A teacher in Leeds is on a mission to make sure that children have a place to sleep, delivering beds all across the city.
A deputy headteacher at a Leeds inner-city primary, Bex Wilson has delivered nearly 1,400 beds since 2017 - giving children living in poverty across Leeds a better start in life by ensuring they get a good night's rest.
She's clear that children won't get an education that can break the cycle of poverty without a proper night's sleep and a "tummy full of food".
Image: Zarach
Currently, she says, children across Leeds are sleeping on floors, sleeping on bean bags, sofas, chairs - and that's no good for their learning development.
Five years ago, she founded charity Zarach - which provides not just beds, but bedding, pyjamas and other basics too.
The BBC filmed her doing a drop off to a family in the city, and it's quite heartbreaking to watch - seeing the children's bare feet in the hallway, with their mum explaining to the camera crew that their washing machine had broken at the same time as she was trying to save up for new beds.
Image; Zarach
"Every postcode in Leeds has been affected by bed poverty and we know that because we've delivered beds there," Bex told the BBC.
"It's just not right in 2021 that, in Britain, we have children that don't have a bed."
Camera crews followed her on a bed delivery as she surprises children with their new bed - telling them that their school has sent her because "you're fabulous".
Image: Zarach
Dropping off a brand new bed, two duvets, two pillows and a brand new mattress, alongside new bedding and pyjamas, she tells the small child it's "all for you" as she sets them up in their new bedroom.
As well as bedding, Zarach also drops off food parcels - as the mum of the house explains, saying they were "low on money" that week.
According to the teacher, referrals from schools are on the up with families from every part of the city now needing her help.
Acknowledging that we're all not as far away as we think from needing that kind of support, she says that whilst there are children in need she will continue to help them - even if some think that giving things out is not the solution.
If you would like to help support Zarach, you can find out more and donate to the charity here.
One of Leeds’ most iconic buildings is set to be brought back to life.
Plans for a brand-new padel and leisure destination at The Roundhouse on Wellington Road have been approved by Leeds City Council’s West Plans Panel.
Consent has been granted for Ollo Padel to transform the Grade II* listed Roundhouse into a state-of-the-art sport, fitness, food, drink and community venue subject to conditions and completion of a Section 106 agreement.
Built in 1847 for the Leeds and Thirsk Railway Company, The Roundhouse was once home to the steam locomotives that powered industrial Victorian Leeds. In recent years, the building has stood largely unused.
Image: Supplied
The approved plans will restore and protect the landmark building and give the site a new, long-term future as one of the city’s most distinctive leisure destinations.
The three-acre site, located on the edge of Leeds city centre, will include nine outdoor doubles padel courts under a 10-metre canopy, plus a dedicated indoor coaching court within The Roundhouse itself.
At the heart of the site will be the Ollo Clubhouse; built around an all-day kitchen and bar, it will combine a comfortable lounge and co-working space, meeting rooms and live sport and events spaces.
The kitchen and bar will be run in partnership with Southbank Provisions, the independent Leeds hospitality team behind Headrow House, Belgrave Music Hall and Galleria whilst the gym will be operated by fitness and performance specialists Northbound, who will bring strength and conditioning practice, Hyrox training and pilates classes to The Roundhouse.
Image: Supplied
Construction is expected to begin later this year, with the venue aiming to open in early 2027.
Luke Gidney, Founder & CEO Ollo Padel: "This is a huge day for Leeds, for The Roundhouse and for Ollo. The Roundhouse has been part of the city’s story for nearly 180 years. It’s an incredible building but it needs people, energy and purpose again. Our plan is to bring it back to life as a place where people can play, eat, work, meet friends and feel part of something.
"Padel is growing so quickly because it’s fun, social and easy to pick up. But for us, this is about more than just the courts. We want Ollo to become a proper community destination for Leeds, somewhere welcoming, joyful and full of life.
"We’re incredibly grateful to Leeds City Council’s planning team, our case officer, the wider council team and everyone who has supported the project to this point. This has been a complex project but the sport and engagement throughout has been brilliant. Now the real work starts and we cannot wait to open the doors for you.”
New study crowns Leeds as one of the friendliest cities in the UK
Clementine Hall
New research has revealed a global ranking of cities with the best customer service, with Leeds taking one of the top spots.
If you've been wondering which cities across the world are the friendliest of them all, then look no further because MoneySuperMarket have done the work for us in a new study.
In a world where social media culture plays a huge part in people's lives, online customer reviews are pretty important to local businesses.
To uncover the global locations that are home to the best customer service, the businesses insurance experts analysed over 100,000 reviews of leisure and hospitality businesses in 107 cities worldwide.
They looked at the language in the reviews to see how often friendly workers and staff were mentioned, building a global ranking of the cities where customer service truly stands out.
Out of a whopping 107, Leeds came in at a very respectable number 12. Now we think that's pretty good going.
Outside of the UK, Hanoi, Paris, Montreal and Abu Dhabi were highlighted for their friendly customer service whilst Edinburgh tops the global ranking, with Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol also making the world’s top 10.
The top 10 cities in the UK with the best customer service are as follows:
Edinburgh
Liverpool
Birmingham
Bristol
Belfast
Leeds
Glasgow
Cardiff
Manchester
London
Alicia Hempsted spoke on the study: “As businesses grow and engage with more customers, it’s important to make sure they’re protected. Public liability insurance is an important safeguard for those working with the public, helping to cover costs if something goes wrong, while also showing customers that their experience is taken seriously - from the moment they walk through the door to long after they’ve left.”
The Hoot -
24th November 2021 
