These are the images taken earlier today of dumped rubbish left on playing fields in Swinnow and damaged trees.
West Leeds Dispatch was contacted by a Swinnow dog walker, who was left upset and angry at rubbish people had left behind at Hough Top playing fields – and what seems to be vandalism to at least one tree.
Some of the litter left on the playing fields in Swinnow
Some of the rubbish left at Hough Top
Broken tree branches and litter have been left
Barbecues left on the ground
It’s been a scorching weekend weather-wise, with thousands of people flooding to parks, playing fields and gardens to make the most of it.
The dog walker, who asked to remain anonymous, said:
“The rubbish people have left behind: beer cans, pop bottles, disposal BBQs – trees have been vandalised.
“As you can see for yourself it’s a mess. I am sure you will agree, what makes it worse is that the council have now opened the bins so no excuses for this.”
In recent days there have been similar reports on social media about rubbish left in Queens Park in Pudsey and Armley Park.
A 25-year-old man died after going for a swim in the River Aire in the Kirkstall area last night.
West Yorkshire Police said the man, who was with a friend, entered the river at 8.30pm but vanished beneath the surface and failed to emerge.
A major police and fire service search found his body in the early hours of this morning (Sunday). Residents in the Armley and Burley areas reported seeing police helicopters shining lights onto the river and its banks.
Leeds District Police had issued a warning over swimming in open water following an incident on Friday, when young people were seen swimming in a reservoir in Tingley.
Emergency services were called on Friday teatime following reports a young girl had got into difficulty while swimming, and needed help to get out of the water. She was taken to Leeds General Infirmary for treatment.
Chief Inspector Allan Raw of Leeds District Police said:
“This incident serves as a stark reminder of the very real dangers of swimming or playing in open water, no matter how tempting it may appear in warm weather.
“Water such as reservoirs or lagoons can be very cold, even in the summer months, and people suddenly entering cold water are susceptible to hyperventilation, which could result in the body going into seizure.
“There can also be hidden currents and unseen dangers such as mud banks or items under the water which a swimmer can become caught on.
“As inviting as the water can look, it simply isn’t worth the risk.”
Busy: Two Hookers and Clickers put in some stitches for charity. Photo: Joanne Brophy
A group of West Leeds women have played their part in supporting The Duchess of York distribute hundreds of “SOS bags” to rough sleepers during lockdown.
The Hookers and Clickers (Do It For Charity) knitting and crochet group, which usually meets at community base Unit 11 in Kirkstall Bridge Shopping Park, were approached by a small national charity called Kipbag who needed some help.
Kipbag had been approached by Buckingham Palace to provide 500 KipBags, which are self-contained packs containing a sleeping bag, toiletries, warm clothing and other essentials that we make up and distribute to rough sleepers across the country.
A Kipbag spokesperson said the Royal invitation was ‘jaw dropping’ and added:
“Despite some initial problems getting hold of stock in these difficult times, we already had an ace up our sleeve: thanks to the truly amazing team of ladies at “Hookers and Clickers“, we had a lot of spare stock of items that make up a typical KipBag, such as hats, gloves, socks, toothpaste, face cloths and so on.
“We’ve been working with Hookers and Clickers (set up by Bramley’s Joanne Brophy) for a few months, and the amount of assistance and donations we’ve had from their team of knitters has been astounding. Please do check them out – this team of wonderful ladies are amazing, and were critically important for this collaboration.
“Looking back, getting hold of everything that makes up a KipBag was a nightmare. Wholesale companies had closed their doors, businesses weren’t answering phones, emails were left unanswered. Logistically, it was a nightmare.
“So I had to change the game, and think on my feet – in a similar way to when I was trying to get myself out of homelessness myself. I had to think smart – and act quickly. My biggest question was: “how do I get hold of all the items to make up 500 KipBags when half the country has shut up shop?“.
“Cue a tonne of phone calls, emails, shout-outs on social media.
“Eventually, it worked. We were beginning to get items delivered.”
Prior to lockdown the Leeds Hookers and Clickers group usually met in Kirkstall, but are now co-ordinating their efforts via Facebook due to lockdown.
The group is a national effort, with more than 400 members across the country. Hookers and Clickers connects like-minded people in an attempt to make the world a better place by knitting and crocheting for various charities.
One of the group’s founders, Joanne Brophy from Bramley, said:
“It’s been a privilege to play a small part in the work KipBag are doing. We will happily continue to support them.”
More details on the Hookers and Clickers (Do It For Charity) can be found on their Facebook page.
The Dispatchreported last month how the group raised more than £500 in just 48 hours towards buying protective gear for NHS workers.
