A local cemetery has been completely transformed thanks to a group of volunteers, brought together by a York community foundation.
An army of helpers descended on Fulford Cemetery on Fordlands Road yesterday (29 July) to clear a patch of land that had become severely overgrown.
Campaigners said the area was “falling to bits” and in desperate need of attention following a decline in funding.
The clean-up was organised by Matty Lewis, founder of the York-based Fortus Foundation, a hub supporting local communities.
Volunteers arrived at the cemetery at around 9am, joined by the Fortus Foundation team and local businesses including Clucking Oinks, Rudding Park, Menfulness, and First Bus.
There were around 30 helpers all together, equipped with tools to tackle the overgrowth.
The idea for the clean-up came from one of the foundation’s funders, Kev Widdrington of Hindle Controls. He contacted Matty the day after Father’s Day, highlighting the state of the cemetery.
Matty told YorkMix, “Kev was down at the cemetery on Father’s Day and saw that the grass was so overgrown you couldn’t even see the headstones.
“He told me there were people in tears on site that couldn’t even access the plots. That prompted me to reach out to businesses in our network to tidy it all up, make the plots accessible, and support the parish council.”
Owner of Clucking Oinks, Mike Brand, added, “We arrived in the morning and there were already people underway, the team from Rudding Park had brought a lot of equipment so there were people strimming and mowing.”
Mike spent the day raking, collecting grass, moving rubble bags, and lifting waste into a compost area.
“It was pretty hard work to be fair, there was a multitude of jobs,” he said.
Matty praised the volunteers’ dedication, “everybody just kind of got their head down and powered through. The determination of everyone to do as much as we as we possibly could was amazing.”
Treated to tea
Several families visiting the cemetery stopped to personally thank the team. One family even joined in after hearing about the clean-up, arriving with their own strimmers and shears.
By around 2.30pm, the cemetery had been transformed. To show his appreciation, Mike invited each of the volunteers to enjoy free Clucking Oinks fried chicken at Spark York.
“They all definitely deserved it,” he said.
Clucking Oinks is part of the Fortus Foundation’s one percenter network, a group of businesses committed to making an impact in Yorkshire communities.
Mike, who has worked with Matty on other local initiatives, say joining the effort was, “kind of a no brainer.”
“What Matty and the Fortus Foundation do for the community is amazing,” Mike said.
“We live in a world where budgets are constantly being cut. If we can help, it’s important to do so.”
Reflecting on the day, Matty is now even more keen to get involved with more local projects.
He told YorkMix, “When we first arrived, my heart sank a bit as there was so much to do here. But you put yourself in the shoes of people who would come down to come visit loved ones, that must be really hard to see.
“So if anything, it made us more determined and by the end of the day, we looked at what we’d done and thought, ‘wow’.”
Why the cemetery needed help
Changing trends in funeral preferences, away from burials and towards cremations, have meant less funding for cemetery maintenance and financial challenges for the future of the service.
In May, Fulford Parish Council announced cost-cutting measures including fewer grounds staff, reduced grass cutting, and limited upkeep in older sections of the cemetery.
The older graves in 78% of the 50 plots would no longer be mown regularly, other than an end-of-season trim or annual rough cut.
In response, local resident Shane Sayner launched a petition calling for more regular maintenance and urging authorities to commit to the care of all grave areas.
The petition read:
“Fulford Cemetery holds a special place for many residents of York who have laid their loved ones to rest there. These grounds are sacred, a place of remembrance and reflection, offering comfort to those grieving.
“However, recent changes in the cemetery’s maintenance regime threaten this peace. The decision to exclude older graves from regular upkeep is deeply disrespectful to the memories of those who have passed and to the families who cherish these spaces.”
The petition gathered over 1,100 signatures and widespread support, with many sharing their disappointment at the “terrible state” of the cemetery.
On 4 July, as a step toward a long-term solution, City of York Council announced it would temporarily manage Fulford Cemetery until August 2026. Their goal is to stabilise finances and determine future arrangements for the burial service across the city.
For more information on the work by City of York Council, click here.
