LEEDS STAY AT HOME PROTECT THE NHS SAVE LIVES

Leeds School Streets pilot scheme launches on Monday, 1 June, with up to six Leeds primary schools taking part. Pudsey Primrose Hill Primary School, Pudsey; Ingram Road Primary School, Holbeck; Cross Gates Primary School, Cross Gates; Thorpe Primary School, Thorpe; Clapgate Primary, Middleton; and Lane End Primary, Beeston are the first schools to take part in the pilot scheme. School Streets make roads outside schools into pedestrian and cyclist only zones at the times displayed on the signs and only during term time.…

Council leaders and businesses along HS2’s proposed eastern leg are calling for the Government to commit to progressing it at the same time as the western leg – aiding economic recovery following the COVID-19 outbreak while providing towns and cities with much-needed capacity and connectivity improvements. The HS2 East group also warns that any delay to progressing its construction will critically undermine both investor confidence in towns and cities and the Government’s plan to ‘level up the country’. HS2 East…

Co-ordinated by Leeds City Council, a scheme has been set up to provide thousands of free tickets, discounts and special events for NHS and frontline workers across the city as a special thanks for their enormous efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, a lot of Leeds’ cultural and sporting organisations have joined the scheme including Leeds United, Leeds Rhinos, Yorkshire County Cricket Club, first direct arena, Henry Moore Institute and Phoenix Dance Theatre. Several other local businesses and organisations have…

Leeds City Council has today been confirmed by the government to be a lead local authority on behalf of the Leeds City Region on the new national coronavirus test and trace services. The services are being overseen by chief executive of Leeds City Council Tom Riordan, in his new role as National Test and Trace Adviser. Commenting on the announcement, Leader of Leeds City Council Councillor Judith Blake said: “This programme is crucial to enabling the city to find a new, safe normal. We’re pleased to be part of the…

Leeds City Council provide update regarding the Lord Mayor of Leeds and this year's Mayor Making ceremony. Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, legislation requiring councils to hold an annual general meeting has temporarily been lifted by government. As a result, this year’s Mayor Making ceremony, which is included as part of the Annual Meeting of Council each year, will not be taking place as is tradition this month. The continued pressures of coronavirus and restrictions in terms of social distancing and gatherings…

Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council executive member for learning, skills, employment and equality said: “Last week, the Government declared which year group cohorts (Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6) can return to school from June 1 at the earliest, joining those pupils who have been eligible to attend school throughout the past two months (vulnerable children and children of key workers). The Government has stated that when pupils return, they should be in school full-time and schools should avoid rotating…

The European War is over, apart from clashes in Prague and other parts of Czechoslovakia, which are expected to subside quickly. The war in Europe has ended with Germany’s unconditional surrender. Victory will be announced officially by the Prime Minister in a broadcast at three o’clock this afternoon and the King with broadcast at 9 pm. To-day will be regarded as VE Day, and both to-day and to-morrow will be public holidays. Explanation of the delay in making the official announcement lies in the importance attached to…

Tell Her You Care, a Leeds business, recently launched sending beautifully wrapped meaningful postcards and luxury chocolate through the post to help friends and family stay in contact with each other through these times of isolation. Founder, Lucy Owen had the idea after losing her much loved Dad to cancer in September 2019.  She said: “I found grieving a hugely lonely process; it felt like people didn’t know what to say so they didn’t say anything at all.  I felt lost and alone in a new world that I didn’t want to be…

Staff at Spire Leeds Hospital have successfully completed a challenge to collect enough food for the Leeds Foodbank to fill the 200 year old, 8 metre high staircase at the hospital. Over 300 staff at the hospital in Jackson Avenue spent their valuable spare time, in between shifts looking after the city’s patients, to collect donations weighing over 500kgs from friends, families and neighbours. Samantha Bell, Endoscopy Staff Nurse at Spire Leeds used her beloved multi-coloured VW van, which she has fondly named ‘Bruce,’ to…

Leeds City Council is urgently seeking exceptional people to help change a child’s life forever, by becoming a foster carer. By fostering for Leeds City Council, new carers would join one of the UK’s largest and most well-established fostering networks, and be offered tailored support from social workers and specialist staff to guide them through both the registration of interest and recruitment process. Over the past three years Leeds has worked hard to recruit some fantastic carers from many backgrounds and ethnic…

Residents across the city are urged to play their part in the 75th anniversary celebrations of VE Day from home. Next Friday (8 May) marks 75 years since Victory in Europe (VE) Day when the Second World War came to an end in Europe. On this day in 1945, the Allied forces celebrated victory and a return to peace time in Europe. Across Europe and North America, millions of people took to the streets to celebrate with family, friends and neighbours. This year, the government moved the May Day bank holiday to VE Day to…

A stylish online exhibition is giving fashionistas in Leeds a chance to go back in time and rediscover the history of some of the city’s top shopping hotspots.   Leeds City Museum’s Fast x Slow Fashion explores the evolution of retail and clothing over the past 300 years through a spectacular array of outfits, accessories and historic photos. With the museum currently closed as part of city-wide efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus, the exhibition has undergone a quick change and is now available to visit online,…

Leeds City Council is helping drive the effort to enable the city to prepare for the future during the coronavirus pandemic as it starts conversations with partners around how to create safe work and education places, public spaces and public transport should restrictions be eased. The council’s Leader Councillor Judith Blake and chief executive Tom Riordan joined leaders from organisations across West Yorkshire at the first Economic Recovery Board to get to work on supporting our people and businesses to recover from…

Captain Tom Moore sets a new Official Chart record for the oldest person in history to achieve a No.1 single in the UK’s Official Singles Chart with ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, recorded with Michael Ball and the NHS Voices of Care Choir and released on Decca Records last week to help raise money for the NHS Charities Together Fund.   This record was previously held by Tom Jones who reached No.1 with ‘(Barry) Islands In The Stream’ at the age of 68 in 2009, 32 years younger than Captain Tom is now. On 30th April Captain Tom…

Despite the current COVID-19 pandemic, a national fostering agency who provides care for those in the Leeds area is continuing to urge people to consider a vital career choice; becoming a foster parent. According to the latest statistics released by the ONS and Ofsted, as of March 2019, there were 55,000 children in care, an increase of 3% compared to figures in March 2018. As such, there are thousands of children in need of a supportive, nurturing home, and the number continues to rise. However, with the focus of the…

More than 5,000 food parcels have been delivered in less than a month to vulnerable people in Leeds as part of an unprecedented emergency food distribution programme in the city. Managed by Leeds City Council working with partners including food and hunger charity FareShare, local businesses and the third sector, the programme is now delivering more than 300 parcels every day to families and individuals to help keep them safe and healthy at home during the coronavirus lockdown. The programme has seen groups come together…

It was the weekly wartime showcase that put centuries of Leeds history in the frame. Now Leeds City Museum is giving local residents the chance to put their own curatorial talents to the test and create a city-wide network of wonderful windows inspired by the museum’s remarkable collection. With council-run museums and galleries currently closed as part of efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus, the new Museum Window project will see the museum team select and highlight a different object from their huge array of…

Leeds United great Norman Hunter has died in hospital aged 76 after contracting coronavirus. The tough-tackling centre-back, nicknamed 'Bites Yer Legs', was a key player in Leeds' most successful era. He won two league titles during a 14-year first-team career at Elland Road, and was a non-playing member of England's 1966 World Cup-winning squad. Hunter was admitted to hospital on 10 April after testing positive for coronavirus. Leeds said Hunter's death leaves "a huge hole" in the family of the club. Leader of Leeds…