Plans are currently being developed for a community garden to grow fruit and vegetables in Holbeck and local charity Health For All are seeking community support to help make it happen. The little used games space next to Holbeck Youth and Community Centre could be the site of a new community garden where people can come to relax, learn new skills, and cook together. The project is still looking for funding, and in the middle of a community consultation, but there are lots of ideas for what the garden could include already. The garden could have beautiful mosaics and artwork on the walls, raised beds growing all the veg you need for your Sunday roast or Friday night curry, and a pizza oven built by local people. It would host tons of family-friendly gardening activities, teach DIY skills to young people, and offer a chance to learn traditional skills like jam making. We could even have bees for honey and some chickens for fresh eggs! It's completely up to you, and it wouldn't cost anything to join in. The Games area was installed almost 20 years ago and over time has become increasingly less used as more up-to-date facilities have been built to meet local demand. The proposal is to turn half of the area into a garden, as well as the areas outside the games space. This means people can still use a large area to play games, and at the same time others can grow amazing food and beautiful flowers. The work will be commissioned by Health for All, and carried out by Hyde Park Source, who regularly turn disused urban areas into vibrant gardens, seating areas, and playgrounds. Everyone can get involved in the practical stuff, and you'll learn tons of new skills in the process. There will be an open evening at Holbeck Youth and Community Centre on Wednesday the 26th, from 5pm-6:30pm Come along to find out more about the proposal, get inspired and tell us your ideas. Maybe even sign up to do a bit of volunteering to help turn the dream into reality. There will be refreshments, curry and cake, arts and crafts activities for kids, short videos of other community gardens, and plenty of opportunity to write down your suggestions. You can even plant some cress or chives to take away with you. We are also planning a short trip to some existing gardens, to get a better idea of what Holbeck Edible Garden could look like. Then we will visit the site at Holbeck Youth and Community Centre for a bite to eat and a chat about what we can do with the space now we have some inspiration. The first trip will be on Monday the 14th of April, and will be free, accessible, and family-friendly. For more information and to keep up to date, email [email protected] Alternatively follow us on Facebook – Holbeck Community Garden Consultation Or write to the following address and we will send you information on upcoming events: Stephanie Robinson Health for All Tenants Hall Enterprise Centre Acre Close Middleton Leeds LS10 4HX Stephanie Robinson, Health for All |
The community came out to celebrate the start of house building in Holbeck. Unity Homes & Enterprise are building 42 new houses and flats on the Brown Lane East site next to Holbeck Moor. Although not officially part of the PFI funded housing regeneration scheme, the homes are being built by the same contractor Keepmoat. The new houses will replace the back-to-back houses that were demolished on Brown Lane East, Runswick Place, Terrace and Street. Local residents, school children, Councillors, staff from Keepmoat and Unity and new apprentices mark the start of work. Photo: Jeremy Morton Children from Ingram Road Primary School were on hand to mark the occasion and they submitted a list of suggestions for naming the new streets and blocks. The children have been looking into the history of the area and discovered amongst other things that there were cricket pitches on the site before the back-to-back streets were built. In fact the Australian cricket team once played a match in Holbeck. Ali Akbor, Chief Executive of Unity Homes & Enterprise said: “We are very pleased to be building the first new houses to built for a long time Holbeck. We are at the start of a redevelopment project that we will see more delivered through the PFI. We are very grateful to the support of Leeds City Council and the Homes & Communities Agency. “It is very pleasing that we have been able to create job opportunities through our contractor Keepmoat, who will deliver ten jobs including apprenticeships for local people.” The homes at Brown Lane East will be a mix of three and four bedroom houses and two bedroom flats. They will be available to rent, or to buy on a shared ownership basis. For more information please contact Unity Homes & Enterprise on (0113) 200 7700 or email: [email protected]. With thanks to Jeremy Morton of South Leeds Life for this article: www.southleedslife.com Ellie Rogers Neighbourhood Improvement Officer
Holbeck's Annual Summer Gala needs Holbeck residents to join in and lend a hand. To Volunteer come log to meeting, Tuesday 25th Feb 7:30pm St Matthew's Community Centre
Issue 3 for you to download
