As well as providing homes directly for individuals and families across the Leeds City Region, and North and West Yorkshire, we also provide accommodation to local partners who offer specialist support such as Leeds Women’s Aid, an independent charity providing a range of domestic violence and abuse services to women and children in Leeds.

Building a sanctuary for children and young people

In 2025, Leeds Women’s Aid began transforming a single storey, windowless outbuilding of ours into a bright, welcoming, and accessible two storey hub.

A before photo showing an old one storey shed
Before
After photo showing the building transformed into a two storey hub
After

The hub launched in December 2025 as a dedicated space to support children and young people who live within the emergency refuge accommodation.

“Up to 100 families can be living in our refuge accommodation at any one time. The hub provides a sanctuary for young people to relax and socialise, helping them recover from the trauma of domestic violence and abuse.

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the organisations, individual supporters and fundraisers who have supported the Children and Young People’s Hub project. Any donation, no matter the size, has contributed to making the hub a reality for families in refuge.”

Samantha Lightfoot, Fundraising and Marketing Director at Leeds Women’s Aid

The refurbishment included installing a new first floor, new kitchen, accessible entry and toilets and a creation of a teenager chill out zone, sensory room for young children and one to one support room. The space is designed to create an uplifting environment for children and young people to visit to relax, play games or interact with other children.

“The support people receive from Leeds Women’s Aid is invaluable. The hub is a fantastic resource for young people. They now have their own space to come together, build their idea of what a safe home looks like, and move towards the life they want.”

Carolyn Wood, Head of Housing at Leeds Federated Housing Association

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