The latest Leeds Council update is below:
Welcome to the latest bulletin with news and updates from across the city. There is news on the Household Support Fund, a charity rugby match for MND, the Festival of Play, Leeds Citizen’s Panel, Leeds Parks and Green Spaces Forum, Light Night/Connecting Leeds, public health campaigns and the cost of living monthly bulletin, along with local developments.
Household Support Fund
The Council has received confirmation the Government has allocated £7.1m from its Household Support Fund to Leeds to help those in need with the costs of food, fuel, and other essentials between October 2024 and 31st March 2025.
- £3.2m of the funding will be allocated to residents in receipt of Council Tax Support (CTS). All households in receipt of CTS who are working age and pensioner households eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment will receive a direct case award of £40.
- Pensioner households in receipt of CTS but ineligible for a Winter Fuel Payment will receive a direct cash award of £150. This is in recognition that these pensioner households remain on a low income as they are eligible for Council Tax Support but are not in receipt of Pension Credit or other qualifying benefit and, therefore, will not qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment for 2024-25.
- Cash awards will again be made via the Post Office Payout Scheme. Letters containing a barcode will be sent directly to households and these can be exchanged for cash at the Post Office upon provision of identification. This scheme has been used successfully during previous Household Support Fund initiatives.
- £1.65m will be made available for Third Sector organisations/charities to support vulnerable households not engaging with the council.
- £230k will help support the city’s Welcome Spaces Network ensuring vulnerable households are able to access a warm space alongside other sources of support. Welcome Spaces provide immediate help for those struggling with utility bills in the colder winter months as well as offering the opportunity for social engagement and signposting.
- The remaining funding will be split between crisis and emergency support; alleviating homelessness; and support for housing Leeds tenants in financial crisis.
Further information is available on the council website here: Household Support Fund (leeds.gov.uk)
Rugby league and union collide for unique cross-code charity match
The '745 Game', which will be played on 17th November at Headingley, is the idea of former league and union stars Rob Burrow and Ed Slater. Tragically, Rob passed away earlier this year at 41 after a long battle with Motor Neurone Disease (MND), while Ed is continuing his heroic battle with MND since his diagnosis in 2022. The format will blend elements of both rugby union and league, and is set to include Danny Cipriani, Billy Twelvetrees, Tom Youngs, Keith Senior, Adrian Morley and Danny McGuire. Money raised will go towards MND-related charities. For more info and tickets please see here.
Festival of Play
The first city-wide Festival of Play is arriving in Leeds this October half-term, from 25th October to 3rd November. Organised by the Leeds 'Community of Play', a network of over 100 people and organisations committed to inspiring playfulness in neighbourhoods, encourages us all to let our playful sides out, believing #LeedsPlayFest really is for everyone. Find an event on the Leeds Inspired website or follow @childfriendlyleeds and @leedsplayfest. The Child Friendly Leeds Autumn Guide has even more free and low-cost things to do this October too.
Leeds Citizen’s Panel
The Leeds Citizen’s Panel is looking for more people to join the 2,600 people currently on the Panel; it is not as diverse as the population of Leeds and we'd really like to improve that so please share with your contacts and communities so they are aware of how to join and have the chance to take part in consultation and surveys on a wide-range of topics and issues.
Leeds Parks and Green Spaces Forum
Leeds Parks and Green Spaces Forum would like to share the attached letter with you, to raise awareness of the forum and outline the benefits of local community groups becoming members. Further info about the forum can be found here.
Connecting Leeds
- Rail users are being encouraged to note changes to services over the coming weeks and months as part of Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) improvement works. Every weekday from Monday 28th October to Friday 22nd November, major improvement works will take place on the line between Huddersfield, Dewsbury and Leeds. You can find details about the closures and impacted services on the TRU website.
- Light Night Leeds returns on Thursday 24th and Friday 25th October with over 50 stunning art and light installations across the city centre from 6pm to 10pm each evening. If you're heading to the event, make your visit easy by starting at Elland Road or Stourton Park & Ride, where you can enjoy free parking and a special return ticket for just £1.50 after 3pm. Up to 3 kids travel free with each fare-paying adult. Both sites will feature stunning light displays, including an Interactive Light Maze at Elland Road and a 4m illuminated owl installation at Stourton. Extra buses will run every 20 minutes, with extended hours to get you back from the city centre. Click here for more details. To ensure public safety during this popular event, several temporary road closures will be in place, affecting some bus routes in and out of the city. See the full interactive map and most up-to-date road closure information here or check for travel information here.
- Leeds City Council has been recognised at the 21st annual National Transport Awards, winning the award for Exemplary Approach to Active Travel & Public Space for its ambitious City Square project. The City Square project has transformed the heart of Leeds, turning a congested area into a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly space. By prioritising buses, cyclists, and pedestrians, the scheme has reduced traffic, introduced new bus gates, and created secure cycle facilities. It has not only improved travel but also created a bustling hub for events like Christmas Markets and Leeds Light Night.
- More than 200 pupils in Leeds have become the latest local youngsters to benefit from a scheme that makes journeys to and from school safer, healthier and more enjoyable. School Streets create a safer and more pleasant environment for children and families by restricting motorised traffic and turning the space outside school gates into a pedestrian and cyclist-only zone during pick-up and drop-off times. A total of 15 schools in Leeds have previously signed up to the scheme, which aims to ease traffic congestion and tackle poor air quality while also improving safety. Now two more – Ireland Wood Primary and St Bartholomew’s Primary – have followed suit. Read more in the press release.
Public health campaigns
- The annual vaccination programme for flu and covid is underway. The vaccines are being offered to those at highest risk of serious disease and who are therefore most likely to benefit. The key message is that it is important that those who are eligible get vaccinated as soon as possible, ahead of any winter outbreaks, so that they are protected against serious illness and hospitalisation. For more details, visit the NHS website here.
- A major 'quit smoking' campaign is also running. While smoking rates have declined in recent years, smoking remains the single biggest preventable cause of ill health and death. The key message is that it's never too late to stop smoking and with the right support you're up to three times more likely to quite for good. Information about the free support in Leeds is available here or by phoning 0800 169 4219.
Cost of Living Monthly Bulletin - October edition attached
The Financial Inclusion Team produce a monthly bulletin (attached) to go alongside the live Cost of Living dashboard, both of which can be accessed via this link to the Leeds Observatory: https://observatory.leeds.gov.uk/home/cost-of-living/. They aim to publish the bulletin to coincide with the monthly release of the latest inflation data each month. For any queries, please email [email protected].
Local developments:
- Leeds City Council and the Lawn Tennis Association have worked to renovate 42 tennis courts at 8 public parks in Leeds, with investment of over £654,00. The parks included are Beckett Park in Headingley, Burley Park, Chapel Allerton Park, Grove Road Recreation Ground near Temple Newsam, Harehills Park, Roundhay Park, Springhead Park in Rothwell and The Hollies in Weetwood. Further info can be found here.
- A groundbreaking Leeds City Council-led partnership tackling inequality through sport has been honoured by winning a prestigious international award. The Leeds Equipment and Kit Exchange Partnership (LEKEP), created by Leeds City Council’s Active Leeds service, sees recycled or unwanted sports kit distributed to deprived communities in the city. Further info can be found here.
