Please see below recently received from Ailsa Rhodes, OPAL Project Coordinator with regard to Aviva Community Fund

Aviva Community Fund – we urgently need your votes to help us secure £10,000 for Bedford Arms. Voting from 1^stMay and 31st May 2015

Please click on this link http://bit.ly/1IUO7lL and vote for OPAL. If we can secure enough votes then we could be entered into the Finals, where a judging panel will award the funds. Please share this link and ask everyone you know to vote for OPAL.

OPAL Annual Questionnaire

It’s that time of year when we ask for feedback – what are we doing well and what can we improve?  Please take the time to complete the questionnaire and send it back to us. It helps us plan for the future, it helps us tweak whatever needs tweaking and as a thank you for taking the time to complete the questionnaire, you will be entered into a prize draw.

Bedford Arms

We are delighted to have reached our target of raising £72,000 by 31^st Match so that we could buy Bedford Arms.  We are now waiting for Leeds CC to amend the lease so that we can get the legal stuff finalised – this should happen imminently and then we can crack on getting the building renovated. We have raised some money for this already and will be working hard over the next year to raise the necessary funds to get the work completed.

You will see from the newsletter that we have had an incredible amount of support from many different quarters – thank you to each and one who has contributed to us getting this far.  This includes:

Inner North West Community Committee

Sir George Martin Trust

The Bramhope Trust

Rank Foundation

Buy a Brick Campaign – local groups, businesses and individuals have bought a brick for £50 and in total this has raised over £20,000!!!

Key Fund – Social Incubator North

Locality

School of Psychology who did a Bake Sale

Ecoclean

Calverley Rotary Club

PF Associates Ltd who did the survey for free

Emsleys Solicitors

LEDA

OPAL Fundraising Team: a group of fabulously motivated and enthusiastic individuals who have been visitinglocal businesses to raise awareness, collect raffle prizes and donations.

There have also been several individuals who have given their time, expertise and/or financial support. Thank you to each and every one of you.

Mears are going to do some of the renovation work on the first floor.

If I have missed you or anyone off this list who should be recognised, please let me know.

Fundraising Activities to look out for:

2^nd May and 15^th May D,UKES will perform on their ukuleles outside ASDA Holt Park 10am – 1pm to raise money for us. Come and support them, have a boogie, tap your toes and donate some money.

16th May 2015  The University of Leeds Women’s Football Club will be taking part in Colour Me Rad (a 5K run while having paint thrown on us!). You can sponsor the team through https://localgiving.com/fundraising/luuwafcrad

18^th May 2015  Johnson and Johnson Ltd are spending a day volunteering with us to do a clean-up of the grounds of Bedford Arms

24^th June 2015  Open Day at Bedford Arms, 3pm – 7pm. Come and talk to us about our plans and let us know your thoughts. Refreshments provided. There will also be a raffle and a stall with homemade cakes.

Representing Great Britain in the European Sprint Duathlon Championships

Thank you to everyone who sent their best wishes to me as I completed in the European Sprint Duathlon Championships in Alcobendas, Madrid.  It was an amazing experience, although the rain and thunderstorms weren’t quite what I was expecting in Spain. I came 12^th in my age group (much better than I had hoped) and with sponsorship from Emsleys solicitors, I also managed to raise some money for OPAL too.