The Parish of Bardsey with East Keswick has been awarded a Lord Mayor’s Certificate of Appreciation, as recognition for their community engagement with St Aidan’s FoodShare. .jpeg)
The Leeds parish have supported St Aiden’s ministry to work with the hungry and homeless by regularly delivering food donated by the people of Bardsey and East Keswick.
Local Harewood Councillors, Ryan Stephenson and Matthew Robinson, nominated them for the award and the parish vicar, Revd Angela Hannafin, attended a special Third Sector Thank You Zoom on November 25th, along with other nominated groups. The Lord Mayor, Cllr Eileen Taylor, personally thanked the parish for all they had done throughout the year.
In response the Revd Angela Hannafin said, “It was wonderful to be thanked in this way and it’s a tribute to our local communities who are reaching out at this important time.”
Throughout December, their support of St Aiden’s FoodShare has continued with the parish setting up a Reverse Advent Calendar.
A flyer has gone out to every home in the villages of Bardsey and East Kewick, inviting folk to donate an item of food every day during December. Giving a ‘goody’ to someone else instead of opening a window and receiving one themselves.
There are drop off points in both villages and some families have been putting things in the boxes each day, or will be donating their collected provisions on Christmas Eve.
“I'm delighted to be part of this scheme which has drawn in village folk from Bardsey and East Keswick, and enabled local people to be part of the citywide response to the growing problem of communities affected by Covid in Leeds,” said Angela.