Church leaders in Leeds are moving to create 'warm banks' for those in their communities who can't afford to put the heating on this winter.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post this morning, a local vicar in Pudsey said that many of his parishioners were “frightened to look more than two weeks ahead” after last week's so-called 'mini-budget' from Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng caused the pound to crash and interest rates to skyrocket.
Despite recent government intervention that will essentially introduce a new annual energy bill cap of roughly £2,500 (an estimated figure based on average UK household energy use), Rev Richard Dimery said that the "cost of living crisis affects everybody” and that many in his congregation were scared of what is to come.
Many are still not expecting to see their costs covered by the government help, with prices of food, rent, mortgages and more continuing to rise, so the church wants to do its bit to step in.
As a result, it will be opening its doors to all: providing "not just a warm space" but also a "welcoming community atmosphere" with free wifi for people to use for work, as well as film screenings, hot drinks and board games.
"We want it to be more of a community space rather than a refuge, so people shouldn’t feel singled out if they come here. This cost of living crisis affects everybody," he continued.
Pudsey Parish Church will open its doors as a 'warm bank' this winter. / Image: Commons Wikimedia
"This cost of living crisis affects everybody. I think everybody I’ve spoken to about it is highly concerned".
Planning for the dates which the church will open is still taking place, with the Reverend acknowledging that it would be "impossible" for the church to heat its 650-capacity space 24/7 over the winter.
It is not the first time that the church has moved to support locals, having previously opened in the summer as a 'cold space' during the worst part of the heatwave, and launching a food bank and a children’s clothing project.
"The foodbank at the community project is seeing demand spike – each week is busier than the week before with people saying they can’t afford heating and feeding their family," he continued.
"I’ve spoken to people at foodbanks outside Leeds who are either rationing their medical equipment, if they have disabilities, or some are getting ill because they are turning their fridges off overnight and they were getting food poisoning from the bacteria.
"There is just a fear of looking more than one or two weeks ahead.
“It’s not going to be a quick fix either. Whatever happens this winter, I would be surprised if there was huge change before next winter.”
Leeds City Council has also said that it wants to create a list of warm spaces for those in the city who are struggling.
Leeds City Council's executive member for communities, Mary Harland (Lab), said: “Leeds City Council is working with partners to deliver and promote warm places across the city, with plans being developed on how best to co-ordinate city-wide provision so as many people as possible are aware of and able to use these services.
"One example of the work being done is the development of a searchable website which, upon entering a postcode, will provide a map of nearby warm places (provided by all partners), their opening times and the services available. We aim to get this site live as soon as possible with initial warm spaces (such as the Council’s Community Hubs and Libraries) and will add new venues as and when they are up and running.
“Central to the Council's provision will be the promotion of Community Hubs and Libraries where ‘A warm welcome awaits”’; in addition to the existing services offered by libraries, including free access to books, computers and wi-fi, the warm places provision will focus on free hot refreshments and activities to do in the library, especially for children and families.
"The Community Hubs and Libraries in Leeds offer a wrap-around service where support with housing, council tax and benefits is offered alongside standard library services.”
Feature image - Unsplash
Leeds
The Yorkshire artist who’s put together the official FIFA World Cup scarf collection
A Yorkshire-born and bred artist and his creative team have earned the huge honour of creating the official FIFA scarf collection for this year's World Cup.
Nothing short of massive for anyone from our part of the world.
The local legend in question is Tom Pitts, who was born in Sheffield and is now based just beyond Leeds, leading the campaign right from the helm.
Hand Drawn Pixels is a graphic design and digital studio based in Otley, and while you'll see plenty of folks wearing football shirts and even the odd scarf on the town's famous pub crawl, these lot are venturing on an entirely different kind of run this summer.
In fact, the work has very much already started, with Tom and co. collaborating directly with FIFA and US manufacturers, Global Scarves, to create the World Cup collection.
With this year's tournament obviously taking place across America, Mexico and Canada, they've joined up with a big LLC, but they describe themselves as "a true English custom scarf company with American parents."
In their words, "We knit scarves for clients all over the world", with a presence both near Leeds and over in Seattle, Washington.
The fixtures themselves kick off next month (England's first game coming against Croatia on 17 June), and so Hand Drawn Pixels have been hard at work meeting the briefs for each of the nations taking part.
Here's a quick breakdown of how the opportunity came about, their vision for the project, and how everything starts for them as a whole process.
You can see more of their work HERE, but as the brand name would suggest, it's pretty simple to begin with: nothing more than a pencil.
It's worth noting that the 2026 World Cup also featured the largest number of teams in the competition's history: 48 qualified national squads, to be exact. So, technically, they've had even more designing to do than they theoretically would have in any of the previous years, too.
Tom confessed that winning this bid is obviously a big deal on its own and that seeing his creations being worn in person by supporters at the stadiums will be a "surreal" experience.
Speaking exclusively with The Hoot, he said: "It’s been an amazing creative challenge for us to truly reflect the individuality and diversity of the nations competing in this prestigious tournament on such an iconic product as the football scarf."
He went on to add that "the whole project has been a huge learning experience, gaining deeper cultural insight into every nation involved."
We can't wait to cast eyes upon a sea of colour and finely crafted fabric in unique but somehow universally familiar patterns, all designed right here in 'God's Own Country'.
Award-winning Sardinian restaurant Domo announces Leeds opening date
Clementine Hall
Domo will officially open the doors to its Leeds venue this summer.
Get ready for Domo Leeds, a Sardinian independent born in Sheffield that is loved by many for its delicious food, inviting atmosphere and stellar service.
Run by Raffaele Busceddu and Sarah May Elliott, Domo serves a range of traditional Sardinian specialities from homemade pasta dishes to show-stopping grills.
They've also got a banging cocktail menu full of signature serves and refreshing spritz, perfect for enjoying with friends over some delicious sharing plates.
Images: The Sheff
Domo has confirmed it will officially open the doors to its first Leeds venue on Friday June 5, so we really don't have long to wait.
Located at the iconic Tower Works development, Domo Leeds will offer a vibrant new canal-side destination, perfect for the summer months.
Alongside the main restaurant menu, there’ll be a dedicated bar food menu designed around relaxed dining and carefully crafted small plates designed to pair with the drinks offering creating a more informal way for guests to experience Sardinian flavours.
Domo co-founder, Sarah Elliott-Busceddu, said: “We’re incredibly excited to finally open the doors and welcome people into Domo Leeds. From day one, our vision has been to create a space where everyone feels welcome and somewhere that brings people together in the true spirit of Sardinian hospitality.
“Whether it’s an evening out with friends, a relaxed catch-up over drinks after work, or a big family celebration, we’ve designed Domo to feel warm, inclusive and full of life. We can’t wait for people in Leeds to experience not just the food and drinks, but the atmosphere and sense of community that sits at the heart of everything we do.”
Georgina Pellant -
3rd October 2022 
