Welcome to the Advent Calendar, day 5, where our tremendous and generous organisations in the area offer a saving grace to those in need.
This post is available as a podcast, through Spotify or Google (search for Harehills Love), or here:
I like to focus on the positives in Harehills, but this is a bit of a mixed one. There is no way around that many people in the area, our neighbours and our friends, are struggling now. We’ve just scraped through a pandemic, where many people struggled to work and access their usual support systems – and now we’ve gone straight into a cost of living crisis that has been building all year.
Not just food that is becoming too expensive, but basic energy needs are becoming out of reach for many. Luxuries like toothpaste and soap are dreams.
I try and steer away from the political, but let’s make this clear – this is economic and political neglect.
People are cold and people are hungry. There’s no way around that fact.
Fortunately, we are blessed in Harehills with our various charitable organisations and people who work hard to collect donations and distribute them to people in need or in vulnerable situations and to provide vital warm spaces as winter cold descends.
These organisations are filled with amazing volunteers who give up their time and labour to help people. Though during peak times, I’m sure the volunteers and organisers feel something less than blessed – they do fantastic work.
I’m just a random guy on the internet; this list of particular places and people is just a start. I’ll follow up in the new year and expand. While you may not need these services, it’s good to know so you can let people that you come across that find themselves in need so they can know where there’s somewhere to turn to.
St Aidan’s Food Share
Every Saturday, St Aidan’s (on Roundhay Road, just next to Banstead Park), is open from 1030 to 12 noon to provide whatever they can to whoever needs it. They’ve supported people since long before the pandemic and have adapted to life under lockdown and life after.
They make it possible for people to select what they need and want because not everyone has the exact needs, and St Aidan’s is open to all, not just a single demographic.
It’s a lifeline for those in need.
Volunteers are hard at work unloading donations.
St Aidan’s Warm Space
Back straight away to St Aidan’s, on top of their fantastic FoodShare, they are opening their doors on Tuesdays to provide a warm space in a time when many can’t afford to heat their homes.
So if you need a break from the coming cold weather, then Tuesday afternoons St Aidan’s Community Hall is there for you.
FoodCycle
We covered FoodCycle in the last Advent Calendar, and it’s a lovely place. It’s also potentially an essential place if you’re struggling financially, there’s a three-course meal in a warm space and a chance to meet new people, have volunteers who genuinely care about you and will sit and have a conversation. It’s lovely food, lovely company, and it’s warm.
FoodCycle opened up in Beeston earlier this year, so there are a couple of places to go. I highly recommend it for many reasons, but it feels like it could be essential for many people in these stringent times.
Compton Centre
A lot happens at the Compton Centre, but in conjunction with other Leeds libraries, they offer a warm space, including hot water facilities to have a nice warm drink.
It’s also where you can get a coat and winter gear that might be most vital as the days get colder.
While you’re there, there’s free wifi for getting online, whether that’s to look for a job or look for help, or just to keep up with the world, it’s also a library, and it’s a fantastic space that frequently has events that might help you in these challenging times. There’s lots of information for different forms of support.
Shine Workspace
Shine is open to the public, Monday to Friday, 8am-8pm, offering free WiFi, meeting spaces, and seats to relax/think/work/read, alongside lovely staff. Please see their website for more details & complete cafe services: https://www.shinespace.co.uk.
You can find Shine on Harehills Road. It’s the former Harehills middle school and is easy to find. Aside from all the signs, it’s one of our older buildings and cuts quite the sight (it’s also featured on the banner for this site)
You can find it here: Google Maps
The Old Fire Station, Gipton
Just around the corner, this fantastic community facility for Gipton always has stuff going on, and every Monday from 5pm to 8pm, they are offering a warm space in their café
Check out their Facebook page, though. There is a ton of stuff going on,
Nowell Mount Community Group
Nowell Mount Community Centre is also a place where you can pick up a coat to keep you warm, towels too, and it’s worth following their Facebook page to see what else they have going on
More Places to Look for Help
This is far from an exhaustive list of help you can find in the area – I will add to it over time. However, the council have provided a map service to find warm spaces close to you; you can find it here.
Harehills ❤️ Love 
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