Harehills ❤️ Love

Welcome to Day 4 of the 2025 Harehills Good News Advent Calendar!

Today we are doing something slightly different. Usually, this calendar celebrates what is happening right here on our streets—from the Bilal Centre to Banstead Park. But sometimes, “community” is about the bridges we build to the rest of the city.

Today’s story is about Conversation Club Leeds. While their physical sessions take place in Holbeck and the City Centre, they are a lifeline for many new residents living in Harehills. For asylum seekers and refugees, the cost of a bus ticket can be a prison wall, keeping them confined to their immediate accommodation. Conversation Club Leeds tears down that wall by reimbursing travel costs, allowing people from LS9 to travel into the city, meet new friends, and practice English in a relaxed, “pub-style” atmosphere rather than a classroom.

This year, their incredible work was recognised on the biggest stage when they were crowned “Diversity Project of the Year” at the 2025 Leeds Compassionate City Awards.

The judges recognised that integration isn’t just about survival; it’s about living. In 2025 alone, the club didn’t just sit and talk; they took members on trips to Hebden Bridge to hike and visit poetry landmarks, and they spent winter days planting trees with the Council’s countryside rangers. For people who have left everything behind, these moments of joy and contribution are priceless.

Staying Local? We know that travelling isn’t for everyone. If you or someone you know wants to connect closer to home, Harehills is packed with its own welcoming spaces:

• H.E.L.P. (Harehills English Language Project): Running wonderful ESOL classes right here at St Aidan’s Church.
• Women’s Conversation Club: A safe, women-only space hosted at the Bangladeshi Centre on Roundhay Road.

Whether in Holbeck or Harehills, the message remains the same: in 2025, no one should have to be lonely.

Other places to feature this amazing story:

Conversation Club Leeds: https://ccleeds.com/

Leeds Compassionate City Awards Winners: https://www.leeds.gov.uk/about-leeds/compassionate-city-awards

H.E.L.P. (Harehills English Language Project): https://helpleeds.org/