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Leeds City Council granted £1.6m to tackle rough sleeping by Christmas

Clementine Hall - 21st October 2026

A £1.6m grant has been given by the government to Leeds City Council to help tackle rough sleeping.

The funding has been allocated to Leeds City Council as part of the Government’s national Rough Sleeping Programme.

The overall target is to help rough sleepovers off the streets by Christmas through providing safe accommodation.

The council have said that voluntary organisations and charities will be able to help them reach this target.

The council report said: "This funding will be used for immediate interventions to ensure all those rough sleeping have an offer of accommodation by Christmas and support longer term sustainment of accommodation.

“The initial target is to provide a suitable offer of accommodation for everyone who is rough sleeping by Christmas 2026.

“Providing a path into supported accommodation and independent living is the key objective and sustaining this independent living with, where necessary, ongoing support to prevent any return to rough sleeping and homelessness.”

The government announcement spoke of the scheme: "The programme is intended to support people experiencing rough sleeping.

"People experiencing rough sleeping may have differing entitlements to housing and support depending on their individual circumstances, including their immigration status and eligibility for public funds."

The funding is intended to help provide immediate support for people currently sleeping on the streets, while also helping them access longer-term accommodation and the support needed to maintain independent living.

By working with local charities and voluntary organisations, the council hopes to ensure people are not only offered a place to stay but are also given the help they need to avoid returning to the streets.

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Featured Image – Gary Knight (via Flickr)

Leeds

This Leeds pop choir is putting emerging musicians centre stage

Declan Kelly This Leeds pop choir is putting emerging musicians centre stage

This Leeds pop choir is putting emerging musicians centre stage

If there’s one thing Leeds knows how to do, it’s produce a seriously talented bunch of emerging creatives. And this time, we’re swapping the usual indie gigs and late-night dance floors for a choir proving there’s nothing old-fashioned about singing together.

Meet LC Pop Choir, the Leeds-based group taking some of the biggest pop, rock and gospel hits and giving them a whole new lease of life.

Based at Leeds Conservatoire, the choir was founded in 2015 by Principal Lecturer Craig Lees and has since grown into a talented community of students and alumni who share a love of music and a good old singalong.

But don’t go thinking this is your typical Sunday afternoon choir. We’re talking huge vocals, impressive harmonies and the kind of performances that make you want to get up and join in. Think songs you already know by heart, reimagined with a whole room full of voices behind them.

In 2025, LC Pop Choir took to the stage on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, performing Natasha Bedingfield’s Unwritten. The anthem is practically impossible not to sing along to, and the choir gave it a powerful new spin, showing just how much a familiar pop hit can be transformed through the power of group vocals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxUjfRqvyks

It’s the sort of performance that reminds you why live music is so special. There’s something about hearing a song you’ve known for years delivered in a completely different way that makes you fall in love with it all over again.

LC Pop Choir is such an exciting part of Leeds’ creative community. They’re not just performing songs; they’re finding new ways to bring people together through music. And that’s something Leeds has always done particularly well.

What makes the group even more special is the talent behind the harmonies. Made up of emerging artists releasing their own music, touring around the country and even performing at major festivals, these are creatives making waves in their own right.

Yet, every Monday, they come together as a family of creatives, supporting one another, nurturing their talents and celebrating their shared love of music.

The music industry can be a competitive place, particularly for artists just starting out, so having a space to develop their skills, meet like-minded people and be part of something bigger is invaluable.

This Leeds pop choir is putting emerging musicians centre stage. Credit: Ian Hodgson

This Leeds pop choir is putting emerging musicians centre stage. Credit: Ian Hodgson

And that sense of community is exactly what makes groups like LC Pop Choir such an important part of Leeds’ cultural scene.

Whether you’re a musical theatre obsessive, a pop music fanatic or someone who simply loves a brilliant live performance, LC Pop Choir is one Leeds-based group worth keeping on your radar.

We have a feeling some of these young artists will be paving the way for the next generation of music in the North, and we can’t wait to see what they do next.

Read more: Inside the historic Leeds mill transformed into a thriving hub for creatives

Featured image: Ian Hodgson

Leeds

M&S launches massive recruitment drive in Leeds with hundreds of jobs available

M&S has launched a massive recruitment drive across Yorkshire.

With the festive season fast approaching, and most British stores having already unveiled their Christmas ranges for 2026, one of the country’s largest brands has launched a massive UK-wide seasonal recruitment drives to gear up for what is always one of the busiest times of the year for the retail industry.

M&S has announced it will recruit for plenty of new colleagues across the UK.

As mentioned Christmas is one of the busiest moments of the year for M&S, and seasonal colleagues play a ‘vital’ part in delivering that.

Image: Supplied

New recruits will be tasked with helping M&S deliver a ‘brilliant’ service for customers.

Stores with vacancies span the whole of Leeds - including city centre, Moortown, Crown Point, White Rose Shopping Centre and Pudsey.

M&S says the roles are ‘fast-moving and hands-on’, with colleagues required to work together to make sure customers still get the very best of M&S, even at its busiest.

The roles will pay £13.41 per hour, with successful applicants receiving the training, tools and support needed to get up to speed quickly.

“We can’t wait to welcome over 300 new colleagues to our store teams here in Greater Manchester,” commented Zeba Khan, who is the Regional Manager at M&S.

“As we get ready for our busiest time of year, it’s a great opportunity to join us and help bring a magical M&S Christmas to our customers.

“We have a range of opportunities available, whether joining our city centre flagship or our fresh market-style foodhalls. We’re looking for colleagues who are passionate about delivering great customer service and being part of a team.”

Fancy it then? Applications are now open, and you can find out more and apply on the M&S Christmas careers page here.

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Featured Image – Supplied