£340k Lottery award secures community hub future at heart of Hawksworth Wood – West Leeds Dispatch

A grassroots charity at the heart of one of West Leeds’ most disadvantaged communities is celebrating after being awarded £314,000 from the National Lottery’s Reaching Communities fund. 

BEAT, a charity born from the legacy of the successful Hawksworth, Abbeydales and Vesper Area (HAVA) Big Local project, has secured the funding over three years, providing a major boost to its work supporting the community in Hawksworth Wood. 

The award will help cover essential running costs including staff, heating, building maintenance and other core charity expenses, ensuring that BEAT’s community hub can remain open and continue serving and empowering local people for years to come.

Based in the former YMCA building in Hawksworth Wood, which the charity recently took over as its permanent home, BEAT has become a focal point for community activity, support and development. The funding will safeguard the building’s future and provide stability for the organisation as it expands its work tackling inequality, improving wellbeing and bringing people together.

The building currently runs community breakfast events, hosts children’s holiday clubs, is the home for carers meetings and also puts on regular community events, such as the forthcoming School’s Out for Summer Barbecue on 17 July. The charity also brings local volunteers together for community projects such as gardening, litter picking and more.

Hawksworth Wood was identified as one of the UK’s most disadvantaged communities through the National Lottery-funded Big Local programme, which invested in local initiatives designed to strengthen community resilience and opportunity. BEAT was established to carry that legacy forward, ensuring local people continue to benefit from community-led support and opportunities.

Sadie Oddy, CEO at BEAT said “This is fantastic news for Hawksworth Wood and for everyone connected to our community hub. This funding gives us the stability to keep our doors open, support our dedicated staff, respond to rising costs and continue growing the opportunities that local people are already shaping and leading.

“Most importantly, it ensures this much‑loved building remains rooted in the community,  a place where people come together, share their skills, support one another and build brighter futures. We’re incredibly grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund and its Reaching Communities programme for recognising the strength, potential and ambition within Hawksworth Wood.”

BEAT – which stands for Belonging, Empowering And Thriving – offers support for local families, community activities and projects aimed at improving health and wellbeing. The charity is also proud to support the Leeds Rhinos’ Offload initiative, which focuses on improving men’s mental health, confidence and wellbeing. 

The National Lottery Community Fund’s Reaching Communities programme supports organisations that help people come together through inclusive community spaces and activities, help children and young people thrive, tackle inequalities and create lasting positive change in communities facing disadvantage.

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