VIDEO: April showers don't deter councillor from walking to work

The joint leader of the council left his car at home today (Monday) and walked into work to mark the launch of the Walk to Work campaign in Leeds.

Despite the April showers, Councillor Richard Brett abandoned his usual mode of transport and made the six kilometre journey into Leeds city centre on foot to highlight the benefits of walking and actively encourage more people to support the campaign.

Walk to Work Week is a national campaign organised by Living Streets. Its all about raising awareness of the benefits of walking and encouraging the nation to fit more of it into their everyday lives.

For more information, please see our previous press release http://newsfeed.leedsvirtualnewsroom.co.uk/2009/04/walking-works-for-everyone.html

Leeds prepares for European Parliamentary Elections

Preparations for this year's European elections swing into action today (Monday 27 April 2009) with the publication of the notice of election.

Polling day takes place on Thursday 4 June and the votes will be counted on Sunday 7 June.

Leeds City Council residents will be voting to elect six members of the European Parliament (MEPs) for the Yorkshire and Humber Region and polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm.

The full list of parties and candidates standing in the elections will be published on 7 May (after 4pm).

Anyone wanting to apply to be added to the register of electors, which enables them to vote, or to vote by post must do so no later than Tuesday 19 May.

Rolling registration forms are available by contacting 0113 2224411 and must be returned by midnight 19 May. Postal vote forms are available by contacting 0113 2224411 and must returned to Electoral Services, Level 2, Town Hall, The Headrow, Leeds LS1 3AD by 5pm 19 May. Nominations papers are available by contacting 0113 3952858 and returned by 4pm on 7 May via appointment. For information or advice visit www.leeds.gov.uk

The Yorkshire and Humber Region elections will be run under the direction of the Regional Returning Officer at Leeds City Council, Paul Rogerson. The region is made up of 21 local authority areas and each one has a Local Returning Officer who is responsible for running the election in their area.

Once all votes have been counted the Local Returning Officer reports the number of votes cast for each party to the Regional Returning Officer, who adds up all votes cast in the 21 local authority areas and will allocate the seats using a form of proportional representation.

Notes to the editors:
The European Parliament represents people living in the twenty seven Member Countries of the European Union. Elections for the European Parliament are held every five years.
Six members of the European Parliament were returned for the Yorkshire and Humber Region in 2004. They were:
Godfrey William Bloom, United Kingdom Independence Party; Richard Graham Corbett, Labour Party; Timothy John Robert Kirkhope, Conservative; Linda McAvan, Labour Party; Edward Hugh Christian McMillan-Scott, Conservative; Diana Paulette Wallis, Liberal Democrats.


ENDS
For media enquiries, please contact;
Laura Ferris, Leeds City Council press office (0113) 224 3335
Email: laura.ferris@leeds.gov.uk

Community centre officially handed over to Muslim Cultural Society

A community centre in Harehills is to be officially handed over to the Muslim Cultural Society (MCS) after local people raised funds to purchase it from Leeds City Council.

The Pakistani Community Centre, is a local authority owned and funded building situated on Conway Road in Harehills. It was built with Government grant aid to provide for the social and economic development of the Pakistani community in the area.

**********MEDIA OPPORTUNITY**********
Media are invited to the handing over of the Pakistani Community Centre, on Conway Road, Harehills, from Councillor Les Carter, from Leeds City Council, to Mohammed Saddique, from the Muslim Cultural Society, on Tuesday 28 April at 11.30am. Please call 0113 3951577 or email jon.crampton@leeds.gov.uk to arrange attendance.
**********MEDIA OPPORTUNITY**********

Now, following national guidance from the government supporting the transfer of council assets to voluntary and community organisations for the benefit of local people, the centre has been sold to the MCS in a move which is the first of its kind in the city.

The centre will be officially handed to the chairman of the MCS, Mohammed Saddique, by Councillor Les Carter, Leeds City Council’s executive board member responsible for regeneration.

Councillor Les Carter, executive board member responsible for regeneration, said:
“Communities are at the heart of what we do in Leeds and we are keen to support the many groups and organisations that provide people with important local services.

“The Pakistani Community Centre is a well used and popular facility - not just amongst the Pakistani population but by many others who live in the local area.

“The building of the centre was supported by grant funding and it aimed to support the social and economic development of the Pakistani community in Harehills - and the Muslim Cultural Society helped secure funding towards the centre and has been involved in its running from the beginning.

“As a result, it is the ideal group to take over the running of the centre and continue its tradition of being a focal point for the Harehills community.”

The chairman of the Muslim Cultural Society, Mohammed Saddique, said:
“The Muslim Cultural Society is pleased to be acquiring the Pakistani Community Centre from Leeds City Council. The society will provide the training required by people in the neighbourhood to equip them with skills to get better jobs.

“The training is currently provided by Thomas Danby Leeds and we hope to expand on the portfolio of courses already offered at the centre. This is an important resource for the neighbourhood and we hope people in the area will make extensive use of it.”

The MCS is committed to continuing the current level of community orientated services and ensure the centre is accessible to the wider Harehills community in line with the council’s equal opportunities policies. It also has plans to develop the centre and deliver more community focused services in Harehills.

Services already being delivered from the centre include Leeds City Council’s Youth Service, Harehills Youth in Partnership, Leeds University and the Street Soccer Academy.

ENDS
For media enquiries please contact:
Jon Crampton, Leeds City Council press office, 0113 3951577
Email: jon.crampton@leeds.gov.uk