Category Archives: Caring Together

‘Stroll on Woodhouse Moor and Allotment visit’

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Dear all
We have once again enjoyed our stroll on Woodhouse Moor with a pit stop at the Caring Together Allotment. There were onions, courgettes, broad beans (scarlet emperor), potatoes, herbs and so much more including the beautiful flowers to keep the bees (of all varieties) well catered for.
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Thank you once again Ben for hosting us and letting us get to take away some of the produce. And for passing on your knowledge not only about the allotment produce but also some cooking tips too. Including the many bees who frequent the plants.
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If you wish to join us for more outings/strolls do get in touch, or you would like to get involved and learn more about the allotment. Lisa 07436 530073 or email: lisa@caringtogether.org.uk

Women Reflecting on Women

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Before the pandemic a group of us from Caring Together were among 13 different community groups in Leeds, who in partnership with artists from Skippko Leeds, gathered stories of lesser known women who were involved in the fight for the vote at the turn of the 20th century. We also looked at how life has changed for women in the last 100years.
A few weeks ago we were finally able to attend the long awaited exhibition of all the work together. It looked amazing and was a delight to be part of it. Thank you to everyone who took part.
If you are interested in getting involved in further projects please do get in touch: lisa@caringtogether.org.uk

Advice & Support for Clinically Vulnerable in Leeds as we move out of lockdown.

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Around 55,000 people Leeds have been classified as Clinically Extremely Vulnerable and were advised to shield for much of the last year.  Many others who are not on the Govt list but still feel they are vulnerable re the virus may have been following similar advice.

Now that most restrictions are over and things are opening up, many people may be feeling a bit anxious about life returning to normal.  Please keep taking extra care and move at a pace that feels comfortable to you.

CEV summary

There is still support available in Leeds, both from the council and from a number of other organisations – including Caring Together.  Lots of information is in this booklet from Leeds City Council – if you are registered as Clinically Extremely Vulnerable you should recceive a paper copy of this in the post

Community Support for CEVs Booklet PRINT (040821)

Ship-Shape and lovin it……

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A few weeks ago we were delighted that Mary and Myrna had some time to tackle the store room. It certainly needed it. Last week Susan joined them both on day 2 to sort out some craft boxes. When we moved we didn’t get a chance to sort through everything so we are thrilled they could help. We, meaning all our members, volunteers and the team now know where everything is and even have everything labelled up. Order has now been restored…..THANK YOU 🙂
Kindest regards Lisa

Shared Moments: ‘Weddings’ written by Oliver Cross

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Weddings aren’t what they used to be, which is a relief for people who don’t like sexism, crude humour, drunkenness, ill-fitting outfits, unimaginative food or seething family tensions.

None of which were even hinted at the wedding of my grandson Sam and my new relative Mrs Becky Cross, mainly, I think, because all the youngish people I know (especially Sam and Becky) are more sensible than I ever was, not to mention more thoughtful, intelligent, enterprising and – which, I realised at the wedding, is the most important social virtue – much kinder too.

So, in keeping with  the kindly mood established by the happy couple (‘happy’ being, so far as I could see, an accurate description rather than a wedding cliché), everybody was nice to each other, enjoying the company of, in many cases, strangers and delighted by the just-in-time end of the Covid lockdown.

Which could sound dull but really isn’t, particularly when you consider that the alternative might be a wedding in Walford, Emmerdale or Kabul during the massacre season.

This ceremony was in rolling green countryside near York in a set of old and very attractive agricultural buildings repurposed to look completely unlike the cramped and charmless register office where I was married in the 1970s and which, as I remember, mainly overlooked the council’s rates department.

Since then, and excluding pandemics and climate change, much has changed for the better. English wedding-goers have started to understand the concepts of smart-casual clothing, ecologically-aware confetti-throwing and acceptable hair arrangements (as a reminder of how bad things were, you could look at wedding pictures from the 1970s and 80s, after first reading a trauma warning).

Other things didn’t need to change; bridesmaids in uniforms  so glamorous that you could imagine them breaking into a West End dance routine, a bride wearing a lovely white dress with  a lacy train which was so definitively a wedding dress that it couldn’t be repurposed into anything else and its future is secure.

There was even a wedding cake tiered, though not in the usual way, by Sam, who, unlike most men in the last century, knows how to bake very well.

But I think the most impressive improvement was in the quality of the wedding speeches. These have been, in my experience, minor ordeals to be got through with the aid of stiff drinks. Here, everybody, especially Sam and Becky, said what they had to say very wittily and intelligently and without recourse to boorishness, cheap cracks or showing-off.

