Articles - Miscellaneous

Leeds Family Welfare

Our major local charity for 2003

As you will have read in the March magazine Leeds Family Welfare is our major local charity to receive an extra parochial donation of £1200 this year.

Leeds Family Welfare services are available to families living in the Leeds 10 area who find themselves in crisis. It is a non statutory association, which families often find easier to approach than more authoritarian bodies. Staff work in partnership with the families. Together they identify needs, agree aims and review progress. They provide “individual counselling, family work, financial advice and limited material aid, as well as group work for both adults and children”. Once a year they arrange a holiday for the families involved, which they find a good way of working with them away from the constant pressures of their normal environment. They co-operate with other local agencies and community groups such as local schools, health visitors, social workers etc. They make referrals to them and appreciate the work they do.

A large part of its work is done through the implementation of a Government initiative for families with children under the age of four. They call it Sure Start Middleton and its aims are to improve families’ social and emotional development and health and the children’s ability to learn. It also seeks to strengthen families and communities. One way of doing this is through “Tea Time Together” a community café, open once a week, providing nutritious meals at affordable prices with free fruit for the children.

We were first contacted about this charity by the Ripon and Leeds Diocesan Responsibility Officer, Mrs Maureen Browell. The Diocese had been forced (reluctantly) to withdraw its financial aid and so they were looking for alternative support. She has since written that she is delighted with our response “a kind gesture and much appreciated”.

You will be glad to know that March’s “Together” insert in the magazine reports that Leeds Family Welfare has now enough support to enable it to continue for another year. More details are available from the One City One World Group.

Astrid Fielden

31 March, 2003