Over the summer, we’ve been busy getting out and about in your neighbourhoods, working alongside local partners to make a positive difference and hear what customers would like to see more of in their community. From supporting local events to creating new opportunities, here’s a look at some of the things we’ve been up to.

Belle Isle Gala

Organised by BITMO and its community committee, the Belle Isle Gala is the summer event that kicks off the season.

We funded the climbing wall for 2026, but there was no chance any of us were going to give that a go!

There were plenty of stalls, live music, a dog show, ice cream, arts and crafts, and bouncy castles. It was great to chat to local residents and hear about what they’d like to see more of in their neighbourhoods.

Common Ground: Meanwood

In May, we teamed up with InterACT, Unity Housing, Leeds Council, Hello Hip Hop, APS and Equans to deliver one of our inaugural Common Ground events.

Held on the sports pitch in the Stonegate neighbourhood in Meanwood, the event was created to find out what they would like to see in their community.

One of the ways we got people together was by doing a giant by-numbers mural, now permanently installed in the neighbourhood. There was hip-hop dancing, giant games, snack stalls, and a DJ. We also had giant blocks where people could share their ideas of what they’d like to see more of in their neighbourhoods.

Following on from the feedback shared, we ran a programme of basketball and roller-skating sessions on the basketball pitch over the summer holidays, which turned out to be a great success. We’re now working with Leeds Council to continue the basketball sessions over the course of the next year and invest in improving the site facilities.

Common Ground: Belle Isle

Our second Common Ground event was delivered at the West Grange MUGA in Belle Isle. This time, we partnered alongside BITMO, Places for People, Hunslet and Belle Isle Community Project, and Opera North. The community enjoyed a giant inflatable assault course, rap writing workshops, giant games, basketball, and a giant art playbox activity.

Following on from the feedback shared in the giant art playbox, we set up a meeting with local partners involved who are now delivering a second event in October half-term for young people, with the main aim of speaking to parents and community members who would be interested in getting involved in a playbox initiative.

If you live in Belle Isle and want to find out more about what a playbox is and how you may be able to get involved, come along to our event on the West Grange Muga (LS10 3UY) on 27th October or email social.value@lfha.co.uk.

Meanwood Olympics

Celebrating its 15th year, the Meanwood Olympics is a yearly event that attracts hundreds of children from the area every year. Held on the first 3 Wednesdays of August and organised by community legend, Maureen, the event hosts a range of activities, including, you guessed it, sport!

For this year’s instalment, we partnered with Unity Housing to deliver a variety of arts and crafts activities, including stone painting, macramé keyring making and vinyl record painting.

Every participant went home with a medal, including Leeds Federated!

Meanwood Festival

We joined our friends over at the Meanwood Community Centre on Saturday, 19th September for our final summer event of 2026!

They had everything from a steel drum band and live theatre performance to folk music, homemade veggie chilli con carne, and veg planting.

It was a great event that showcased everything the community centre has to offer, and it’s right on the doorstep of our Meanwood community!

Your views – we’re listening and acting

Thank you to everyone who came along, shared their views, and got involved. We’ve heard many suggestions about the activities, opportunities, and improvements that young people and customers would like to see in their neighbourhoods.

We’ll be using this feedback to help shape our plans for the year ahead and continue acting on what you’ve told us. Working closely with local partners, we’ll develop projects and activities that reflect the priorities, ideas and opportunities that communities have told us they want to see in their neighbourhoods.

You can find out more about what’s happening in your neighbourhood on Your Voice.