Taking the long view, which, at my age, isn’t quite as long as it used to be, I can see, based on the wedding speeches alone, a union of two families who, being blessed with rare intelligence and goodwill will continue to enrich each other’s lives, just like the Montagues and Capulets didn’t.

Leeds Local Plan Update – webinars

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Your Neighbourhood, Your City, Your Planet

Recently we posted about how you can have your say on the Leeds Local Plan

Your Neighbourhood, Your City, Your Planet – Have Your Say on Leeds’ Local Plan Update

 

As part of this Leeds City Council are hosting a series of webinars to discuss the key aspects of the plan

  • Carbon reduction – changing the way buildings are built, and how we generate renewable energy.
  • Flood risk – making our communities resilient to the impact of flooding, one of the most direct impacts of climate change that Leeds faces.
  • Green infrastructure – making the most of our green spaces and natural environment, to help improve the health and well-being of our citizens.
  • Place-making – guiding new development to places that offer the best opportunities for active travel and public transport, health & well-being and making the best use of communities’ assets to create ’20-minute neighbourhoods’ where people want to live, work and play.
  • Sustainable infrastructure – integrating low emissions transport and improved digital connectivity, helping reduce journeys by car

Visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/local-plans-team-leeds-city-council-33990399847 to find out more about the webinars and how to join them.

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Catch up and a cuppa at Morrisons Cafe in the Merrion Centre

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A few weeks ago some of us enjoyed a catch up and a cuppa at Morrisons Cafe, Merrion Centre in Leeds before the refurb commenced. We look forward to going back once it’s finished. Get in touch if you would like to join us: lisa@caringtogether.org.uk

Shared Moments: ‘Freedom Day’ written by Maureen Kershaw

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Dear all,

Freedom Day? Well it’s not what I expected when we awaited its dawning some sixteen months ago. When we thought – and hoped – it would happen when a vaccine was found, I made my choice of tune to be played upon the day. Not ‘Freedom’ sung by Aretha Franklin nor ‘Freedom Comes, Freedom Goes’ by The Fortunes ( though this may be more appropriate) but ‘A Brand New Day’ from the Musical ‘The Wiz’. Playing it on Sunday a couple of times instead of Monday, being rather wary of what exactly dawn would bring, it would have been so perfect, if only it meant complete freedom.

Trains and buses in anticipation of many more passengers – the latter certainly increasing numbers onboard to full capacity – must have been quite disappointed. I travelled to town during the ‘morning rush’ to find the same numbers as before and thankfully all wearing masks. Walking around Morrison’s the only customers not wearing face coverings were, shall we say, probably amongst those who discarded theirs long ago. So far so good. A cuppa and catch up with a friend  in M & S Cafe was enjoyed, observing  how tables had been maximised but not the number of takers.

However, I got the gist that the majority of people are continuing with their daily routine as they have chosen so to do until now, never mind what our Prime Minister said was available to us in relaxing the rules. Certainly queuing to enter a nightclub at the midnight hour held no interest to me but there again I would have had to have been approximately 50 years younger to appreciate that.

My trolley will be at my side on the bus or train so I do not have to share a seat with a stranger, consequently I am nervous at the thought of sitting close to anyone unknown to me in a theatre –  for the time being. One thing I did notice in town was the signage still indicating ‘keep left’ or ‘no entry’ plus the floor stickers at one or two metre intervals reading ‘stand here’ although it could be they are stuck fast by now and will stay for the remainder of time.

I’ve never been ‘pinged’ but without the App there’s no chance of that anyway, which is probably a good thing. I still don’t fully understand the workings of leaving one’s name and telephone number as surely the only way one can receive a call to “Isolate” is in the event of someone calling particular establishments to report a case, and how many actually do? We will probably never know with any accuracy.

The Country is in a mess now with short staffing through being pinged, even being referred to as the ‘Pingdemic’ but so far no-one has come up with a name for the rest of us who leave our details on a piece of paper with the assurance that after 21 days, all evidence will be destroyed. Rather like the disappointment of “if you haven’t heard from us within 21 days, your application has been unsuccessful”, except in this case no news is good news . So I will continue with my regular lateral flow tests,  wear a mask, observe safety measures and carry on as though ‘Freedom Day’ hasn’t happened. What a joyous day it will be though when eventually I can play my favourite ‘Wiz’ tune “A Brand New Day” when all this is behind us. I may even join in with the Hoedown section.