An incredible charity which helps people with terminal illness write and record their own original songs has launched a fifth birthday fundraiser.
The Swan Song Project is hoping to raise £50,000 to invest in expanding its unique, free-of-charge song-writing support services.
The Leeds-based charity works with people facing the end stages of their lives and helps them to write and record their own personal songs to leave behind for families and loved ones.
It also helps people dealing with bereavement to write songs about those they have lost.
Image: The Swan Song Project
Founded by songwriter Ben Buddy Slack in 2017, the small charity has grown steadily over five years and helped more than 100 people write their own swan songs.
Due to rapidly increased demand last year, seven new songwriters have been brought in, and its fifth birthday fundraiser has been launched to help it enable more people to celebrate life in a song.
Image: The Swan Song Project
Creative director Ben said: “We are very keen to help more people either facing the end of their lives or dealing with bereavement to write their own songs.
“We believe the process of writing a song can help people come to terms with life, death, loss and bereavement by helping them to express what they feel and what they want to say. It can be deeply therapeutic – and fun too. Also, a song can live forever and carry precious messages, memories, comfort and joy to its listeners whenever they wish.
“We hope our landmark fifth birthday fundraiser will help us to help more people write their swan songs in future.”
The charity now has songwriters based in Leeds, Sheffield and York, and its home has recently been moved out of Ben’s garage to the famous Old Chapel Studies in Leeds.
The charity provides its service free to those who are often going through challenging times when they come in to write their songs.
Each participant has their own song professionally produced, recorded and presented to them in a digital format and CD.
Relying entirely on donations to fund its work, it is estimated that it costs between £400 and £500 to write and record one song. Donations for The Swan Song Project are welcomed via the charity’s website and their Just Giving page.
Because one Fern Modern Sushi wasn't enough, we've now got two.
And guess what? It's even better than the first.
Fern Modern Sushi located in the unassuming Central Arcade has become a firm foodie favourite after opening just a couple years ago.
Run by the wonderful Chef Fern, who you could say is somewhat of a local celebrity at this point, the restaurant is known for serving delicious sushi with the freshest fish possible and traditional Japanese dishes with modern flair.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Full with hungry punters no matter the time of day, it's no surprise that Chef Fern has just opened Fern Modern Sushi 2.0 on Park Row.
This beautiful new space is serving up all the classic Fern dishes, from stacked donburi bowls and perfectly rolled sushi to miso glazed cod and hearty bowls of ramen.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Different for this location, though, is their exclusive cocktail menu - so you can wine and dine to your heart's content.
The interior has also levelled up, complete with a huge open kitchen so you can pull up a chair and eat whilst watching the magic happen.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
And this isn't all that Chef Fern is up to, after opening Tori Nori on Vicar Lane a few months ago this will be her third restaurant in the city centre, and that is no easy feat.
She's even got another restaurant imminently opening in the Central Arcade which will be focused on traditional katsu dishes, and we wouldn't be at all surprised if she had something else lined up in the pipeline.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Fern Modern Sushi 2.0 officially opens on 19 November, but is open now for soft launch with limited bookings.
Independent Leeds matcha stand forced to close by council despite 3,000 people signing petition
Clementine Hall
An independent matcha stand in Leeds has been forced to closed due to council concerns.
You may remember back in August when the whole of Leeds rallied to save Sips Matcha over in Headingley.
The front garden matcha spot has become a firm favourite for students and locals alike over the past year, gaining more than 12,000 followers on Instagram.
The self-proclaimed 'tiniest matcha stand in Leeds' is located in the residential area of Little Woodhouse and is run by the lovely Matt and Julia.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
However, in August their retroactive planning application was rejected by the council and they were given 28 days to remove the shed.
In a published document via Leeds City Council website, multiple reasons were listed for the decision to refuse planning permission for the bright-green matcha shed.
The electronic letter signed by Martin Elliot, Chief Planning Officer, listed spoiling the property's character, increased footfall, and a failure to comply with numerous development and design policies.
In response, Matt and Julia launched a petition urging people to save Sips Matcha, labelling the painted wooden shed-turned-coffee shop as a 'Community Stand'.
Despite over 3,000 signatures, Sips Matcha have announced on their social media today that the shed must be removed by the end of November.
The statement reads: "our retrospective planning was declined, we appealed, and the appeal was dismissed. then the dreaded email arrived: the shed has to come down by the end of november.
"we don’t have all the answers yet, but we’re working out what happens next. over 3,000 of you signed the petition and it meant the world. thank you for every sip, share and signature. come say hi while we’re still here."
We're absolutely gutted for them, so make sure you pop by for a matcha before the end of November to give them a proper farewell.
Clementine Hall -
11th April 2023 
