High Sheriff of North Yorkshire, Tom Ramsden, together with Lord Lieutenant Barry Dodd CBE, hosted the launch of the Arts for Change fund at the idyllic setting of Newby Hall on the evening of Thursday, 12 March.

The Arts for Change fund was established by Tom Ramsden in his year as High Sheriff of North Yorkshire to support the use of arts or other cultural activity to enrich and change the lives of those in need. The fund will open for applications in summer 2015 and it will be available to groups, charities or individuals and will support artistic activity that is for the benefit of the community.

To inspire donations to the fund and demonstrate the powerful effects of the arts on local lives, Two Ridings Community Foundation worked with Tom Ramsden and its co-president, Barry Dodd to host the launch at Newby Hall with generous sponsorship from JM Finn & Co, Saffery Champness and Wrigley’s Solicitors.

With almost 200 guests in attendance, including the Mayor of Ripon, the evening featured a performance from members of the Hands and Voices choir, a fully inclusive singing and signing community choir based in York that inspires people with disabilities to communicate through creativity. On the night, the room was filled with the spirit of creativity as the walls were lined with artwork from residents of The Beacon, a supported housing scheme for homeless veterans in Catterick.

Donations to the Arts for Change fund will help support arts activities in North Yorkshire and empower communities to initiate projects of their own. Everyone can support the Arts for Change fund to make a difference to lives in North Yorkshire.

Donations to the Arts for Change fund can be made online by visiting www.trcf.org.uk or by cheque made payable to Arts for Change sent to Two Ridings Community Foundation, Primrose Hill, Buttercrambe Rd.