Our Leeds project has been operational for a year
Reflections on the development of our Leeds Move Mates project
We can’t quite believe that Move Mates has been live in Leeds for a year, it has definitely been a busy time! Following the success of Move Mates in York, new projects were launched in Durham and Leeds in 2022.
We started in Leeds not long after lockdowns, when people were beginning to feel more confident about regaining some sense of normality in their daily lives. This meant that the huge volunteer programme across Leeds, supported by the Third Sector, was a lifeline for people during Covid. Opportunities to return to work or take up new jobs began to increase as we came out of lockdown and this, along with the cost of living crisis and the majority of the student population going home for the Summer, meant that volunteers were hard to find!
Move Mates Leeds reached out to social prescribing services and voluntary, public and private sectors, who were very interested in the Move Mates model. We made new connections and established partnerships with universities, volunteer associations and Leeds Council.
An influx of referrals came through from the voluntary sector and Linking Leeds have become one of our biggest social prescribing partners. Move Mates has a waiting list for the service we offer and people can also self refer to us.
“It’s great to see more people working towards small personal goals and engaging with outdoor spaces as we continue to grow our volunteer community across the city and increase the number of people supported.“
Elaine, Project Manager
We attract volunteers from different walks of life including; students, professionals and the retirement community and we love this mix of people working with us. When volunteers walk alongside someone, it becomes a mutually beneficial experience. If you are looking to gain experience, increase confidence or offer your skills please apply to volunteer through the Move Mates website.
Move Mates is building its volunteer community and looking to expand the number of volunteers we can pair people with, who are waiting for a short walk and a chat. If you can spare an hour or two each week to walk with someone, we would love to hear from you.
Move Mates is proud of its growth during the past 12 months and we continue to build valuable partnerships in the city to enable us to support as many people as we can to become active outdoors and enjoy our urban and green spaces.
“I just find it hard to motivate myself to get out for a walk on my own, I feel I can go home today knowing I feel better than I did before I went out.“
Sam, Participant