News & Events

We look through the local news and find the stories, events and opportunities within Leeds. Please take some time to look through whats going on locally.

Being Black and Being Me Infographic

In 2020, Tamirah one of our YouthWatch volunteers came up with the idea of making a video to raise awareness about what it’s like to be a black child or young person living in Leeds today.

With the support of Youthwatch Leeds and Black Lives Matters Leeds the film ‘Being Black and Being Me’ was made in which children and young people talk about the highs, the lows, their thoughts about education, and also what mental health means to them.

A year and a half on, we look back at the impact the film has had.

Click on to the infographic to download a copy.

You Said......we did! The film Being Black and Being Me was the idea of Tamirah Bass-Grant who volunteers for both YouthWatchLeeds and Black Lives Matters Leeds. Tamirah asked the Children and FamiliesEquality, Diversity and Inclusion Board: “What resources/policies would you implement having seen the video and how can they be used to support black children and families?” Julie Longworth, Chair of the Children and FamiliesEquality, Diversity and Inclusion Board said: “We all have a responsibility to educate ourselves and accept we still have a lot to learn by listening to the experiences of others.Voice and Influence must run as a GoldenThread across the directorate’s EqualityImprovement Priorities.” What’s happening so far… Training for staff in cultural confidence over next 3 years Revised tools and guidance for practice on culture and identity Increasing number of foster carers from diverse faiths and ethnicities Work with NESTA to recognise importance of raising awareness with children at a very early age Early years Ideas generated from parents/carers from BAME backgrounds are being developed to makeChildren’s Centres engage better with different communities. Recognition that Leeds City Council workforce doesn’t reflect the communities we live in. Workforce Working with Dame Lorna Boland-Kelly to look at how things like recruitment and progression to senior roles, can be improved. Film included in the new culture and identity training for staff working with children and families. New questions for school pupils in the annual 'My Health, My School’s survey to include whether they understand about racism and where to go for help and advice. Education and Health “Commitment to hearing the views of young black people in the current priorities for Education including attendance, reading andSpecial Educational Needs support where they are currently overrepresented” Film to be used by schools as an anti-racism resource Currently available on Leeds for Learning and School Wellbeing locally and Mentally HealthySchools nationally. Leeds University and Leeds BeckettUniversity are using the video on their children’s and cultural competency courses Youth Justice Service: New Race Equality Action Plan in recognition of over representation of black and mixed heritage young men who are at risk of reoffending. Where else has the film been shared? With over 15000 Leeds City Council employees Senior leaders in children and families services and all ward councillors. Nationally by Black Lives Matters and Healthwatch England. For more information about the film you can read about it in the YorkshireEvening Post article or Tamirah’s blog.

Leeds Domestic Violence Service (LDVS)

LDVS works with women, men and families in Leeds, offering emergency accommodation, support, advice and advocacy. LDVS supports anyone experiencing domestic violence and abuse and actively encourages people from LGBT+ communities to access our support. 24 Hour Helpline 0113 246 0401 or visit LDVS

You can also visit the Leeds City Council website for more information: Domestic violence and abuse (leeds.gov.uk)

Leeds Women’s Aid Domestic Violence & Abuse Support in Leeds - Leeds Women's Aid (leedswomensaid.co.uk)

Behind Closed Doors Home - Behind Closed Doors (behind-closed-doors.org.uk)

Galop - supporting LGBT+ people who are victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence, hate crime, so-called conversion therapies, honour-based abuse, forced marriage, and other forms of abuse. Helpline 0800 999 5428 or visit Galop

Karma Nirvana – providing specialist support for victims of Honour Based Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline 0800 5999 247 or visit Karma Nirvana

Respect – providing safe, effective work with perpetrators, male victims and young people using violence and abuse.

The Respect Phoneline is a confidential helpline, email and webchat service for domestic abuse perpetrators and those supporting them. They provide support for men and women who are using abuse, in same-sex or heterosexual relationships - 0808 8024040.

