How one market trader in Leeds is giving a taste of Yorkshire help to rough sleepers this winter

People living on Leeds' streets this winter can be sure of some true Yorkshire help with a scheme running at a food stall in Kirkgate Market.
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Michael Pratt, the owner of the Yorkshire Wrap Company, has set up a scheme where customers, or even people who just want to donate, can pay £1 for a hot drink or £3 towards one of the wraps made from Yorkshire puddings.

Each time a donation is made, a tick is marked on a blackboard to indicate how many free cuppas and wraps have been donated and are available.

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He came up with the idea after helping out at the street kitchen held in City Square for rough sleepers and serves up the drinks and wraps, stuffed with fillings from sausages to beef and pork, in the afternoons to fit in with the times when other services such as St George's Crypt and St Anne's aren't open.

Michael Pratt of The Yorkshire Wrap Company at Kirkgate Market that is offering donated drinks and food to homeless people in Leeds.Michael Pratt of The Yorkshire Wrap Company at Kirkgate Market that is offering donated drinks and food to homeless people in Leeds.
Michael Pratt of The Yorkshire Wrap Company at Kirkgate Market that is offering donated drinks and food to homeless people in Leeds.

Mr Pratt said: "You don't even have to buy food, you can just donate. They come between 3pm and 4pm and if there is anything on the board they can say 'can I have this?' They can sit down, it gets them out of the cold and they can have hot food and drink. When you seem them on the streets, people don't want to give them money as 99 per cent of the time it probably won't go on food so if they donate here, they know it will go on food and drink.

"I don't run it at a profit because I sell the wraps at £5.50. The take up has been good, a couple of months ago a lad ran the London Marathon and donated £700 and we were doing 15 a day so it soon goes through the donations."

He added that he hopes people will be inclined to donate as the weather gets colder and recently one of the street sleepers told him his tent had gone so Mr Pratt contacted Homeless Street Angels and by the end of the day had arranged a new tent for him.

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Mr Pratt of Moortown added: "Until I started this business three years ago and started coming into Leeds more, I did not realise how many homeless people there were so anything that can help, I will give it a try."

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