10 organisations making a difference to the lives of children in Leeds

What is Child Friendly Leeds enrichment?

At Child Friendly Leeds, we believe that every child and young person should have the opportunity to experience joy, connection, and enrichment, regardless of their background. This is why we are so passionate about our Enrichment programme. In 2024, this programme has provided access to cultural and sporting events, supporting community initiatives, and delivering seasonal gifts to those in need. Here’s a look at what we achieved this year with the help of our amazing partners and supporters.

Tickets

We were able to provide over a thousand free tickets to children and young people in fostering families, kinship arrangements, and special guardianship orders, as well as independent visitors, third-sector organisations, and the Healthy Holidays initiative. These opportunities ensured that young people could attend incredible events, many for the first time.

Partners who made this possible: first direct arena, Leeds Rhinos, Leeds United, Park Square Barristers, Yorkshire Cricket Foundation, Total Warrior, and White Rose Centre.

“Having the opportunity to attend games like Leeds Rhinos means that our child can enjoy watching a sport which school friends may have gone to, enjoy an outing where there is no pressure for my child to be quiet, feel included and participate in something we usually wouldn’t do.”

- Foster carer

Events

With dedicated support from our ambassadors, we contributed to a range of events that brought people together and celebrated achievements:

• 'Archfest 2024': Support for the annual sports-themed celebration for care leavers and unaccompanied asylum seekers, celebrating participation, team effort, and the joy of being active together.
• Care Leavers Awards: With the support of our ambassadors, we recognised the resilience and achievements of care leavers in a magical evening at the Met Hotel in Leeds.
• Powerleague Football Tournament: A Yorkshire five-a-side tournament for care leavers—a fun-filled day where Leeds emerged victorious!
• Breakfast with Santa: A heart-warming event hosted by White Rose Centre and Frankie & Benny’s, welcoming newly qualified foster carers and their families.
• Christmas Film Show: A festive screening at Hyde Park Picture House, bringing young people together for a magical cinema experience.

“The day was incredible. Loved every minute of it. To see everyone so happy brought such joy and happiness. Would have loved the event to last longer as it was so much fun!! Bring on next year! Woo!”

– Young person

Seasonal celebrations

Seasonal celebrations can be a difficult time for many families, so we worked to ensure that as many children and young people as possible felt valued and remembered.

• Easter & Eid: Over 200 Easter eggs and Eid treats were donated by Park Square Barristers, brightening the celebrations for many.
• Christmas Gifting: A total of 792 presents were distributed.

Thank you to our generous donors: first direct bank, The Grammar School at Leeds, Lloyds Bank, and Park Square Barristers.

Where the gifts went: Old Fire Station, Kinship, Zarach, social work area teams, Christmas contact days, community hubs, frontline hubs, and youth justice services.

The impact of our gifting initiative went beyond simply providing presents—it made a meaningful difference in the daily lives of children and young people.

“I really can't thank everyone involved in the ambassador gift drive supporting local Leeds families enough for the generous gift donations. What makes this unique compared to some other gift drives is that parents can choose a present personalised to their children. This really helps families living in poverty— it goes much further than just ensuring all children have presents on Christmas Day, which is so valuable and important. One child, who has attendance concerns, received a scooter as a gift and now uses it to get to and from school. Another young person who got a Sports Direct voucher was able to buy football shin pads and boots, supporting his social activities that improve both his physical and emotional health. Another young person with ADHD was given Lego, which really helps him self-regulate. These gifts go beyond Christmas morning—they positively impact daily lives.”

– Family Support Worker

Beyond gifts, we also provided free tickets to magical seasonal experiences, including pantomime performances and the spectacular Northern Lights Experience, ensuring children and families could make cherished festive memories.

None of this would have been possible without the kindness and dedication of our partners, donors, and ambassadors. Their support has made a lasting difference in the lives of so many children and young people across the city.

We are committed to building on this success in 2025, continuing to offer enrichment opportunities and new experiences for children and young people. If you would like to get involved, partner with us, or support our initiatives, we’d love to hear from you!

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