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The Big Sleep returns to Leeds Rhinos’ Emerald Stadium to raise money for charity
Three Leeds-based charities will be raising money by inviting adults to sleep out in the cold on Thursday 25 November at the Emerald Headingley Stadium.
St Gemma's Hospice, Leeds Rhinos Foundation and St George's Crypt are joining together to raise money for those most in need across Leeds at the Big Sleep.
The Big Sleep 2021 is all about coming together for charity and spending the night under the stars.
On Thursday 25 November, Headingley is the chosen location and the LS6 postcode will become a giant sleepover location for those participating in the outdoor sleepover.
This year, the event will be held at the Emerald Headingley Stadium, where groups over 18 are invited to bring their sleeping bags and brave it out in the cold for one night, all in the name of charity.
Donations from the evening will be split evenly between the charities in their fifth annual Big Sleep.
In 2018, St Gemma's Hospice Chief Executive Kerry Jackson took part in the Big Sleep. / Image: St Gemma's Hospice
St George's Crypt is a Leeds-based charity dedicated to offering care, compassion and hope to the homeless, vulnerable and those suffering from substance dependance. The organisation operates every day of the year to help those most in need across the city.
Leeds Rhino Foundation, hosting the event at their home turf of Emerald Headingley Stadium, are dedicated to changing lives through sports. Their five key principles of education, health, sport, art and heritage aid the development of healthier and more meaningful lives through collaborative work across Leeds city centre and surrounding areas.
St Gemma's Hospice is Yorkshire's largest hospice organisation and provide expert care and support to local people with life-limiting and terminal illnesses. Their care is always free of charge and provides care to anyone, regardless of age, gender, disability, race, sexual orientation or diagnosis.
These three charities will all greatly benefit from the donations made to the Big Sleep on Thursday 25 November.
The event so far has 32 supporters and £623 has been raised from the charities on a JustGiving page, but more donations are expected to come in closer to the event.
To get involved, visit any of the charities' websites for more information or if you can't make it down but would still like to donate, their JustGiving page is taking donations until the end of the year.
A Leeds pizza takeaway has received a glowing review from popular review duo.
Edges Pizza opened up their first permanent spot in Leeds back in June this year, after making a name for themselves slinging out pizzas at multiple pop-ups across the city.
Owners Grace and Edge from Harrogate opened Edges Pizza two years ago, taking inspiration from trips to New York over the years.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Their pizzas are a love letter to the class New York slice, think thin and crispy rather than chewy and floppy. But above all else, think absolutely delicious.
And now, they've caught the attention of a major review page, with Bite Twice Food Reviews (a page with almost 300k followers) paying Edges a visit.
The food review duo of Gerry del Guercio and Paul Delany popped up in Holbeck beneath the arches to get their hands on a pizza, and the outcome is brilliant.
In the video, Bite Twice said that the pizza is 'f**cking exceptional' and up there with 'one of the best pizzas in the UK'.
Before even taking a bite, they said: "On aesthetic, I don't think anywhere in the UK is doing pizza like this".
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Then after the first bite, they go on to say: "There are very few pizzas in the UK that create this, I’m a little bit blown away".
As Londoners themselves, they go on to say that Edges is 'easily hitting with the best that we’ve got down south'.
And if that's not high praise enough, they sign off the video saying: "Leeds has got an absolute gem. I give this a stamp so hard my foot went through the pizza. Edges. Don Level."
Yorkshire-set Christmas film by Leeds director starring Richard E. Grant set to hit UK cinemas next month
Clementine Hall
A brand-new Christmas film is hitting cinemas nationwide next month - and it’s a proper Leeds success story.
Jack Spring directed his first feature film at just 19 years old and has spent the last decade carving out a career in independent film, as well as co-founding Leeds-based production company Shush Films.
His first movie, Destination: Dewsbury, was shot just down the road in - you guessed it - Dewsbury. And after moving to Leeds from Grimsby, Jack became determined to build his business from the city, putting down roots and growing his production company here.
Image: Supplied
Now, after years of working on independent projects, Jack has taken his biggest leap yet with a brand-new Christmas film, Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint.
Set in Yorkshire, Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint follows Aubrey Flint, a reclusive model soldier painter with a lifelong hatred of Christmas, who is sentenced to community service at Willow Lodge - a retirement home on the brink of closure.
Roped into helping with a chaotic production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Aubrey clashes with its interesting set of residents...
And the cast is about as star-studded as it gets, featuring Richard E. Grant, John Bradley, Celia Imrie, Adjoa Andoh, Sophia Di Martino, Adrian Rawlins and Kiell Smith-Bynoe.
Image: Supplied
The heartwarming festive comedy will hit cinemas nationwide on Friday 6 November - a huge milestone for a Leeds-based director and production company, taking a homegrown Yorkshire story to audiences across the country.
You just can't beat a proper wholesome British Christmas film, so you can best believe we'll be watching in the cinema, popcorn in hand.
Sophie Smith -
15th October 2021 
