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Salmon is a saltwater fish, but what makes it (almost) unique in the fish world is that it swims through estuaries and upstream to find freshwater where it can reproduce. Salmon is often known as the fish for people who don’t like fish due to its meaty texture and delicate flavour. Salmon features prominently in the Mediterranean diet and while this cannot be linked directly to good health; the Mediterranean diet has been shown to be one of the healthiest in the world, aiding in weight loss, mental health, and overall…

A fascinating new partnership project has begun to weave together the histories of female textile workers in Leeds and Shanghai through the power of Chinese opera. To coincide with celebrations for Chinese New Year, the project has seen Leeds Industrial Museum team up with researchers at the University of Leeds to explore the commonalities between the women who toiled in textile factories and on production lines thousands of miles apart. Entitled Song of the Female Textile Workers, the online exhibition sees six…

Leeds City Council has pledged to offer support to local apprentices who may be struggling to complete their training due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Temporary business closures and other restrictions imposed during lockdown have resulted in some apprentices not being able to finish their qualifications. Recognising the importance of apprenticeships, the council has now set out a plan of action to provide support and guidance to those affected. In some cases, it might mean the council working with an…

Leeds City Council has announced details of additional funding support designed to help local businesses ride out the financial challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis. The council has already distributed more than £215m worth of support to thousands of businesses in the city since the start of the pandemic. Now, with the success of the vaccine rollout programme meaning there is at long last light at the end of the tunnel for hard-pressed towns and cities across the country, further assistance is on its way to Leeds’s…

Due to COVID-19, fundraising events and activities have not been able to go ahead as usual over the past year. That’s why this year a virtual fundraising pack has been launched to enable people to safely fundraise for the Lord Mayor’s Charity Appeal from the comfort of their own homes. The pack includes ten fun and exciting virtual fundraising ideas, ranging from putting on an online gig for friends and family to completing a fitness challenge every day for a month. All proceeds from the fundraising activities that…

Local mental health charity, Leeds Mind, has launched a fundraising appeal to help tackle the mental health emergency in and around Leeds, asking supporters and businesses to come together to raise £50,000. Before Covid-19, it was estimated that 1 in 4 people would experience a mental health difficulty at some point in their lives. According to a recent Mind survey, around 50% of the UK population is now struggling with their mental health. In Yorkshire and the Humber, that figure is even higher, at 60%. 10% across the UK…

Residents in parts of Leeds are being asked to take part in a new programme of testing designed to help national research into the potential spread of COVID-19 variants. Starting next week, people living in parts of the LS8 area, including parts of the Harehills area and the area just north of Easterly Road, will be encouraged to take a simple COVID-19 test which will help experts build a better picture of how different strains of the virus could be transmitted. The testing follows two cases of COVID-19 picked up in a…

Every February, 14, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. It’s a time to demonstrate how much affection you feel for that special someone in your life and let them know how much you care. It’s a reminder to that person that they are treasured and have made an impact on your life. St. Valentines Day as we celebrate today has remnants of both Christian and ancient Roman traditions. According to some legends Saint Valentine served as a priest at the temple during the reign…

Leeds City Council’s executive board has formally approved funding to improve the area directly outside the city’s Corn Exchange building. In September 2020, it was announced that Leeds City Council successfully secured £8.6m of match funding from the government’s Getting Building Fund which would be added to Leeds’ £12.2m Grey to Green programme. The money was specifically allocated to support the delivery of “shovel-ready” infrastructure projects to boost economic growth, and fuel local recovery and jobs. Under the…

Bluebird Care Leeds North has been shortlisted for the ‘Innovative Technology Expertise’ category at the Home Care Awards. The prestigious Home Care Awards are the benchmark for business and service excellence in the UK home care sector. This year, the awards ceremony will take place on Friday 19th March, subject to Covid-19 restrictions. Bluebird Care Leeds North was nominated in the Innovation Technology Expertise category for their pioneering approach utilising digital and artificial technology to transform social…

We are part of one of the largest aid networks in the world. Because of our global reach and local presence, together we have the potential to reach everyone. When school’s closed on 4th January, Monica Conmee, Head of education at international development charity, CAFOD and her team, came up with a plan to engage schools and families in the charity’s Walk for Water Lent campaign. The fun idea they came up with, is creating window art water droplet trails keeping pupils, parents and carers busy channelling their inner…

Lord Mayor of Leeds joined volunteers at a Leeds vaccine centre in a bid to encourage people from the city’s many diverse communities to get their jab. Lord Mayor of Leeds Councillor Eileen Taylor was on hand at the Woodhouse Medical Practice doing her bit to boost what is the largest vaccination programme in the history of the NHS. Although a huge city-wide effort has seen tens of thousands of people across Leeds receive their first dose of the vaccine, Public Health officials are keen to dispel any myths that might…

Children’s Heart Surgery Fund (CHSF) are once again hoping to see a red wave across our region on February 5st to help support babies and children living with congenital heart disease (CHD). On the first Friday in February join CHSF and wear something red to show support and raise awareness of congenital heart disease. Rock the red at home from your virtual office and keep the kids entertained with our RED fundraising activities – just make sure you spread the word and let everyone know why you’ll be wearing red in Feb!…

After sadly losing his wife Sylvia to cancer in 2019, 72- year-old John Hastings is fundraising for Leeds Hospitals Charity to show his appreciation for the care she received throughout her treatment journey. To mark what would have been their fourth wedding anniversary on the 29th of April, John is walking and cycling the equivalent distance from his home in Scarborough to the Bexley Wing at St James’s Hospital. Each day, John will cover 21.4 miles (on foot or his bike) on a route around Scarborough, including the A64…

Connecting Leeds have released an animation which shows how a multi-million pound project will improve a key corridor that connects Bradford and Leeds. The main focus of the scheme is to introduce new bus lanes in key locations to ease congestion. Giving buses priority along key routes will make journeys quicker and help to free up lanes which will in turn benefit all vehicles, including cars.  Bus journey times are expected to reduce by 7-8 minutes on average during the peak periods, and by up to 15 minutes in comparison…

People are being asked for their views on plans for £7.06 million of new cycling routes across Leeds, as part of Leeds City Council’s plans aimed to encourage more people to travel by bike, in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. The new plans add 7kms of cycle lanes, including 3.2kms of segregated cycling to the Leeds city centre cycle network across five separate schemes. Together, they will increase the length of continuous cycling infrastructure by linking up and filling in gaps to the existing and…

Buildings across Leeds city centre will light up this weekend to remember those who have tragically lost their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. This Saturday and Sunday will mark one year since the first cases were detected in the UK. In that time, the virus has sadly claimed the lives of more than 100,000 people, with more than 1,300 of those deaths in Leeds alone. As a mark of respect, buildings including Leeds Civic Hall, Leeds Town Hall, Leeds City Museum, Leeds Arena and Leeds University's Parkinson Building…

In what continues to be an incredibly difficult and challenging time due to coronavirus, Leeds City Council are continuing to provide a range of meaningful assistance to all market traders in Leeds. This includes as part of a package of financial support, providing a 100% rent concession for all outdoor and district market traders and a 50% rent concession for indoor market traders from 1st January to 31st March 2021, to reflect the ongoing impact of restrictions on trading activity. The council has carried out a range…