Creating change at the York St John Communities Centre

York St John Communities Centre in Action 

Based in York, at York St John University, we’re proud to operate as a not-for profit, values-led organisation. We’re driven by our mission to make support more accessible, provide training courses, and create a range of opportunities for staff, students and members of the public. Our Communities Centre is continuously growing and evolving to meet the needs of our community. We currently offer a range of free and low-cost initiatives, which include:

• Counselling
• Coaching
• Support groups
• Training opportunities
• Events

We’re also involved in community projects and various research projects that aim to evaluate the effectiveness of different types of therapeutic support and educational interventions. 

Supporting our community 

All of our services are underpinned by a strong social justice model. Our work aims to reduce barriers to people accessing services, and to create equal opportunities. Most of our services have an adjoining research project attached to them, meaning we can evaluate our work and ensure we are serving the needs of our communities.

One integral service we offer is a community facing counselling service for adults. Counselling is priced on a sliding scale to make it accessible to everyone, and is delivered in person, online or by telephone, depending on the needs of the client. Alongside our trainee counsellors, we have a range of qualified counsellors and counselling psychologists, who support in the delivery of our services. We also offer a community coaching for wellbeing service which provides space for reflection, personal growth and development.

Additionally, we offer a growing number of group-based and family services. Our Creative Literacies Hub empowers parents and children to bond over reading and writing, while the Community Language School supports children from multilingual families to embrace their heritage languages. In Spring 2025, we successfully launched Lauren’s Ladies, a free support group for students affected by suicide. We also have a range of Bereavement Services offering a supportive space for those experiencing grief. 

Opportunities for Students, Staff and Alumni 

The Centre offers a vast range of placement and volunteering opportunities which can help people develop their skills and experience, supporting them into employment. We strive to share our knowledge through the delivery of CPD training, events and conferences on topics including neurodiversity, trauma and bereavement.

We also partner with external charities and organisations to conduct research on current societal issues. Our work has been supported by and contributed to projects with Cruse Bereavement Support, IDAS (Independent Domestic Abuse Services), and the National Bereavement Organisation.

Looking ahead, we are recruiting volunteers to support and enhance our work. From Volunteer Marketing Officers to Volunteer Fundraisers, you can find out how to get involved on our webpages. 

Opportunities at the Communities Centre

Together, we can continue creating change in our communities 

You can learn more about the Communities Centre on our webpages, or email  ysjcc@yorksj.ac.uk 

Working with the community