The summer holidays are almost upon us. If you’re anything like us you’ll be desperately trying to finish a gazillion tasks with half an eye on some time away, maybe with some sunshine thrown in too…
So far, 2025 has been a very busy and enormously rewarding year for us and we have lots of news to share. We thought we’d take this opportunity to reflect on the last 12 months and take a look ahead at what’s coming up.
If you have any questions about who we are and what we do, head over to our website or drop us an email to find out more.
We are one of the Lord Mayor’s Charities!
We were delighted to be chosen by the new Lord Mayor of York, Martin Rowley BEM, and the Sheriff of York, Paul Doughty, as one of their three charities for 2025-26 alongside York Against Cancer and the Royal British Legion. You can read more about the charities here.
This year in the spotlight is a huge opportunity to raise our profile around the city and to be part of many fundraising events and activities! With events such as the annual Assize of Ale, a Chinese meal, afternoon tea, golf day and pig racing (not real pigs apparently!), plus many more besides, there promises to be something for everyone! We hope you will be able to join in the fun and help us raise a bit of cash too. We’ll be sending more information about the fundraising events as the year progresses, so keep an eye out.
The difference we make
This is just some of the fantastic feedback we’ve received from families, showing not only the quality of our support but also how we help to transform relationships.
In the last year we’ve helped 230+ people through our services for couples and parents. We’ve made a difference to people’s confidence and their ability to communicate effectively and to resolve conflict well. As a result, many feel their relationships are more robust and resilient.
74% of parents report stronger relationships with their children after attending one of our courses.
100% of couples attending our Reconnect mentoring programme identify an improvement in at least one aspect of their relationship by the end of the five sessions.
You can read more about our work and the impact we make in our Annual Report for 2024-25
Did you know?
We don’t receive government funding and rely on charitable donations and grants to keep our work going.
As the charitable sector is squeezed by fewer funding opportunities combined with rising costs, we, like many other small charities, cannot guarantee that we will always be here for the families of York. The need for our support is only growing and we want to do all we can to meet that need locally.
Can you support us with a one-off donation?
Or can you help us plan ahead by becoming a regular donor?
Donate here
New FMY service for couples!
We’re excited to be launching…
Strong Foundations aims to support any committed couple considering marriage, civil partnership or long-term commitment, and wishing to build a strong and lasting relationship. Through 4 sessions with one of our trained Support Couples, and using video and written resources from Care for the Family, couples are invited to explore:
- the expectations and values partners bring to a couple relationship;
- friendship and dating for the long term;
- healthy communication styles and love languages;
- how to build a strong sense of connection through sex and intimacy;
- how to handle conflict within a relationship in a positive and healthy way;
- what it takes to prioritise a relationship even when things get tough.
For more information, contact Emma at emmamarshall@fmy.org.uk or on 07491 910239.
New FMY volunteers!
We are thrilled to be welcoming Julia Walton to our office team!
Julia is our new Volunteer Admin Assistant and will be helping us manage enquiries, bookings, evaluation responses and more! Julia recently retired from the University of York and enjoys photography, walking and spending time with friends. She has two grown up children, two grandchildren and two mischievous cats, so she appreciates the challenges of family life!
We’re also in the process of appointing a Social Media Marketing volunteer who will be helping us build our digital presence!
FREE family support coming up in the Autumn…
Time Out For Dads – Book here now
Five 2-hour sessions run by dads for dads exploring child emotional wellbeing, setting loving boundaries and how to connect positively.
Online (Zoom) sessions starting on Thursday 25th September, 7pm-9pm.
More info here.
Time Out For Couples – Book here now
Commit: A special evening dedicated to strengthening and protecting your couple relationship.
Saturday 18th November 2025, 7.30pm – 9.30pm, Gateway, Acomb.
More info here.
Other courses coming up this Autumn – Register your interest
More details to come in September about these courses:
- Handling Anger in the Family
- Parenting in the Teenage Years
- Parenting Children with ADHD
We hope you have a lovely summer!
Please do get in touch if you would like further information about our free support. We would love to hear from you.
Love from the Family Matters York team x
Family Matters York 
2023 has flown by! How can it nearly be 2024 already?