The photo at the top of this page was taken before social distancing measures were in place.
Each week we publish lists of planning applications related to council wards in West Leeds.
Please note that due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak Leeds City Council is not accepting written representations made by post. Please make any comments online and address them to the planning officer.
The following applications were published on on the Leeds City Council website in the past seven days:
Armley Ward
Tree works, 2 Kings Approach, Bramley, Leeds LS13 2DX
In these anxious and uncertain times what better way to spread some joy and happiness than the chance to nurture your very own happy flower? writes Lou Cunningham.
Armley couple Franzi Albrecht and Martyn Rosser posted in Armley Community Helpers, a group set up to provide localised community support during the Covid19 crisis, to offer gifts of their homegrown sunflower plants.
I asked Franzi what had sown the seed and inspired her amazingly generous community spirited gesture. She said:
“Pretty much every year I’ve grown my own sunflowers. I still had an old sowing kit left from last year and I didn’t expect all of them to germinate but they did.
“A few little pots on the windowsill turned into a whole army of sunflowers, so I thought it would be a lovely gesture to hand them out in the community, especially during these trying times.
“I know that COVID-19 turned some people’s lives upside down and, even though a sunflower can’t change that, it can at least bring a smile to their faces. I know I sound like a crazy plant lady but every sunflower is completely unique and that’s why they deserve a special name.
“Archibald, Beatrice, Frederick and Hildy – they all come with an individualised name tag around their stalk. Last weekend the first 24 sunflowers travelled to their new homes. I couldn’t have done this without my partner who planned the delivery route and dropped his Saturday plans to be my sunflower chauffeur.”
Franzi said Armley folk had taken the sunflowers to their hearts. She added;
“This really positive response from the community has encouraged me to grow more. I now have dwarf sunflowers and another variety called ‘Sunburst’ under way.
“They’re already looking forward to cheering up more people in the community.”
Armley residents are already posting updates on how their new sunflower family members are flourishing and growing.
Thank you for spreading a little happiness and comfort to our community. Look forward to a follow up when our sunflower families have blossomed and filled Armley with sunshine and a golden glow.
“Be like a flower and turn your face to the sun” – Kahlil Gibran.
Self-doubt is about ourselves and a fear of making a mistake, none of us were born thinking or knowing, “I can do this” or “I can’t do this” and not every decision we make will be a good one.
We all make mistakes in judgement at one time or another, but these mistakes help us learn and develop.
Ignore the voice in your head that says you’re going to fail or that you’re not good enough.
If you stop listening, it will get quieter and eventually disappear or in your mind, say or shout something like “No, no, no, we are not going down that road again”
Everyone has times in their life when they feel inadequate and emotionally drained, but by changing your mind-set you can (and will) conquer your self-doubt – leading you to being a much happier, confident you!
Identify your negative thoughts
Some might immediately come to mind, but these thoughts can include.
At Work they may be “I don’t think my boss likes me” or I’m not good enough to get a pay rise or bonus” While at home they can be “I don’t think my partner cares for me”, “I will never move to a better house or area” or “I’m rubbish at cooking”.
How to control negative thoughts
Stop the negative thought immediately. Once you’ve identified your negative thought, counteract it by saying something positive to yourself.
In place of saying “I’m having a really crap morning,” say something like, “This morning is a challenge but I will come through it and my day will get better”.
Always try and keep your mind in a positive mind-set. Another trick is when you have a negative thought, say: “STOP, thanks mind for pointing that out but I have a positive thought instead”.
Remind yourself to keep positive at all times and it will soon become a habit.
Don’t believe what others say about you.
Most of our self-doubt stems from things others have said or have made us feel so stay true to your character and don’t let anyone bring you down.
Know your strengths and don’t be afraid to showcase them.
People form opinions of other people based on their own values, strengths, limitations, etc. The way they see you is their own perception, and perception is not fact.
The head at Pudsey Primrose Hill Primary School has welcomed council plans to close a street outside her school to traffic as part of an experimental social distancing scheme.
The Dispatchrevealed on Tuesday that Leeds City Council was trialling the School Streets scheme at six schools across the city, which will make roads outside schools into pedestrian and cyclist only zones at the times displayed on the signs and only during term time.
Council chiefs hope thhe scheme will help social distancing as the lockdown is eased – and help to reduce air pollution and keep children safe from traffic at the same tim.
Pudsey Primrose Primary School’s Head of School, Kathryn Dickson, welcomed the pilot scheme. She said:
“The School Street scheme will open up the space outside our school to everyone.
“It will make a huge difference to our children and families in all sorts of ways. First, it will support all the measures we’ve already put in place to ensure social distance when more children return to school, by making it possible for people to spread out safely during drop-off and pick-up times.
