Selby Abbey is pleased to share the latest update on Selby Abbey: The Origin Stories, a £1.4 million initiative made possible with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to money raised by National Lottery players.

Now in its delivery phase, which began in late summer 2025 and will continue through to autumn 2027, the project is bringing together conservation, community participation and creative learning to explore and share the Abbey’s remarkable heritage.

Progress So Far

Over the last few months, the project has achieved several key milestones:

· Project team recruitment

· Working with Heart of Yorkshire Education Group (Selby and Wakefield Colleges) to provide remote work experience placements for Leisure & Tourism and Business students, to look at encouraging young people to visit the Abbey

· Working with local teachers to plan a new learning programme for the Abbey (launches in the new school year)

· Selby Light 2026

· Our first family drop-in day (18th February)

· Beginning our work to boost biodiversity in the churchyard.

Planning is well underway for work on essential repairs to the north transept and the historic St Germain window, helping safeguard this Grade I listed building for future generations. Alongside this, plans are progressing for the creation of a new Monastic Garden on the south side of the Abbey, reconnecting visitors with the site of the original cloisters.

Community Engagement and Participation

A central aim of the Origin Stories project is to deepen local connections with Selby Abbey through accessible and inclusive activities. Recent highlights include:

· A busy family drop-in day in February, when Project Wild led biodiversity tours of the churchyard, made biodegradable plant pots for growing herbs, and introduced visitors to a grass snake and slow worm

· A well-attended Selby Light 2026, which included an installation featuring St. Germain, the Patron Saint of the Abbey and the inspiration behind the beginnings of Selby Abbey, linking to the capital work being done in the north transept.

These activities form part of a wider programme of free opportunities designed to welcome people of all ages to explore the Abbey’s history, stories and spaces.

Volunteers at the Heart of the Project

Volunteers continue to play a vital role in the project’s development. Opportunities are available across several roles, including heritage research, community engagement, gardening and apprentice tour guiding.

We held the first Volunteer Introduction Day in February, with more days planned over the coming months (dates still to be confirmed).

Looking Ahead

Over the coming months, the project team will focus on:

· Developing the new learning programme

· Staff and volunteer training

· Volunteer recruitment

· Working to enhance the biodiversity of the churchyard through the activities of the Abbey’s gardening group

· Resource creation, through new artwork commissions and new historical research.

In addition, new interpretation and wayfinding will help tell the story of Selby Abbey in fresh and engaging ways, while expanded learning programmes will support local schools and community groups.

“Over the next two years, the aim of the Origin Stories project is to enhance Selby Abbey as a vibrant community hub, reaching out to enrich Selby’s connection to heritage and nature,” said Chris Tuckley, Origin Stories Project Manager. “We invite everyone to join us in these exciting endeavours to explore and celebrate our shared history.”

Get Involved

There are many ways for people to take part in the Origin Stories project, from volunteering and learning opportunities to creative workshops and public events.

Prospective volunteers are invited to contact Dan Thomson, Volunteer Co-ordinator for the Origin Stories project at or***************@************rg.uk