contractor Richie Smith and his crew donated their time to accomplish the facelift.

In the pipeline are plans that will enhance Natural England’s £5.6M upgrade of the Coast to Coast into a National Trail. Other projects will improve the town’s built environment, support events and festival coordination, and develop directories of opportunities for youngsters and would-be volunteers.

In coming together, the two organisations see only benefits. “This really is a case of two plus two equalling five”, said Ian Woods, Chair of the Community Interest Company and, until recently, Mayor of Richmond. “Involving the Information Centre, with its excellent local reputation and contacts, helps both groups to better coordinate their ambitions.”

As for RIC, the Chair, Judith Harwood, says: “Merging with the Community Interest Company gives us access to even more very experienced movers and shakers and, through them, to local and national government initiatives, as well as back-office services and a more robust corporate status. This will really help us to become more sustainable and expand what we do.”

The CIC Directors and RIC Management Team will encourage other organisations in the town to work more closely together and avoid costly and often frustrating duplication of effort.

The CIC is hiring two part-time Administrators and Project Managers, so that the goodwill of volunteers can be professionally supported. They will begin their work this month. The prospects for the future of these two groups, working together, look very bright indeed.