“Our families will also be delighted that they can finally walk, scoot and cycle safely, often with pushchairs and young children, without the constant risk to safety and health caused by congestion and gridlock, parking on pavements, on zig-zag lines and idling.
“Our children have campaigned for safer, healthier school streets for so long, and they will finally be able to see what that looks like. It will create a safety ring around our whole school community, and we will all soon wonder how it could ever have been otherwise.”
The whole of Primrose Hill outside Primrose Hill Primary is proposed to be closed between 8.10am-9.20am and 2.40pm-3.50pm. The planned street closures will be in place from Monday to Friday once the school reopens.
Residents living within the new School Street zones have been issued with permits so that they can continue to enter and leave freely. Blue Badge-holders and emergency vehicles will also have full access.
‘Safety ring’: Primrose Hill, Pudsey. Photo: Google
Other schools involved in the scheme include Ingram Road Primary School, Holbeck; Cross Gates Primary School, Cross Gates; Thorpe Primary School, Thorpe; Clapgate Primary, Middleton; and Lane End Primary, Beeston are the first schools to take part in the pilot scheme.
School Sreets will use a temporary traffic regulation order, restricting traffic to help with phased and staggered returns for those children who are going back to school.
Leeds City Council’s Executive Member for Climate Change, Transport and Sustainable Development, Councillor Lisa Mulherin, said:
“By creating a safer space for pupils to enjoy a less stressful, healthier journey by walking, cycling or scooting when they return to school we’re also promoting the physical activity that we know has a long0term benefit for physical and mental health.
“I would like to thank this first group of schools and their communities for pioneering School Streets in Leeds. I look forward to seeing how they do over the summer term and what we might learn as a city, to inform a roll out of the scheme to other schools in future.”
Leeds City Council says it is taking emergency action to help people of all ages have space to walk and cycle safely.
An online consultation launched on 15 May, has already seen more than 16,000 contributions from people with places to widen pavements, install temporary cycle lanes, create quieter residential streets and make more space outside schools.
Boots has announced it is to close its Armley Town Street pharmacy following a store review.
The branch will shut towards the end of August and staff will be offered jobs at other Boots stores.
A Boots spokesperson told the Dispatch:
“At Boots UK, we continually review our store locations to make sure they are where our customers need us most.
“It is never a decision we take lightly when looking to close a store. With this in mind, we can confirm that we are closing the Armley Town Street branch in Leeds towards the end of August, however our other store in Bramley centre will remain open and is around an eight-minute drive away.
“All of our affected colleagues have been informed and will be offered jobs within Boots stores.”
‘Huge loss to community’
In a statement, Armley councillors Lou Cunningham, Jim McKenna and Alice Smart (all Lab) expressed their concerns at the closure and added:
“The store is a real community pharmacy providing residents with prescriptions, toiletries and essential services, including flu jabs.
“Closing the branch would be a huge loss to our local community. We would ask that Boots reconsider their decision.”
Members of the Bramley Breezers group have been running care packages to shielded older people in Bramley, Swinnow and Stanningley.
Generous volunteers have been picking up supplies from Bramley Community Centre and running them to vulnerable people unable to get out during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Thumbs up for delivering sunflower growing packs and other items to vulnerable people.
The initiative – nicknamed ‘BrAmazon’, a cross between ‘Bramley’ and ‘Amazon’ parcel delivery – offers a zero carbon, free community courier service.
BrAmazon is a joint initiative between the community centre, off Waterloo Lane, Bramley Elderly Action and the popular Bramley Breezers Running Group, which has seen volunteers delivering sunflower packs and books/jigsaws to those in need.
On the run: Vickie Jamieson. Photo courtesy Bramley Community Centre
Vickie Jamieson, who’s a member of Bramley Breezers and also does Bramley parkrun, has helped co-ordinate the scheme, which currently has around 50 ‘BrAmazonians’ signed up on the group Facebook page. She said:
“It’s a good way of keeping active, getting out and being part of the wider Bramley community. We have had lots and lots of people sign up on Facebook who are itching to get down to Bramley Community Centre and deliver those packages to people.
“It’s a great way to help other people who really need someone right now. And it’s another great example of Bramley community organisations working together closely in partnership.”
Lynn Beaumont (left) on one of her courier runs this week.
‘BrAmazonian’ Lynn Beaumont, who works as a receptionist at Bramley Baths, has this week delivered some books off to a young family who were shielding. She said:
“It’s a way of giving back to the community and reaching out to people who are isolating and not able to get out. It’s often the little things like books and jigsaws that people need to keep them mentally alert.”
