Welcome to Day 12 of the 2025 Harehills Good News Advent Calendar!
Behind every great community project, there are usually a few people working tirelessly in the background, often trying to dodge the camera while making sure the kettle is on and the doors are open. Today, I want to start by celebrating two of them: Natalie Tharraleos and Tasneem Suleman.
If you have been to a community event in Harehills this year, chances are Natalie and Tas have been involved. As the driving forces behind the Harehills Action Team (HAT), their passion for supporting our neighbourhood is relentless. They don’t do it for the applause; they do it because they believe in the people of LS9.
Their flagship project, the Chatty Café, has become a cornerstone of our week. Every Monday morning from 10:30 am at The Compton Centre, the café provides a safe, warm, and reliable sanctuary. It is a simple but powerful concept: free tea, coffee, biscuits, and conversation. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from, or where you’re going—when you walk through those doors, you are a neighbour. In a world that can feel increasingly isolated, having a place where you are guaranteed a warm welcome every single week is priceless.
But 2025 wasn’t just about tea and biscuits. In September, the team helped transform the Compton Centre into a hub of environmental action for the “Our Planet, Our Neighbourhood” event.
It was a fantastic day that connected the local with the global. The café was in full swing, acting as the social anchor for a day of workshops and stalls. A particular highlight was the distribution of herbs and bulbs, generously donated by the Royal Horticultural Society. It was a lovely bit of symbolism: local residents taking small plants home to green up their own little patch of Harehills, reminding us that growth—like community—starts at the grassroots.
So, here’s to Natalie, Tas, and the whole Action Team. Thank you for keeping the kettle boiled and the community growing.
Read more:
Harehills Action Team on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hatstreetmarket/
East Side Story (Event Review): https://eastsidestory.co.uk/our-planet-our-neighbourhood-a-day-to-imagine-a-greener-leeds/
Harehills ❤️ Love 
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