Call to spark something good in Leeds

M&S stores across Leeds and Bradford want residents to roll up their sleeves and Spark Something Good by teaming up with employees to help 24 projects at the heart of their community.

Spark Something Good will see 24 projects taking place across 24 cities in the UK and Ireland over the course of 24 months. Leeds and Bradford have been selected as the next cities to host an event following the launch of the scheme in London last year by M&S Spark Something Good ambassador Joanna Lumley.

From April 18 to 24, staff and customers will donate their time to improve local community spaces.

Mark Robson, Plan A champion at Marks & Spencer Leeds, said: “It was difficult to choose just 24 projects but we have some really worthy causes on board. With our M&S employees and the Leeds and Bradford community working together to volunteer with organisations that really matter locally, we know we can achieve something great. Getting stuck in and helping others can make a profound difference to the services so many people across the region rely on, and we can’t wait to get started on April 18.”

M&S is returning to Simon Marks Court, a care home specialising in dementia care, 28 years after it made a £1m donation in 1988 to mark 100 years since the birth of Simon Marks, son of M&S founder Michael Marks. The team will be transforming a disused lounge into a café area and creating a relaxation room for residents and their families.

At Seacroft Grange Primary School an outbuilding will be turned into a positive learning environment and raised beds will be created in the garden for growing plants and vegetables. Other organisations involved include Beeston in Bloom, Community in Action to Change Harehills and Seacroft Grange Primary School.