Mural dedicated to Joseph Rowntree unveiled in York park

BBC News

10-06-2025

A mural celebrating philanthropist Joseph Rowntree's contribution to York has been unveiled in a city centre park to mark the centenary of his death.The artwork, located at North Street Gardens, was created by Art of Protest and commissioned by York BID to highlight the history of the "underused" space.Jeff Clark, creative director of Art of Protest, called the site "one of the best locations" for the group to create an artwork."Delivering any project of scale has its complications but this one has come together really beautifully with really key messaging coming through it," he said.
The gardens were given to the city by the Joseph Rowntree for his factory workers to use.Rachel Bean, from York BID, previously described the philanthropist as a "really significant figure" in York. The Quaker businessman successfully ran his family's firm in the 19th and 20th Century, a confectionery company best known for producing Fruit Pastilles, KitKats and Tooty Frooties. A keen social reformist concerned with inequality, he set up several charitable trusts to improve life for his employees, including the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.
He also created New Earswick, a garden village located on the outskirts of York, to give factory workers higher quality living conditions."North Street Gardens is such a key location because it was a gift from Joseph Rowntree to the city for his workers, offering them a space to come outside to connect with nature," Ms Bean said."It was all about improving their quality of life."Art of Protest worked with Door 84, a youth and community centre, to create the piece and young people were directly involved in the decision-making process.The mural contains references to the history of the space, including rowan tree leaves in a nod to the origin of the name Rowntree. Gemma Waygood, senior project manager of Art of Protest, said: "There was just so much we could have talked about and that was so important - the whole history, the philanthropy, and that's what Art of Protest does as well."
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