Your Back Yard CIC was established in January 2013 to support community-led regeneration in disadvantaged areas of the North of England. It was created by experienced regeneration professionals who were concerned about the impact of the recession and cuts to public services in the poorer parts of the country. We provide a wide range of services designed to help get sustainable, high-impact community projects off the ground within disadvantaged areas.

We are totally committed to bottom up, community-led regeneration. This inscribes our mission and permeates throughout our value base so, in this respect, everything that we doe is community focused and people-led. 

Since our inception we have delivered a large number of projects in partnership with community groups, local councils and other third sector organisations.

In the last few years, the majority of these projects have focused on health, well-being, healthy living, and improving and promoting the use of green spaces. Over the last 18 months we have delivered 4 Healthy Living Park programmes across West Yorkshire, aimed at getting people into parks, and health into people, and we have plans to deliver another one this summer. In June 2017 we co-hosted a conference, attended by more than 50 local council, public sector and third sector organisations, in partnership with Leeds Beckett University, looking at the links between exposure to good quality green spaces and improved physical and mental health outcomes, and how that impact could be measured.

We have also carried out audits of green spaces, sport and health facilities, and undertaken a number of surveys to underpin action plans for local parks.

In March 2018, we received funding from Sport England to provide healthy living activities to ‘hard to reach’ groups such as over 50’s, and those who are isolated or otherwise inactive. This project was very challenging, but ultimately a huge success.