A Christmas party is coming to Leeds for small businesses and self employed workers and best of all, there's no networking involved.
Small businesses, self employed workers and freelancers don't exactly get the best deal when it comes to socialising at party events.
Unless you're a keen networker or already have plenty of allies within your sector, Christmas usually goes by without a party in sight.
Not anymore.
The Sleigh Bell Social is a Christmas Party designed to bring people from all sectors together for a night of festive cheer. For freelancers, small businesses and self employed workers, this one is going to be a night to remember.
On Sunday 12 December grab some comfy dancing shoes and a santa hat and head down to the Crowne Plaza Hotel for a Christmas party like no other.
Whether you made the leap to go self employed in lockdown or have owned a small business for years gone by, this night is all about celebrating Christmas with people that are just like you.
The no networking Christmas party is a night of festive celebrations where making new friends is optional. / Image: Sleigh Bell Social
Organised by Leeds' Ink events, the idea is there will be zero networking. That's right. No need to put on a smile and pretend to enjoy creating business opportunitites.
It's time to let your hair down and have some much needed time off.
Tickets give party-goers access to a free drink on arrival, followed by a delicious three course meal with all the festive trimmings.
A night of live music from a 1920s swing-style band, Christmas games and yuletide activities will follow to celebrate the tough year 2021 has been for small businesses.
Plus, everyone gets a secret santa gift, so nobody will walk away empty handed.
Secret santa, free drinks and a three course meal are all part of the tax deductible ticket price. / Image: Sleigh Bell Social
Organisers Leeds' Ink Events explained that they wanted to offer a stress-free evening for those most affected by the pandemic and other pressures that 2021 has brought..
“After another touch-and-go year for small business owners and freelancers, we wanted to put something together which is purely a celebration, no networking or sales pitches, just a good, straight up party with drinks and dancing!
If you come away from the night with a few new awesome business connections then that’s just an amazing bonus.”
Tickets are available online from £50 but as HMRC is providing tax relief against the cost of holding a Christmas party for business employees, the Sleigh Bell Social is completely tax-deductible.
Bring on the mulled wine and mince pies and enjoy a night of celebrating the festive season with like-minded individuals across Leeds.
The Sleigh Bell Social will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Sunday 12 December from 7pm.
Farmer Copley's Tulip Festival is back and it's just as beautiful as we remember.
Spring has officially sprung and with it, so does Farmer Copley's iconic Tulip Festival that officially opened last Sunday.
Based in West Yorkshire, nestled between Pontefract and Featherstone, the Copley family really know how to get you feeling ready for the season ahead.
Just moments after entering the festival, we can assure you that winter will feel like a distant memory.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Spanning over 8 acres, Jack and the team have planted over 600,00 tulip bulbs consisting of 100+ different varieties of all shapes and colours that arrived directly from the Netherlands.
In addition to the 500,000 planted last year, that means there's over one million tulips to enjoy - now that is pretty impressive if you ask us.
Varieties include Carnaval de Rio, Tom Pouce, Gavota, Lily Flowering Mix, Blushing Appledorn, Wedding Dress and Rodolfo.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The festival includes five sections that have been split by 5 metre walkways enabling the best customer interaction in the field.
There's two dedicated pick your own areas where a mix of bulbs have been planted to ensure that visitors have a wide range of tulips to explore, pick from and create the perfect bunch of tulips. How lovely is that?
Of course there's plenty of photo opportunities, fairground rides and a bar to enjoy the view with a tipple or two.
This really is the perfect family-friendly day out and with the weather looking gorgeous (for now), we'd take the opportunity to see the tulips looking their best whilst you can.
The festival is on until Sunday 3 May 2026, with tickets starting from just £9.
To find out more and to book your ticket, take a look at Farmer Copleys website. We'll see you in the tulip fields.
Popular Channel 4 series The Dog House is looking for people from Yorkshire to adopt rescue dogs
Emily Sergeant
Could you give a rescue dog a second chance in life? Now’s your chance.
The next series of hit Channel 4 show The Dog House is currently in the works, with producers on the lookout for people willing to give rescue dogs a forever home, and people from Yorkshire are being encouraged to apply.
Since first hitting our screens back in 2019, the award-winning series – which is currently in partnership with Woodgreen Pets Charity – has captured the hearts of viewers across the UK, sharing emotional stories of rescue dogs and the people hoping to give them a forever home.
Viewers get to watch incredible journeys of rescue dogs finding their perfect match.
Image: Channel 4
But the show demonstrates that it’s not just the dogs who are being rescued, many of their new owners also find their lives transformed in the process.
“Once again, we’ll be following the expert team of dog-matchers, meeting this year’s rescue dogs, and of course, getting to the know the amazing people who are looking to offer them a lifelong home,” a casting call for The Dog House reads on the Channel 4 website.
“We’re looking for people who are considering taking the incredible step of welcoming a rescue dog into their lives and are happy to share their reasons for doing so.
“If that’s you, then we’d love to get you know you.”
Does this sound like you then? Channel 4 is keen to hear the reasons why you may be looking for a new canine companion, so anyone who fancies applying for the show is asked to fill out an application form online.
Sophie Smith -
4th November 2021 
