Leeds: Students call time on poverty with Hilary Benn MP

Representatives from schools and colleges from all over Leeds will be meeting Hilary Benn MP this Friday at Leeds Civic Hall to address the issues of poverty in the area and how their students can get involved in the Hour Leeds campaign to help change lives. Championing the cause alongside Hilary Benn is guest speaker and former headmistress of Wakefield Girls’ High School, Pat Langham CBE, who is passionate about inspiring young people to make a difference.

Hour Leeds is a campaign which focuses on local people giving just one hour of their time to tackle poverty in Leeds. It has been developed by St Vincent Support Centre on York Road, an SVP special project, which was set up in 1996 to help local people facing hardship by giving educational, financial and emotional support, as well as emergency help.

Centre Manager, Charlotte Walton, said: “The involvement of young people in Hour Leeds is so important to us, as our charity was founded by a student who was appalled by the way vulnerable people were being treated. This event is a platform for the urgent and increasing problem of poverty in Leeds to be discussed by those who can have an influence and make a real difference within schools.”

From 22 April 2013 St Vincent Support Centre will be holding Hour Leeds week. During this week the people of Leeds are invited to carry out an activity for one hour that will raise money for the campaign. This could be a cake sale, book sale, special assembly, sponsored event, concert etc. To get involved, check out the website: www.stvincents-svp.org.uk or join Hour Leeds 2013 on Facebook and pledge your hour.