BrAmazon delivers! Local runners from @bramleybreezers have been running care packages over to shielded older people in Bramley, Swinnow and Stanningley. Zero carbon, free community courier service. It’s good, it’s rewarding, it’s bringing people together. That makes us happy! pic.twitter.com/5ipOshEihJ
— bramleycommunitycentre (@BramleyCCentre) May 28, 2020
It’s hoped that the scheme could expand in the summer to include a socially-distanced befriending scheme – and that other local groups and organisations may join in the scheme.
The rave, which made headlines nationally, led to three arrests and equipment being confiscated by police as around 200 people descended on the quiet woodland area on Monday night.
The community has since been rallying to tidy the rubbish left in the nature reserve, which is the home of a number of rare birds and other wildlife.
Some of the bags of rubbish collected by volunteers. Photo: Kirkstall Valley Flytip Trolleys Litter Antisocial Behaviour
As news of the rave spread on Tuesday morning, one local woman came down with her litter picker and bags, and was soon joined by other concerned residents.
A young couple also carried out a clean up on the reserve side, finding big pieces of metal, suitcase, clothing and food tins.
Volunteers on Facebook say the clean-up is now ‘99% done’ with some final checks for broken glass being carried out. Posting on the Kirkstall Valley Flytip Trolleys Litter Antisocial Behaviour today, they said:
“We still have to arrange for the waste to be boated across from the island as some of those bags are pretty heavy. The River Stewardship Company have offered to do this and we will update you. We may then need help with wheel barrows getting the bags to the main gate.
“The pebbled beach area could do with some fresh eyes scanning for broken glass. This area had a lot of broken glass and the three ladies did a great job but have said there could still be some smaller fragments that could still be amongst the stones. These fragments will be a danger to wildlife and dogs.
“If anyone helps, please follow the current social distancing rules and use your own equipment and assess your own risk when handling broken glass. The clean up has been carried out by individuals going out and doing it themselves, not as a organised group. “
The extent of the damage to wildlife in this part of the reserve has yet to be determined. A post on Facebook added:
“It’s impossible to know at this stage how much damage has been done to the wildlife of the area. Surveys over the next few weeks will be able to ascertain whether there are fewer birds nesting on the island as a result of the disturbance.
“New pathways had been made through some dense vegetation. All the waste left behind would have caused damage to wildlife. Two young trees had been broken on the main path in to the reserve.
“Thank you to everyone that helped with the clean up, you deserve a medal!”
Police have issued an e-fit of a man they want to identify in connection with a robbery in the Burley/Hyde Park area of Leeds.
Leeds District Police would like to speak to anyone who has information about the man pictured regarding a robbery on Victoria Terrace on May 13.
It took place at about 12.30pm after the 25-year-old female victim was approached from behind by a man as she walked down the hill towards Belle Vue Road.
The suspect grabbed at her bag and eventually pulled it from the victim despite her efforts to resist.
He then made off and into a waiting car with the bag which contained an Apple laptop and an amount of cash.
Anyone who can identify the man or who witnessed the offence is asked to contact PC 1594 Smith at the Leeds District Crime Team on 101 referencing crime number 13200238754.
Information can also be given online or anonymously to the independent Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.
A Leeds GP is warning people not to mix up the symptoms of Covid-19 with hay fever.
Dr Gordon Sinclair, Clinical Chair of NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group and a GP in Headingley, is warning people not to confuse the difference between the symptoms. He added:
“We don’t want people to get unduly anxious about their hay fever. However, we also want to make sure that they don’t go out and about, assuming they have their usual allergies, when they may actually have coronavirus and should stay at home.
“The main symptoms of coronavirus are a high temperature, new continuous cough or loss of smell or taste. People may also feel quite unwell.
“While the symptoms of coronavirus and hay fever can overlap, people with hay fever don’t experience a high temperature and most won’t feel unwell.
“Hay fever and allergy symptoms tend to be milder, for example, itchy eyes, sneezing and coughing. Symptoms =may vary over the course of the day or depending on the weather, as the pollen count changes. They can also usually be controlled through antihistamines or nasal sprays.
“If you have any new cough, fever, lose your sense of smell or taste, you must self-isolate as these could be signs of coronavirus. Most people can manage their symptoms at home with paracetamol and plenty of fluids. However, if you feel worse, you should use the NHS 111 checker – https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19/ – or call NHS 111.
“Most importantly, don’t go directly to your GP practice, pharmacy or hospital if you think you have coronavirus. Always go through 111 first.”
People with hay fever can still get medical advice and treatment during the pandemic. You can visit your local pharmacy for over the counter remedies. If your symptoms don’t improve, you can also contact your GP practice.
