Awards event celebrates South Leeds community

St Luke’s CARES charity shop and warehouse was packed this afternoon (24 May 2018) as their 2018 Community Award winners were unveiled.

The whole community turned out to celebrate the breadth and diversity of organisations working across South Leeds, with food, music and ice cream. One of the shortlisted finalists, Reetwirlers Majorettes performed pom and baton routines to the crowd’s delight.

Ian Rodley from DAZL, one of the independent panel who whittled 23 applicants down to the 5 introduced the award winners, as voted by shoppers at the Dewsbury Road and Middleton shops.

And the winners were:

  • In third place, winning £250: Beeston In Bloom
  • In second place, winning £750: Reetwirlers Majorettes
  • The Winners, with a cheque for £1,000: Streetwise – Love Leeds

Mary Halsey from Streetwise – Love Leeds thanked the organisers and the voters saying:

“We’re quite a small group of volunteers who want to offer a space for homeless and vulnerable adults and help them be part of a community once a week. We offer food and warm clothes, but the community aspect is really important.

“We’re really grateful for this money which will help us do more and support our guys and girls over the winter, which can be a really hard time.”

The importance of community was a theme that ran throughout all 23 applications, whether the primary activity was gardening, rugby or mums and tots. Every group spoke the importance to their members of social interaction, friendship and sense of belonging.

You can find out more about all the entrants by clicking on their article below:

Together With Tots

Hunslet Green Sports Club

Charlies-Angel-Centre Foundation

Groundwork Youth Enterprise Project

Kidz’n’Co

Crossroads Cooking Club

Beeston in Bloom

Holbeck in Bloom

Reetwirlers Majorettes

Friends of Middleton Park

South & East Foodbank

Asha Playscheme

South Leeds Life has been proud to partner with St Luke’s CARES for these awards and to ensure that every group that entered at least got some publicity and found out how they could advertise their events and tell their news in the future.