A bird's-eye view of Leeds, Sheffield, and Yorkshire
X
Leeds
New tap-to-donate smart posters to help those sleeping on the streets in Leeds
To tackle homelessness and change the lives of those living on the streets of Leeds, new smart 'tap to donate' posters have been set up around the city centre.
Multiple 'tap-to-donate' units have being installed in Leeds city centre to raise money for those in need.
Leeds-based fundraising campaign Making Better has launched this week, with the aim of improving the lives of people in need on the streets of Leeds.
As part of the launch, 'tap-to-donate' units are being installed in the city to improve donation accessibility, as well as raising support and awareness for the new campaign.
The units will allow people to make direct donations by simply tapping their card on the machine, just as you would when making a contactless transaction in a store or restaurant.
This is an easy way to raise funds for a range of local charitable organisations operating across the city centre to support vulnerable individuals and has become increasingly popular in recent years.
The smart posters have been set up for different charities around the UK. / Image: Tap for Bristol
So far, plans to rollout four donation units have been approved at Leeds Station, Tesco Briggate and Bond Street, and Wilko sites, and all should be installed over the week.
Money raised through the 'tap-to-donate' installations will go towards providing essential everyday items to those living on the streets of Leeds and any assistance they may need.
This will be done by supporting existing local charities working hard every day to tackle homelessness and social disconnection on the streets of the city centre. By connecting resources and enabling people to donate to those in genuine need, the campaign seeks to improve lives, communities and futures.
Tap to donate at four different Leeds locations. / Image: Leeds BID
Making Better comes after the success of 2018’s Big Change Leeds campaign, which saw LeedsBID working with Safer Leeds and Leeds Community Foundation to raise almost £80,000 for people in need.
Karen Butler, Head of Place Management and Delivery at LeedsBID, the campaign organisers, said:
“Rough sleeping, homelessness and street activities are increasing issues in Leeds. Making Better gives those experiencing or at risk of a life on the street the support they need to move towards a better and safer future.
"It also helps manage the challenges these things present to those living, working and visiting the city centre. Providing additional funds to existing charities helps make sure the support goes to those who require it and is tailored to those individuals’ needs.”
Briggate and Bond Street Tescos will host the smart posters. / Image: Raella
Making Better tap to donate units can be found at:
Leeds Train Station: New Station Street, located in the window of the unit adjacent to Pret a Manger
Tesco Bond Street: inside the store, by the Community Board at the end of the tills
Tesco Briggate: located in the window facing Briggate, to the left of the entrance
Wilko, Albion Street: located in the window to the left of the main entrance
To find out more information, including how you can help the Making Better campaign, visit their website.
Feature Image- Leeds BID
Leeds
Slam Dunk festival’s statement in full as director steps down amid sexual assault allegations
Slam Dunk festival has shared a statement confirming one of its directors has stepped down, in the wake of sexual assault allegations.
The popular punk festival takes place next month across two sites, one of which is here in Leeds.
This year's line-up is set to include headline performances from the likes of Good Charlotte, Knocked Loose, Sublime, and Taking Back Sunday.
But Slam Dunk has been hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons this week after allegations against one of its directors came to light.
Slam Dunk said in its statement, which did not get into specifics about the nature of the allegations, that the festival 'remains committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all employees, partners, and customers'.
They added that the director has stepped down, but 'strongly refutes' the allegations.
The statement then promised 'transparency and honesty' and said that more updates would be provided when appropriate.
Slam Dunk wrote: "We are aware of allegations published yesterday relating to one of our directors. We take these allegations seriously and understand that they may be distressing and hard to process for our community.
"Our Slam Dunk fans, staff, and artists are, as always, our top priority.
"While he strongly refutes these allegations, the director in question has agreed, in consultation with the board, to step down from Slam Dunk operations while this matter is ongoing.
"Slam Dunk remains committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all employees, partners, and customers.
"Our values and culture are fundamental to how we operate, and we are committed to upholding them.
"It would be inappropriate for us to comment further on an ongoing legal matter.
"However, we promise transparency and honesty to our Slam Dunk community and will provide updates when it is appropriate to do so."
Slam Dunk returns to Temple Newsam in Leeds on Sunday 24 May.
Cheap flights up for grabs as easyJet’s ‘Big Orange Sale’ is BACK for 2026
Danny Jones
If you're in need of a holiday, there's no better time to book than now with easyJet's 'Big Orange Sale' returning to the UK.
Not only can you get affordable trips from the likes of Leeds Bradford and Doncaster Sheffield, specifically, but there are discounts across the board by the operator.
The Big Orange Sale is becoming an increasingly popular annual occurrence for Brits, with countless holidaymakers, rather fittingly, making the most of the offer.
In fact, you might have already seen the advert yourselves:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgGG1AciY3I
Just as the ad explains, those travelling via easyJet can get up to 20% discount on flights to a load of different destinations across the globe.
Yes, the company are knocking up to a fifth off the price on flights over the course of nearly 10 months' worth of travel from the UK, provided the trip is booked within the right window.
Seeing savings on more than 730,000 seats, the time frame itself is also one of the longest cut-price periods you'll come across this year, not to mention well into 2027.
Better still, it doesn't just stop at flying itself...
Get this, the flight operators and travel agents are offering up to £400 off on package holidays, meaning those old faithful all-inclusives are about to become even more bang for your buck.
Featuring not only countless mainland European favourites on the list, but also the likes of the Canary Islands, Morocco, and numerous popular skiing hotspots, just to name a few.
As reported by our friends over at The Manc, there are loads of cheap seats from the likes of Manchester Airport, Liverpool, Leeds-Bradford and more as part of this year's sale.
Allowing you to book trips departing between 1 May 2026 and 14 March 2027, it's a huge travel window for you to get extra value-for-money deals on your next getaway.
You can find the full list of flights and package holidays on easyJet's Big Orange Sale right HERE.
Sophie Smith -
9th December 2021 
