All Leeds households will have their bins collected a DAY EARLIER the week before Christmas.
If you are due a collection on Boxing Day Monday, that collection will be made on Christmas Eve (Saturday) instead.
After Boxing Day your bin will be collected on your normal, scheduled days.
Don’t get caught out this year, check the schedule below:
Our latest newsletter is here along with some inserts, lots of information and upcoming activities, events and outings
You can also see previous newsletters here
Issue-98-Winter-2022
Light Night Leeds is the UK’s largest annual arts and light festival and returns on 13th and 14th October 2022.
For the past 17 years, over two incredible nights in October, some of Leeds’s most recognisable indoor and outdoor spaces have been transformed by spectacular artworks and captivating performances by local, national and international artists.
The streets of Leeds will be transformed into an incredible illuminated playground with more than 50 spectacular light installations, dynamic projections and interactive artworks.T
his year’s event will have the theme of Playful City, with some of Leeds’s most recognisable landmarks and locations hosting spellbinding installations aimed at encouraging visitors to engage and interact with the city in new, fun and innovative ways.
Highlights will include a thrilling, large scale projection on The Queen’s Hotel, which will take the people of Leeds on a futuristic, digital rollercoaster ride.
At Leeds Civic Hall, a homage to the classic video games of the 1980s will see visitors take control of a high tech augmented reality experience, played out across the historic building’s impressive façade.
At Leeds Art Gallery, local artists Akeelah Bertram and Adam Glatherine’s installation will turn sounds into a cascade of colour and light across a network of eight-foot tall pipes, while at the Leeds Playhouse, a giant, luminous slinky will tumble end over end from the rooftops around the city’s famous theatre.
The popular Spark drummers will also be back with a unique performance at Trinity Leeds, while the historic lifting tower on Wellington Place will be the backdrop for a projection that will give a modern twist to the tale of Rapunzel.
See https://www.lightnightleeds.co.uk/ for more details of when, where and what is going on and including details of where you can get a printed guide
Headingley, Hyde Park and Woodhouse Councillors will be at Caring Together premises today between 5pm and 6pm for their monthly advice surgery.
This is open to all residents in the area and no appointment is needed so you can just call in if you would like to speak to your local councillor.
Caring Together – 127 Woodhouse Street (Charing Cross), Leeds, LS6 2PY
Today – 10/10 is World Mental Health Day and we are sharing with you ‘Take10’ from Mindwell Leeds for some calm, mindful time which might might help. Here are 10 activities you can do for 10 minutes or 10 seconds.
And also some information about where to access mental health support or find resources to help you better understand your mental well being
Please be aware of energy rebate scams which are circulating. There are fake texts and emails going round which appear to be from gov.uk or from Ofgem – the energy regulator and these are asking people to click a link to register for the £400 energy rebate.
The links will go to a site that is designed to collect your personal details for the scammers. Some of these sites look very much like the real government website but they are fake – you do not need to register to get this discount, or give anyone your personal details, your energy company will be automatically applying it to your bill. They should have already been in touch to let you know how they will be doing this.
If a suspicious text message is received it can be forwarded to 7726 free of charge, and the suggestion is for it to be deleted.
Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk
If someone suspects they have been a victim of a scam and unwittingly shared personal financial details, they should notify their bank ASAP and also report the matter to Action Fraud 0300 123 2040.
There is also the possibility that criminals may attempt to approach people via cold calling at the door, under the guise of this official support scheme. If anyone receives an unsolicited knock on the door regarding any discount scheme or refund please be vigilant.
Households will start to receive the discount from October
You do not need to apply for the discount, and there’s no need to contact your energy supplier.
The discount will be applied to your monthly household electricity bill for 6 months starting in October 2022. You’ll get:
You’ll get the discount monthly, even if you pay for your energy quarterly or use a payment card.
Traditional prepayment meter users will get equivalent vouchers that you will need to redeem.
