What a fun and uplifting musical trip down memory lane this afternoon. We are back next week Wednesday 16th March 2022 at 1.30pm till 3pm, and Wednesday 23rd March at Little London Community Centre, Oatland Lane, Little London LS7 1HF if you wish to pop along. Thank you @luumusicimpactinthecommunity
Our local councillors for Headingley and Hyde Park ward (which also covers most of Woodhouse) will be holding their monthly Woodhouse advice surgery at our premises tomorrow.
They will be at Caring Together on Charing Cross shopping centre (Woodhouse Street, LS6 2PY – across from the Londis shop/Post Office) from 5pm – 6pm, Tuesday 8th March
Any resident who needs help or advice from the councillors is welcome to come along at this time.
Our latest Newsletter is here, along with inserts detailing some upcoming activities and special get-togethers:
Issue-95-Spring-2022
A unique service tackling anti-social behaviour and noise in Headingley, Hyde Park, Little Woodhouse and Burley launched this week, thanks to a unique partnership between the council and its two biggest universities.
The dedicated service is a national first, with Leeds Beckett University and University of Leeds funding overnight patrols, seven days a week, by council response officers.
The officers will work exclusively on noise and anti-social behaviour issues in inner north-west Leeds. They will carry out patrols to identify and stop potential issues from escalating while also providing capacity to respond to more calls, more quickly. The partnership will provide additional call-handling capacity at weekends and during peak times throughout the year, including Freshers’ week and end of assessments.
In what is a significant investment by the universities, as well as a major commitment by the partnership to improve the communities, the service is supported by a new Community Coordinator to keep the service working and improving efficiently.
The partnership will monitor and regularly share updates on the performance and impact of the service, and hold termly meetings with residents’ association leaders.
This new venture builds upon the Leeds Universities and Colleges’ long-established Neighbourhood Helpline service and Enhanced Noise Service.
Community members can also join a network of ‘key individuals’ to complete short, regular feedback surveys to help to develop the service. Please email dedicatedservice@leeds.gov.uk if you live, work or run a business in the area and can spare a few minutes every month.
Councillor James Lewis, Leader of Leeds City Council, said:
“While universities make an incredibly positive contribution to Leeds’ culture and economy, we also recognise that some issues can arise in all communities with a student population.
“While these issues are not unique to Leeds, our response is. The dedicated service is a national first, building on years of partnership and listening to communities.”
Professor Peter Slee, Vice Chancellor of Leeds Beckett University, said:
“Building and maintaining positive relations in the city is a priority for Leeds’ seven universities. We work with student unions, landlords, police and the council to support our students to live in diverse and vibrant residential communities.
“Leeds’ 70,000 students contribute significantly to the city’s economy and the majority play a positive role in their communities. This service recognises community concerns over the minority that behave inappropriately, and strengthens the partnership’s ability to respond to and deal with that behaviour.”
Professor Simone Buitendijk, vice chancellor of the University of Leeds, said:
“Together with our other partners across the city, we recognise the significant impact that noise and anti-social behaviour can have in the communities in which our students live.
“The introduction of this dedicated service is an important step forward for our collective approach in preventing as well as responding to these issues.
“We will also continue to work together to deliver an enhanced programme of good citizenship activities to ensure our students play an active and positive role in community life.”
Pango Simwaka, Union Affairs Officer at Leeds Beckett Student Union, said:
”Improving the relationship between students and residents in our community has always been a priority for us at Leeds Beckett Students’ Union.
“As a union, we welcome the new dedicated anti-social Behaviour and noise nuisance service and are happy to join forces with the universities and partners on this initiative.
“It’s important that we all work together to create a community which we are proud to live in, while also remembering the positive changes that the students and the universities bring to Leeds.
“We’re keen to show that the vast majority of students in Leeds really value their time in our city and are proud to study here.”
Reporting concerns
In spite of the new dedicated patrol service, there are no changes to how anti-social behaviour and noise nuisance are reported.
5pm to 4am every day 0113 3760337
Between 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, or if you do not require an immediate response, call 0113 222 4402
You can also report online using the council’s web form for anti-social behaviour and noise nuisance
The Community Coordinator will provide a link between the service and local communities, working closely with a new community relations post at Leeds Beckett University and the Student Citizenship team at the University of Leeds.
Virtual Choir – Weekly 2nd to 24th March
For more details and how to book: https://www.operanorth.co.uk/whats-on/from-couch-to-chorus-2022
Opera North’s Virtual Choir is back. Join together with a community of like-minded singers, from complete beginners to experienced choir-goers – everyone is welcome.
From improvements in memory and pain relief, to a boost in confidence and the release of ‘happy’ chemicals… singing is really great for you! Find out a bit more about some of the benefits to both your mental and physical health. https://www.operanorth.co.uk/news/10-reasons-singing-is-good-for-you
Dear resident
This week the government announced its plan for living safely with Covid-19. The plan centres on vaccines as the first line of defence against coronavirus and encourages safe behaviours based on public health advice, rather than restrictions enforced by law.
The plan acknowledges that Covid-19 is here to stay and explains that the virus will be managed in future in a similar way to other infectious diseases such as flu. The prevalence of Covid is decreasing and there is great progress being made on treatments. Nonetheless, the lifting of the restrictions designed to keep us all safe may be a source of anxiety for those who feel vulnerable. As we adjust to the new normal, we can support one another by remembering the simple precautions and consideration for others that have become part of everyday life.
In this update we will outline the implications of the new approach for people in Leeds, and the support available for individuals, businesses and communities as we look ahead to the Covid recovery period.
The government’s living with Covid plan is being phased in between now and April and includes some key changes that will impact families and individuals.
