
More than 200 Welcome Spaces are now open to people in Leeds, offering a warm welcome, hot drinks, a range of activities, and a space to talk with other people. People can find their nearest Welcome Space by visiting www.leeds.gov.uk/welcomespaces.
Welcome Spaces are open until 31 March 2025 with many venues in South Leeds including The Gambia Welfare Society on Balm Walk, Involve Leeds in Hunslet and The Holbeck Working Men’s Club.
The Welcome Spaces scheme, which began in 2022, sees council-run venues and community and faith organisations open their doors to welcome in people from their local communities. This year, more than 180 community groups and organisations, alongside all of the 37 Leeds City Council hubs and libraries, are offering a Welcome Space.
Last year, Welcome Spaces in Leeds welcomed 58,000 people with many taking part in activities such as chair exercise sessions, crafts and board games, as well as accessing information, advice and signposting to services.
Nick Hart, Head of Customer Contact at Leeds City Council, commented:
“Leeds City Council hubs and libraries offer a warm, safe and welcoming space for people to sit and read, use the internet and access a range of services with free tea and coffee available this winter. Staff at all our hubs and libraries will always be on hand to provide a warm welcome and can also help visitors to find support if needed”
The community and faith organisations have received funding from the Leeds allocation of the Department for Work and Pension’s Household Support Fund, to run their Welcome Spaces. This funding is managed and distributed by Voluntary Action Leeds, the organisation which supports the city’s voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector.
Hannah Bailey, Chief Officer at Voluntary Action Leeds, commented:
“Welcome Spaces are here to support local communities this winter and we are proud to be working with more than 180 community and faith organisations this year to support them as they offer this vital service. Welcome Spaces offer more than a warm welcome; like our city’s voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations do all year round, they are there to support the people of Leeds in so many ways and are at the heart of their local communities.”
Councillor Mary Harland, Executive Member for Communities, Customer Services and Community Safety, said:
“The Welcome Spaces initiative is a really great example of Leeds coming together as a city to ensure people have somewhere warm, safe and welcoming they can go to spend some time with other people or just some time away from home where they can access services such as free wi-fi.
“In addition to the council’s community hubs and libraries, I am delighted that we have around 180 community and faith organisations delivering Welcome Spaces across the city and I’d like to thank them all for their support again this year.”
For more details about Welcome Spaces in your area visit www.leeds.gov.uk/welcomespaces – you can search by your postcode to find your nearest space.
This post is based on a press release issued by Voluntary Action Leeds
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