Watch this video of the Christmas story told by the good people of holbeck http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIWGrHTg2u4 Holbeck has been a hive of activity over the festive period. Thanks to the input from the members of the Holbeck Neighbourhood Plan and the Ward Councillors they have helped promote the different services bringing exciting events to the community. Did you go and see the Christmas Lights Switch on? Or go to the Holbeck Christmas Market? Saturday 14th December saw the fourth Neighbourhood Forum this year. Around 30 members attended included guests from Beeston and other people interested in Holbeck. (You can now read all the minutes of the meetings through a link added to this website on the front page). Ian MacKay from the council said the Plan was making good progress to becoming a constitution soon. Wayne Noteman from Unity Housing talked to us about work currently being carried out on the Brown Lane East housing development, more details on this to follow. Anne Hopper had updates from the PFI and the work currently been untaken in improving Meynell Heights. (There is a portakabin on site to act as a respite area for residents, it has access to a washing machine too). Lucy Potter (www.lucylines.wordpress.com) gave her presentation about her recent experience on the Manhattan High Line from her visit to New York. She linked it into the Holbeck Viaduct Project as a potential regeneration community project. Adam Olgivie relayed to everyone Hilary Benn's 'Big Conversation' that took place in November in Holbeck, recapping on all the key areas. Tony Ray gave us a run down of all the known areas of heritage in Holbeck that have been designated as conservation areas. Martin Bradley at Creative Umbrella carefully mapped out these sites on card, including Business and Services and Green Spaces. As usual hot soup and a roll followed along with cups of tea. Looking forward to seeing more families at the next forum in February tbc. Keepmoat have started on site at Brown Lane East building 42 homes on behalf of Unity Housing Association. The contractor is currently disconnecting services and undertaking ground works and hopes to start pouring foundations prior to the Christmas break. Keepmoat intend to complete the development by December 2014. The 42 homes will consist of 2 bed flats and 3 and 4 bed houses. 16 of the homes will be low cost sale and Unity have already had strong interest from people wanting to rent and buy the properties. Another benefit to the development is that Unity have made sure via the contract that a wide range of local job opportunities will be generated ie cleaners, construction and office staff. Anyone interested in the job opportunities should ring the Unity Employment team on 2007738. For more information on the properties for sale please contact the main office on 2007000 to register your interest. Lots of events in Holbeck in the run up to Christmas
7th Dec Holbeck Christmas Market St. Matthews Community Centre 11am -3pm 7th Dec Christmas Lights Switch On meet at St. Matthews Community Centre 4pm 11th Dec Bridge Project Drop In Dance Session and Coffee Morning The Bridge is Health for All’s Learning Disability Service (for adults) based at Holbeck Community Centre, 90a Elland Road 10am – 12pm 14th Dec Holbeck Neighbourhood Plan Forum - find out about activities and developments in your community and help to make Holbeck Neighbourhood Plan – our vision for the future of Holbeck. Soup and a roll! St. Matthews Community Centre 11am – 1pm 15th Dec Mosaic Church Community Carols followed by a meal St. Matthews Community Centre 6- 7:30pm 18th Dec Bridge Project and Hillside Christmas Party – (All Welcome) Holbeck Working Mens Club (HWMC) 12 – 2pm 31st Dec New Years Eve Party! £2 a ticket! HWMC 'Over a hundred families gathered outside the Holbeck Working Mens Club on Saturday 2nd Nov to witness the first Holbeck Community Firework Display of the Century! Thanks to the Community Projects Group which is part of the Holbeck Neighbourhood Plan and financial support from Aire Valley Homes it was made possible for local families to experience this wonderful display. The fuse bearers Denis Kitchen, Ellie Rogers and Chris Jones engineered the lighting of the fireworks and kept every one on their toes with exciting explosions lasting over 30 minutes. Thanks also to Ian Pickup, Andrea Edwards, Katie, Hannah and Jessica from the Community Projects Group who also provided donations and made sure the evening ran smoothly. Along with the tasty takeaway truck and the welcoming warmth of the working men's club bar, families took refuge between the rain the pops and the bangs! It was great to see so many adults and children from Holbeck enjoying the atmosphere of the evening together. Andrea Edwards, chairperson of the Ciaran Bingham Foundation said she remembers in the early 1980's as a child in Holbeck watching the local bonfires then. She said she hoped that like her other grown ups would recall this and hopefully bring their children and relive some of those memories'. Keep updated via the website for more exciting festive events planned by the Community Projects Group with the Christmas Tree Lights and Caroling on the Moor. Or, if you're interested in joining any of the groups and live or work in Holbeck please get in touch with us contact details [email protected] |
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