Arco Supports Welcome to Yorkshire

Walk This Way!

Arco supports Welcome to Yorkshire, the not-for-profit destination marketing organisation championing Yorkshire tourism.

Hull-based safety expert Arco is donating its unrequired IT infrastructure to support not-for-profit organisation Welcome to Yorkshire (WTY). The donation will enable WTY to focus on investing its finances into recovering the county's tourism, worth £9bn to the Yorkshire economy and responsible for nearly a quarter-of-a-million jobs pre-pandemic. Members of the Arco team will also be using their paid volunteering days to help WTY with the installation to ensure a seamless transition to the new infrastructure.

Arco is donating IT equipment that it no longer requires as it upgrades its systems as part of its head office relocation to Hull's Fruit Market. The donation falls at a vital time, as WTY's current infrastructure is aging and in need of critical replacement to mitigate risk to its systems. The donation will save the not-for-profit organisation up to £20,000 and allow it to re-direct its budget to projects supporting Welcome to Yorkshire members suffering throughout and post-pandemic, following the Government guidelines at the time.

WTY plans to use the reclaimed budget to bolster its Walkshire campaign, celebrating Yorkshire's countryside, coast, cities, towns and iconic locations across the county so that visitors can discover its spectacular scenery, history and heritage safely throughout the pandemic.

Simon Richardson, Cyber Security Director at ITogether, introduced the two organisations to facilitate the donation. Simon said:

"We were delighted to be able to bring two of our long-standing customers together. It's great to know the infrastructure will stay in the local region and be recycled into a new investment that will be used for years to come."

James McKenzie, Director of Strategic Delivery at WTY, said:

"This donation will help the region, help the economy and help local businesses to recover from a very challenging period when visitor numbers have been so reduced. It comes at an ideal time as Welcome to Yorkshire has just launched its year-long Walkshire campaign. Over lockdown, people have been limited as to the activities they can enjoy, but we can all explore the beauty of what is on our doorstep, and at the same time underpin Yorkshire as the walking capital of the world."

Daniel Spurgeon, Head of IT at Arco, said:

"Arco is delighted to support Welcome to Yorkshire and recycle our IT infrastructure in such a positive way, and grateful to ITogether for bringing us together. With a 136-year heritage in Hull, it's great to know that we're ensuring continuity for a not-for-profit organisation in our county, whose work ultimately benefits local businesses and residents too. The pandemic has been a difficult time, but I'm confident the more we all rally together, the more we ensure life after the pandemic brings a brighter chapter."