70%
of service users stated they or their child have a disability or SEN need
75%
of service users stated financial hardship as reason for attending
36%
of service users identify as having a BAME ethnicity
"Myself and my partner are a low income household and we’re both disabled. I’m able to work part time but my partner isn’t. We often visit the pantry for food items and that’s a huge help! I can’t thank you enough for putting it together -it’s a lifeline for people who can’t make ends meet."
"I just wanted to say thank you so much for having St Gemma's Hospice at your Easter Market.
It was wonderful to be a part of such a lovely local event and we are very grateful we were able to be a part of it."
"It is good that it organised events that bring the community together and runs groups that the children can enjoy."
"I use the pantry and also attend the community events in the local area. There’s nothing nearby like this in our local area as it’s usually seen as a rich and affluent area."
Our Work
We are a group of passionate local residents who founded MWCA to bring change to one of Leeds’ most overlooked communities. Our area spans three large, ethnically diverse council estates—home to around 5,000 people—and ranks among the top 1% most deprived areas in the city. Despite being surrounded by affluence in the Alwoodley ward, our estates are too often forgotten when it comes to funding and support.
Poverty here is deepening, and we are seeing sharp rises in gang activity, drug issues, and far-right recruitment. In the face of this, we refuse to give up.
For six years, MWCA has worked to build inclusion, resilience, and hope. We rely entirely on fundraising and and volunteers to run, until 2024 when we secured our first larger grant, that enabled us to hire a part time project manager to expand our services. We currently run two food banks, a youth group with dedicated mental health support, two stay-and-play groups with parenting support, and a karate group for young people. We also host regular one-off events and workshops to bring the community together and offer opportunities many would otherwise go without.
We support mental health, strengthen family relationships, and raise aspirations—all while tackling poverty and reducing global food waste through our pantry project. Everything we do is rooted in love for our community and a belief in a brighter, fairer future for all.
Past events and projects
Healthy Holidays 2024
In 2024, we were absolutely delighted to receive a grant from Leeds Community Foundation, Feeding Britain and the Department of Education to launch our Healthy Holidays initiative! We proudly offered 960 places over three exciting holiday periods and teamed up with FareShare to provide a whopping 720 nutritious meals. We offered an open provision to all regardless of the school they attended, with an incredible 75% attendance rate, and over 75% of the children who joined us had special educational needs disabilities it was truly inclusive to all. Our fun-filled activities included baking, sports days, table tennis, and thrilling outings to local gems like Hope Pastures and the fire station, plus outdoor adventures at Herd Farm!
Community Panto 2022-2024
Our incredible trustees unleashed their acting and teaching talents to launch a fantastic free drama group for adults and children. Over the past three years, we dazzled audiences with three original pantomimes, all scripted from scratch and sets crafted by amazing volunteers. With over 200 attendees at each show, it was a whirlwind of fun and laughter. We created lasting memories and shared the magic theatre together!
Haloween Disco 2022- 2024
Every year we host the ultimate Halloween disco for kids in the area! An amazing party that attracts around 200 children of all ages for a night filled with wild dancing, spooky costumes, and thrilling games. It was a fantastic chance to make new friends and connect with the community. Everyone had a blast at this unforgettable Halloween extravaganza!
Pop Up Markets 2024
Our exciting pop-up markets where the community comes alive with fun for the whole family! With 25 amazing local stallholders showcasing their incredible crafts and delicious goodies from a pizza van and sweet cake treats, there's something delightful for everyone! We're thrilled to support local charities like St. Gemma's Hospice and Hope Pastures, making a difference together. With over 200 attendees, plus awesome free kids' activities like a penalty shootout game and an Easter egg hunt the community love us to host these regularly.
Easter Wonderland 2023
Families enjoyed an unforgettable adventure at our Easter Wonderland Trail! They dove into the excitement of our thrilling Easter egg hunt as they wandered through the stunningly decorated woods, all thanks to our amazing volunteers. Kids got free face painting and the chance to meet real life characters, culminating in a fantastic treat from the Easter Bunny. It was a magical spring that everyone cherished!
Winter Wonderland 2022
In 2022, an amazing team of over 20 volunteers came together to create the most unforgettable Christmas experience for local families after two years of lockdowns! We dedicated months to crafting dazzling props and ornaments, transforming our venue into a winter wonderland that could rival Stockeld Park! With thrilling themed displays featuring a gingerbread man house, live ponies, and beloved characters from Harry Potter, the Grinch, and the Snow Queen, the excitement culminated in a magical visit to Santa's grotto—all completely free! Our volunteers worked tirelessly for 14 hours to set up, run, and pack away this spectacular event, which brought joy to over 500 attendees and made headlines in the local news!
Street Art 2021
In 2021, we were absolutely overjoyed to receive a small grant from Leeds Inspired to kick off an exciting project that would spread cheer throughout our community after 18 months of COVID restrictions! We encouraged local children to unleash their creativity by submitting designs for the green media boxes in our area. Thanks to our amazing volunteers, these colorful designs were transformed into vibrant works of art that now light up the area! This initiative not only engaged our youth but also brought everyone together in a joyful celebration of creativity and community spirit!
Easter Float 2021
We were thrilled to share the amazing success of our Easter float, building on the incredible response we received during our Christmas event in lockdown! Once again, we traveled the familiar streets of Alwoodley, covering a total of 20 square kilometers. Thanks to the generous support of our local community, councillors, and businesses, we handed out over 800 delightful Easter eggs to children. It was a fantastic way to come together and celebrate!
Christmas Lockdown Float 2020
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, MWCA went into action to lift our community's spirits! With our regular services paused, we embarked on an exciting adventure: creating a festive Christmas float to spread joy throughout the entire Alwoodley ward. Covering an impressive 20 square kilometers and reaching 23,000 residents, volunteers and one brave Alwoodley Councillor battled the freezing rain for eight hours, handing out presents to every child who came out to join the fun! It was an unforgettable experience filled with smiles and holiday cheer during a challenging time!
NHS Hero's Lockdown Writing Competition
When the COVID-19 lockdown first hit, our services may have closed, but our incredible trustees and volunteers, many of whom were frontline key workers, were right in the thick of it! To spark community spirit and spread hope, we kicked off an exciting children's writing competition themed "My NHS Hero." Kids had the chance to share their appreciation through stories, poems, or letters, with fabulous prizes like book vouchers for winners and certificates for everyone! We joyfully delivered all the heartfelt letters to St. James Hospital in Leeds, aiming to lift the spirits of the NHS staff, and our inspiring initiative even got featured on local radio!