Self-isolation is no longer legally enforced if you test positive for Covid-19. Instead you are strongly advised to self-isolate until you test negative on two consecutive days. The rules requiring close contacts to test or isolate, depending on their age and vaccination status, have ceased to apply and contact tracing has stopped.
As a result, provision for people self-isolating has ended, including support payments, nationally funded practical assistance and medicine delivery services. The Covid-19 provisions which expedited the payment of statutory sick pay and employment support allowance will end on 24 March. For help and advice if you are struggling financially visit help with food and household bills on the council website.
Testing provision will be scaled back under the living with Covid plan to focus on the most at-risk groups. Lateral flow tests will no longer be freely available after 31 March. Refreshed guidance will be issued advising people how to maintain safe behaviours and minimise the risk of infection for themselves and others.
In the spring, the vaccination programme will expand to offer an additional booster dose to those most at risk from Covid-19, including over-75s, older care home residents and vulnerable people over the age of 12.
Visit the government website for a summary of the plan for living with Covid and to read the plan in full. The plan also covers changes that impact businesses and employers.
The Covid case rate in Leeds has declined by 26% in the past week, to 348 per 100K. Although the city’s case rate is lower than the rate in England, the trend reflects the national position with infections remaining high despite the gradual fall in numbers.
Public health advice in Leeds is therefore to remain cautious and take whatever action you can to prevent the spread of infection. Please continue to stay at home if you are unwell, let in fresh air when indoors, wash your hands regularly and wear face coverings in crowded indoor spaces.
The Covid vaccination is the best way to protect yourself from infection and serious illness. Whether you need a first, second or booster dose the vaccine offer remains in place across the city. Visit the NHS in Leeds for details of local clinics.
The government’s living with Covid plan addresses future monitoring and management of coronavirus. Leeds City Council’s public health team will continue to work closely with health service colleagues to monitor the local position, contain outbreaks and manage any new variants of concern.
For local information and links to the latest national guidance visit the coronavirus page on the council website.
There is still time to apply for financial support if you run a hospitality, leisure or accommodation business which was affected by coronavirus restrictions.
The Omicron hospitality and leisure grant is offered to businesses based in Leeds at premises subject to business rates. Applicants must have been registered as the current rate payer on 30 December 2021.
The grants are worth up to £6,000 depending on the rateable value of your premises. Please apply online by the deadline of Friday 18 March.
The government recently announced that in April they will provide a one-off energy bills rebate of £150 for most households in council tax bands A to D. You will not have to repay this money, which is to help you with rising energy costs.
We will administer the payment via the council tax billing system, so if you think you may be eligible you don’t need to do anything for now. We will be in touch with more information shortly once the government has clarified how the system will work.
You may wish to arrange payment by Direct Debit if you don’t already pay your council tax this way. This will help us pay the rebate to you as quickly as possible. Find out more at How to pay your council tax.
Are you looking for rewarding work as we move on from Covid-19? Could you make a positive difference to some of the most vulnerable people in Leeds? Our award-winning social care team needs you!
Visit Leeds City Council’s Jobs and careers page to find opportunities for experienced and newly qualified professionals – in social care and many other roles too.
The cultural recovery is well underway after successive lockdowns forced the arts sector online during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Leeds theatres are taking part in the Love Your Local Theatre campaign, supported by The National Lottery, which aims to encourage post-Covid recovery in the entertainment industry.
The campaign offers 2-for-1 theatre tickets to National Lottery players. Visit Love Your Local Theatre to find a participating venue near you.
Leeds Lit Fest starts today and runs until 6th March. The city’s award winning festival of words and thought returns for its fourth year and there is a mixture of online and in person events. Many of these are free or pay as you feel.
It will include author talks, a literary quiz, songs from the commoners choir, storytelling, writers workshops, movie nights and lots more
You can see all the events here https://www.leedsinspired.co.uk/collection/leeds-lit-fest-2022 or visit the website for lots more information www.leedslitfest.co.uk
The next online event from M&S is tomorrow
Friday 25th February at 12.30-1pm
M&S on Film: Marketing M&S! Adverts, adverts and more adverts, looking at how cinema and TV were used to market products. Exploring the history of M&S advertising through archive film collection, from Swinging Sixties cinema adverts to iconic food campaigns.
Online Event
This is a pre-recorded talk featuring original archive images introduced by the Archivist, who will be available to respond to questions during and following the talk.
Running time – 30 minutes.
Click here to join the event, the talk will start automatically at 12.30pm.
Visit the M&S Archive website https://marksintime.marksandspencer.com
Earlier this week the government annouced it’s ‘Living with Covid’ plan meaning that almost all of the covid rules have now been relaxed.
From today it will no longer be a legal requirement to self isolate if you test positive for Covid 19, however the guidance is still to stay at home and avoid contact with others to prevent spreading the virus.
Covid is still around and while the legal restrictions are no longer in place the advice, from government and, emphatically, from health experts is to continue to take precautions to keep yourself and others safe
From 1st April free lateral flow tests will no longer be available. In the meantime you can still get free lateral flow tests online at https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests for home delivery (note you can now only order once every 3 days) or https://test-for-coronavirus.service.gov.uk/collect-lateral-flow-kits to collect from a pharmacy. You can also call 119 to get lateral flow tests.
Also from 1st April, not everyone will be able to book a PCR test if they have symptoms. Tests will still be available for some vulnerable groups, likely to include over 80s and people who are immunosuppressed. The exact list is still being drawn up.
A free event from Leeds Libraries at the Compton Centre – Harehills Lane, LS9 7BG. And after the storms of the last week or so, it looks like the weather might be nice on Wednesday 
