Do you fancy getting more involved with your local community? Kirkstall is becoming a more and more vibrant place with many people taking up a new hobby or pastime while helping do something great for their local community at the same time. There’s lots of opportunities available, and if you have your own projects you’d like help with why not let us know?
Kirkstall Matters
Kirkstall Matters is the magazine of the Kirkstall Valley Community Association. It is published 3 times per year and is entirely produced by volunteers and distributed to members of the KVCA within Kirkstall. It first started in Autumn 1978 and has seen many changes over the years. Now in its 40th year it is stronger than ever under the watchful eye of our new editor, Mindy Goose. The magazine moved to a free publication and we hope to be able to get it through more members doors.
We are always looking for people to help produce the magazine, write articles and anything else! If you have a passion for a particular thing: sports, cookery, gardening, local developments, or just have some ideas and would like to help out please contact the editor Mindy Goose. Why not have a look at the digital archive of our past issues?
Kirkstall Festival
Kirkstall Festival has been going strong since 1981, and now attracts around 25,000 visitors to the Kirkstall Abbey grounds on the second Saturday of July every year. Did you know that this highlight of the local calendar is entirely organised and run by volunteers?
We have a very friendly (if slightly unhinged!) management committee and welcome everyone with all abilities to get involved as much or as little as they want. You could help organise the festival throughout the year beforehand, or just help out on the day.
We’re always looking for people who’d like to help on the field team setting up and taking down the site, helping with traffic flow, or even helping to sell the festival programmes on the gate for a couple of hours on festival day (we need to sell these to help fund the festival!) Why not drop us a line to say hello?
Kirkstall In Bloom
If you’ve got green fingers and would like to be part of a vibrant group brightening up the green spaces of Kirkstall you really should give a try.
The projects they undertake are in public spaces so we can all get a bit of joy from the work they do. In their first year “KIB” (as they’re affectionately known) have completely replanted the seating area by the Drink and Be Grateful fountain (by the crossroads of Kirkstall Lane and Abbey Road) and planted 3000 bulbs along Morris Lane (which should be coming through very soon!)
They meet monthly for a couple of hours on a Sunday and have a new project they’d like some helping hands with so why not get involved?
Kirkstall Community Garden
This is a new initiative to transform an unused green space in Kirkstall into a community garden where people can come together to learn and grow. Its still in the early stages but needs helping hands to form a committee who will manage the planning and development of the site, and are looking for recipe ideas for healthy eating for a local produce cookbook. If you can help please say hello to them!
