Tenants Federation Celebrates Local Heroes

The West Yorkshire Playhouse was “packed with local heroes” for Leeds Tenants Federation’s high-profile Taking a Stand event.

Around 250 people attended the Taking a Stand event in the Courtyard Theatre of West Yorkshire Playhouse on Tuesday 6 July.

The packed theatre heard inspiring and heroic presentations from local residents who have reclaimed their neighbourhoods and fought back against intimidation, arson, vandalism and destruction.

Michael Hall, chair of Leeds Tenants Federation said he hoped the success of the event would encourage residents to speak out against anti-social behaviour and to work together to reclaim our communities.

Organised by Leeds Tenants Federation and Leeds Community Safety Partnership, the event aimed to launch the national Taking a Stand Awards and celebrate the people who are standing up to anti-social behaviour in our communities. Yorkshire Evening Post editor, Neil Hodgkinson whose newspaper has led a campaign against yob culture, chaired the morning conference.

Home Office Anti-Social Behaviour Unit deputy, Joe Tuke praised the tenants movement for giving real inspiration in the fight against yob culture.

Cllr Les Carter, new Executive member for Neighbourhoods and Housing congratulated Leeds Tenants Federation for organising the event and applauded its member groups for working to make their communities safer.

The packed theatre heard inspiring and heroic presentations from local residents who have reclaimed their neighbourhoods and fought back against intimidation, arson, vandalism and destruction. 

Michelle McGill from New Wortley Residents Associations told how she stood up in court to give the crucial evidence that nailed the ring leader of a gang who had terrorized her community.

Maureen Lillywhite from Community Unity and Pearl McArdle from East Park Community Association inspired everyone with their courage in winning back their streets from the yobs.

Betty Bevan, from Otley North West Tenants Association and Sylvia Fisher, from Osmondthorpe Tenants & Residents Association, won applause for their work with young people and their commitment to broadening their opportunities and diverting them away from crime.  Rennie Foster from Claremont Grove Tenants Association told how his elderly group had fundraised to get their own CCTV cameras and had made their flats a safer place to live.

Answering questions from the tenants and residents in the audience, acting Director of Neighbourhoods and Housing, Neil Evans praised the tenants and residents who spoke. They were: “Brave individuals”, he said, “who demanded improvements, won respect from young people, had the courage to give evidence and the commitment to build support and make our communities stronger.”

There was wide media coverage of the event with many of the contributers interviewed in the press, and on local TV and radio. The feedback from residents who attended Leeds Tenants Federation’s Taking a Stand event was universally positive with comments like: “inspirational”; “well organised”, “great attendance” and “well done all”.