October is Free Wills Month and a number of solicitors in Leeds are taking part this year. This is a partnership between the solicitors and a group of well known charities and means that anyone over 55 can have a simple will, including joint wills, made or updated free of charge.
The charities hope that you will make a donation or leave a gift in your will but you are not obliged to.
Go to https://freewillsmonth.org.uk/ to see which charities are involved and to find a participating solicitor and details of how to book an appointment for your free will,
Mindfulness for Health 8 week course – online or in person in East Leeds
Let’s recover together
Aimed at people living in Leeds:
who are over 60 and living with pain, fatigue, long covid or other health difficulties,
or who are over 60 and facing isolation or are bereaved after the pandemic.
You can choose to be online or in person at Space2 in Gipton, Leeds.
Taster session on Monday 3rd October 10.30 am – 12.00
The 8 week course starts Monday 10th October 10.30 am – 1 pm (breaks are built into the morning)
Booking is essential.
Phone Jelena at Space 2 on 0113 320 0159 or mobile 07519 042683 for more info or to book your place.
8 week course teaches the skills to help you support your physical and mental health. Each week introduces key ideas and practices which help us to live well and thrive in the face of health challenges such as chronic pain, fatigue, chronic illness and stress.
What will I learn?
mindfulness and self compassion skills in daily life, how mindfulness can help manage pain, stress and chronic health conditions, to live in the present moment and breathe into your experience, rather than tensing against it, the art of taking joy in simple everyday pleasures, greater concentration and focus, transformative body and breath awareness for relaxation, tranquility and to let go of tension
What is involved?
8 weeks of 2.5 hour sessions with breaks, a mixture of practicing mindfulness, learning ideas and discussion, being in a warm and friendly group where you can choose what to share, led by an experienced accredited mindfulness teacher, resources to practice at home, free membership of an online community of practice to continue after the course.
Information about this and other courses at https://mindfulnesscoop.co.uk/
£150 cost of living payments for those receiving disability benefits are starting to be paid from this week and everyone who is eligible should have received it by beginning of October.
You are entitled to this payment if you receive one of the following benefits (note you must have been entitled to it on the qualifying date – 25th May 2022)
It will be paid into the same bank account as your benefit – you do not need to do anything it will be paid automatically.
There have been reports of people receiving text messages asking them to follow a link to claim this payment. This is a scam – you do not have to claim this payment it should be paid to you automatically.
Please be aware and don’t click any links on a message like this, or give any details out to anyone for payment of this, the DWP will not need to ask you for any of this as they will be paying you with the same details they use to pay your benefits.
You will be aware that Monday 19th September has been designated a bank holiday for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
If you are due to be paid your Pension or any benefits on Monday 19th, they will be paid into your bank on Friday 16th.
Many shops, including most supermarkets, and cafes/restaurants, food outlets and even some pubs will be closed – even those who usually open on bank holidays, so if you need shopping plan to do it beforehand. If you were expecting an online grocery delivery on Monday 19th it is likely to be cancelled, hopefully the supplier will have been in touch – if not it’s probably best to contact them and find out what alternative arrangements you can make.
Most GP practices will close as on a normal bank holiday but you will still be able to access health care if you need it – call 111 or use https://111.nhs.uk/. If you need a pharmacy on Monday you should be able to find out which are open on https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/pharmacy/find-a-pharmacy.
Leeds Teaching hospitals have said they are trying to continue with planned appointments and operations as much a possible so if you have an appointment and haven’t been contacted to say it is cancelled please attend as normal.
LCC bin collections will be suspended on Monday 19th and so bins will all be collected one day later this week – including Sunday 25th September.
Finally, the queens funeral will be shown on most TV channels – coverage will be most of the day but the funeral itself is 11am. You can also watch it on the big screen at Millennium Square. This is free and will be from 10am – 6pm more details here https://www.millsqleeds.com/…/live-coverage-of-the…/…
