Voluntary Action Leeds is keen to highlight the good news stories coming from the Leeds Welcome Spaces Scheme. This winter over 180 Third and Faith Sector organisations have opened their doors to the public to offer a safe, warm and welcoming space.

The second of our 2024/25 blog series features Eddie and the SLATE Charity Group

Heroic volunteer with can-do attitude enjoys a welcome spaces breakfast

SLATE is a charity shop, known as The Feel Good Furniture Shops, it is was set up to offer work opportunities to adults with learning disabilities. And also, to reduce the amount of unwanted items going to landfill, through the creation of The Feel Good Furniture Shops

“We believe that people with learning and other disabilities should have the same right to employment, training and volunteering as everyone else.  

All of our volunteers should have the same opportunities to mix with the wider community, work and relax. Many people with learning disabilities want to be challenged, to learn and achieve new things; just like everyone else.”

Eddie Martin who has won national awards for his volunteering at SLATE and St Vincents in Leeds manages ill health from severe burns as a child and you wouldn’t know it. Eddie arrives early and stays late to help out community projects in Leeds and is so helpful. Eddie has learning disabilities but he doesn’t let that stop him from gaining new skills and continuing to learn year after year.

Managing on a low income is difficult, as is carrying shopping without transport and budgeting. Like many, Eddie uses Iceland to deliver food but they’ve moved toward digitising that service so he now travels further to a store where he can pick his shopping out, as it was before, and where there are staff he knows have been transferred – after that he goes for breakfast at the SLATE Welcome Space and then goes on to volunteer at the SLATE Hunslet shop.

Eddie has recently reached retirement age and nothing stops him from giving back even when his funds are limited. There are retirement groups at the Old Fire Station that Eddie can now link to. Welcome Spaces allows Eddie to grow his community connections.

“Thanks for giving me a hot breakfast – something I couldn’t afford without Welcome Spaces.”

People like Eddie are hit very hard by the cost of living crisis and the world moving to more and more digital access. Because Eddie is disabled most things cost him more money – including doing his shopping.”

VAL