From the 9th-20th October 2023 the YoYo team will be hosting 14 primary schools from across York for our 'It's Your City' project, a heritage trail experience around York, helping children to discover seven men and women of faith who have had an impact in shaping the spiritual landscape of our city. This project brings together the YoYo team with volunteers from churches across our city, as we seek to bless our local schools. With rising pressures on school finances affecting so many of our local schools, YoYo wanted to offer this project as a free, stimulating and memorable learning experience in the heart of our city.
If you would like to donate to this project please visit our Crowdfunder page here
YoYo would like to pay tribute to Her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. Much has been said about her faith, her service and her commitment over the days since she passed away. She was a shining example to us all in how to serve and care for each other. Our Executive Officer, Tony Bower has written a poem in commemoration of Queen Elizabeth. He has also written a poem relating to the story of the Good Samaritan, the Queen’s favourite Bible story. YoYo was blessed to receive a reply on behalf of The Queen acknowledging our 25th Anniversary last year. The poems and the letter are below for you to read as you perhaps reflect on your own memories of the late Queen.
Queen of hearts
You humbled yourself
And devoted yourself
And pledged yourself
Before the King
Who wears
a crown of thorns
And you Your Majesty
were crowned
With humility and compassion
That touched this nation
That blessed this population
That graced this world
That inspired this world
With faithful
faith filled service
As you remained anchored
To your everlasting
Saviour and Lord
And our lives are grateful
And our hearts are thankful
For you Queen Elizabeth
And all of the memories
And all of the legacies
You have graciously given us
Our
Humble
Servant
Monarch
God bless you
And keep you
In His Kingdom
Of eternal grace
A Samaritan Speaks
Some people ask me
Why I didn’t walk on by
Why not leave his fate
And his future
To the circling
Ravaging
Vulture
In the sky
Why help someone
With a different religion
And culture
He wasn’t my kith or kin
A different shade of skin
and yet how can my heart forget
Or choose to neglect
This fallen man
In the human race
How can I choose to neglect
Or my heart forget
That no matter the differences
Whether enemies or friends
We all live together
In the worlds’ neighbourhood
That there is a deeper brotherhood
That binds us
Not divides us
That kindness does not discriminate
That compassion does not eliminate
Anyone in the human race
Anyone in need of an act
Of grace
So I went out of my way
Sacrificed my pay
Walked the extra mile
Night
And day
Until wounds were bound
Until a hotel was found
Until I put this injured soul
Back onto solid ground
Why did I help him?
Why didn’t I just
Look away
Walk away that day?
How could I?
It could have been
Me
Lying by the roadside
It could have been
You
With no place to hide
And if I could do anything
For
Anyone
I would
Any boy
Any girl
Any woman
Or any man
Can act
Like a
Good
Samaritan
Wouldn’t you?
