We went to the vaccine clinic in the Reginald Centre and a coffee morning at the Polish Centre for our Big Leeds Chats in the Chapeltown, Burmantofts, Harehills & Richmond Hill (or “HATCH”) area of the city.
42 people joined us for these Big Leeds Chats. What did people say in Chapeltown, Burmantofts, Harehills and Richmond Hill?
Access to primary care services (including dentists) was what people in Chapeltown, Burmantofts, Harehills and Richmond Hill told us about more than anything else. Some people commented that they needed to get back to seeing their health professionals face-to-face.
Similarly, lots of people really valued the chance to get together with friends, neighbours and the wider community.
They would love to get back to face-to-face activities which are rooted in the community but made possible by the third sector and
other services.
Some said getting out with other people helped keep them mentally well, so it perhaps wasn’t surprising that the isolation of lockdown had taken a toll on people’s mental health in Chapeltown, Burmantofts, Harehills and Richmond Hill.
People often spoke about the role family had played over the pandemic. In many cases, people said how much they had missed relatives, while others explained they had moved in with others for support over lockdown. They often credited family for keeping them going, but at times they noted that a certain amount of strain had been put on them and their relationships.
Given how key family has been to people in Chapeltown, Burmantofts, Harehills and Richmond Hill, it’s no surprise children were another important theme. There were concerns that children hadn’t had enough to do over lockdown, and an often-repeated suggestion that more provision to keep kids occupied would improve local people’s lives.
What next steps for HATCH did our decision-makers take away from their chats?
“We need to really consider how we are systematically funding & supporting community activities”
“Family getting on despite lots of challenges. Impact on 2 year old not socialising & having nursery opportunities. Love of local community but identifying that children need things to do so not on our roads & older people so not isolated”
“People are still scared and suffering from anxiety. Elderly struggle to access services. Digitally isolated elderly need support.”
“More activities to support elderly. Access to transportation for disabled people.”
“The importance of having community wellbeing activities that people can link into will influence my work.”
