Finding Belonging in Leeds
A few weeks ago, I found myself standing in a newly leased room at Woodhouse Community Centre. The furniture has only just started to arrive, there is nothing on the walls, and there's a long list of jobs left to do before we really call it home.
Looking around, I started thinking about all the people who would pass through that room in the years ahead. People making new friends. People trying something for the first time. People looking for support. People looking for community.
Most of all, people looking for somewhere they belong.
For most people, it is probably just another community space. For me, it represented something much bigger: belonging.
That word has become increasingly important to me over the years, both personally and through my work with Angels of Freedom. It sits at the heart of almost every conversation we have about wellbeing, inclusion and community, yet it can be surprisingly difficult to define.
Belonging is not simply about being present somewhere. It is about feeling accepted there. It is knowing that people are pleased to see you, that you can be yourself without fear of judgement, and that you have a place within something larger than yourself.
Looking back, many of the most positive changes in my own life began when I found that sense of belonging.
Nine years ago, I was building a new life without alcohol dependency . Like many people navigating difficult periods, I was searching for stability, purpose and connection. Sobriety itself was not a single life-changing event or opportunity, it was the start of a new life of purpose, focus and drive, all supported by ordinary moments: conversations, friendships, communities and people who made me feel welcome.
Those moments gave me the confidence to move forward. They helped me rebuild relationships, develop a career, buy a home, learn to drive and create opportunities for others through community projects and activities across Leeds.
That is one of the reasons I believe so strongly in the power of community spaces.
When people hear about Angels of Freedom, they often see the activities first. They see football sessions, badminton games, community meals, social groups and day trips. They see photographs of people smiling together and enjoying themselves.
What they do not always see is what is happening beneath the surface.
A football session is rarely just football.
A shared meal is rarely just food.
These are opportunities for friendships to form, confidence to grow and support networks to develop. They create spaces where people who might otherwise remain isolated are able to connect with others who understand them.
This is particularly important for many of the LGBTQ+ people we support, including people seeking asylum and refugees. Many have experienced rejection, discrimination or displacement. Some arrive in Leeds knowing very few people. Others are rebuilding their lives after incredibly difficult experiences.
For someone in that position, the opportunity to join a sports session, share a meal or simply spend time with others in a welcoming environment can be transformational.
Recently, while completing one of our wellbeing assessments, one member shared a piece of feedback that has stayed with me:
“When I joined Angels of Freedom, I got new hope. I am now feeling relaxed. I have no tensions now because of your support and help.”
I have thought about those words often since reading them.
Not because they describe something extraordinary, but because they capture the impact that genuine connection can have on someone's life. The member was not talking about a specific service or intervention. They were talking about feeling supported, accepted and part of a community.
They were describing belonging.
Leeds is a city that understands the value of belonging. Across our neighbourhoods, people are creating opportunities for connection every day through arts organisations, sports clubs, cultural groups, community centres and grassroots projects. Many of these initiatives operate quietly and without fanfare, yet their impact can be profound.
They help people meet neighbours, make friends, learn new skills and discover opportunities they might otherwise never encounter. They strengthen communities and improve wellbeing, often through the simplest of activities.
At a time when loneliness and social isolation are increasingly recognised as challenges facing many people, these spaces matter more than ever. They remind us that wellbeing is not only about services and systems. It is also about relationships, shared experiences and feeling connected to the people around us.
As we begin a new chapter from our home at Woodhouse Community Centre, I find myself reflecting on that more than anything else. The room itself is important, but what excites me most are the conversations, friendships, partnerships and opportunities that will grow within it.
Because the most valuable thing any community organisation can create is not an event, a programme or even a building.
It is the feeling that you belong there.
And in a city like Leeds, that is something worth celebrating.