The Men’s Advice Line is a confidential helpline, email and webchat service for male victims of domestic abuse. Helpline 0808 8010327 or visit Respect

West Yorkshire Police – in case of an emergency ring 999.

For more information about how to report domestic abuse please visit Domestic Abuse | West Yorkshire Police

Silent Solution – a way to contact 999 without having to speak, for more information please visit Silent 999

Clare's Law Campaign

The West Yorkshire Police Clare's Law campaign was launched to encourage anyone with concerns about their current or ex-partner to use their ‘right to ask’ to check whether they have a history of domestic abuse. For more information, please visit Clare’s Law - Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme | West Yorkshire Police

If you have had experience of safeguarding process in Leeds Advonet want to hear from you.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic Leeds Safeguarding Adults Board asked Advonet, an independent advocacy charity, to collect people’s stories of safeguarding in Leeds. When the pandemic and it’s associated difficulties hit, gathering peoples feedback in this area proved difficult. But now more than ever it is important that those with safeguarding stories to tell are heard.

According to the COVID-19 ADULT SAFEGUARDING INSIGHT PROJECT by the Local Government association (2020), safeguarding concerns dropped markedly during the initial weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown period, only to return to and then exceed normal levels by June 2020. This study recognised that this was due to potential under-reporting as well as a lack of external scrutiny of services during the time of the pandemic. The impact the pandemic has had on safeguarding reporting and the experiences of vulnerable people is concerning and one that should continue to be highlighted.

Advonet would like to hear from you about any experience you or someone you support has had of the safeguarding process in Leeds. This way the Leeds Safeguarding Board can learn from these experiences to improve services for the future. There are lots of ways to tell us about your experiences:

You can take the online survey at https://smartsurvey.co.uk/s/lfs2020

Or you can talk to us in person over the phone or online, please contact us by email at hearmyvoice@advonet.org.uk or by phone on 0113 244 0606 if you would like to know more about being involved in the project this way.

All information given will be kept securely by Advonet and data will be anonymised before it is shared.

Being Black and Being me

The highs and lows of being black - a new film and blog created by young people in Leeds

Young volunteers from Youthwatch Leeds and Black Lives Matters Leeds launch ‘Being Black and Being Me’ a film about what it’s like to be a black child or young person living in Leeds today.

The film follows on from the first Black Youth Engagement Summit in Leeds that took place in August this year. Young people, committed to tackle racial equality came together to engage in conversation, ask questions and discuss shared issues. One of the key things young people expressed was that they felt young black voices have been historically left out of local strategies and they felt it was time to make those voices heard.

YouthWatch and Black Lives Matters Leeds’ volunteer Tamirah Bass Grant, 18, led on the project inspired by her own personal experiences at school and as a young black woman growing up in Leeds.

“The video is about what it means to be black in the 21^st century and in 2020 especially with all the tension surrounding race relations that has been building up for a long time. I want to raise people’s awareness of the issue of racism and how it manifests, and try to educate people on the struggles of being black, as racism is still prevalent today.” Tamirah Bass-Grant, YouthWatch and Black Lives Matters Leeds’ volunteer

The video features black children and young people aged 6-19 from Leeds talking about the highs and lows of being black, how it feels to experience racism and discrimination and the impact it has on their mental health. It also tackles how it feels to experience the misperceptions and assumptions people hold in regard to the black community as a whole.

This story was also covered in Yorkshire Evening Post, read the news story click here

Read the blog by Tamirah for MindMate click the image above

Click on the image above to watch the video

Your rights to register with your GP

(Clink on the image to see the full infographic)

This infographic provides useful information on a person’s rights and what to do if someone is refused the right to register with a GP surgery in Leeds. It has been shared widely on social media and promoted by the Leeds CCG, and organisations who work with people who are seeking asylum, refugees or homeless. We have asked people and their representatives to get in touch with us if they are refused registration so we can continue to challenge this issue. Leaflets on how to register with a GP can be downloaded from the NHS website

Got a question?

Talk to us...