More than £15,000 raised for Holbeck Together and Re:establish at Harvey Nichols fundraiser

The fundraiser was held by Jonathan Morgan, the founder of property firm Morgans and now the city centre specialist for Linley and Simpson.

For over 15 years Morgans hosted a Christmas party at Harvey Nichols every December, as a thank you to clients and staff.

After the business was sold in 2019, Jonathan and his family decided to reinvent the party to raise funds for two local charities that they have been supporting since the onset of the first lockdown.

The charities chosen were Holbeck Together and Re:establish.

Holbeck Together was established as Holbeck Elderly Aid in 1992, originally as a Neighbourhood Network, providing a wide range of services and support to a diverse and disadvantaged community including the delivery of meals, food parcels, prescriptions, and well-being packs.

The charity, which is based in Domestic Street, also runs a social supermarket at the St Matthews Community Centre.

Earlier this week, Chief Officer Elissa Newman, told the YEP that the fear of an upcoming hike in bills has left many of the families making very difficult choices to support their families.

Re:establish is a south Leeds charity that runs activites in Beeston and Holbeck to provide regular support and life skill development.

Mr Morgan said: ‘’We really didn't want to confine what had become something of an institution to history, just because we sold our business. So, we decided to reinvent the Morgans Christmas Party as a fundraiser.”

“Both Holbeck Together and Re:establish work tirelessly, and on a shoe-string, to hold together a community ,which is under immense strain.

"Over the past few years, supporting these small but powerful charities has become a big part of our lives.’’

Mr Morgan added: "

Jonathan added: “We are hugely grateful to our clients and friends, 200 of whom paid to attend our event for the first time in 15 years.

"We are also incredibly thankful to Phil, Sally and the whole team at Harvey Nichols for their generosity in helping to make the event viable, without compromising on quality. Harvey Nichols also donated three fabulous raffle prizes, which raised over £2,000 on the night.

“It is our intention to hold the event each Christmas and to continue to support these two incredible charities, who do so much to make sure that Leeds looks after its own’’.

CEO at Holbeck Together, Elissa Newman, said: “We provide a variety of services, activities and opportunities for local people including a successful kid’s club, as well as hosting a full programme of activities for people across all age groups.

"The time and money Jonathan and his family have dedicated to our small charity has made all the difference, and we would like to thank everyone who bought a ticket and attended the event. The money will go a long way at Holbeck Together.”

Re:establish team leader and development manager, Jo Sunderland, said: “We are a small but dynamic organisation with a focus on young people, their future and their families.

"We run lots of initiatives and programmes, including what we would all recognise as a youth club, and focus on helping youngsters to develop skills, self-awareness and resilience, as they seek to break the cycle of exclusion, under-achievement and adversity, which is so prevalent in South Leeds.

“We are very grateful to the Morgan family and everyone who came to the event who made this possible, ensuring that collectively we can achieve more! It’s given us a great start to the year, knowing that people believe in you and understanding the positive impact this will have on the lives of our local young people in Beeston and Holbeck.”

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