A fearless Leeds woman is fighting to “give back” to her community which she says has unfairly been given a “bad name” in a bid to change that perception and restore the community's pride.
Armley and New Wortley made headlines after it was revealed as the Leeds residential area with the highest crime rate in 2022, only coming behind Leeds city centre. While residents spoke of their fear of drug wars and knife crime plaguing the West Leeds area, there was outrage from others who believed Armley has a lot of good to offer.
Laura Hales, a devoted mum of three, refuses to let her neighbourhood be defined by its negative reputation. Taking time off from caring for her own children, ages 19, 14, and 5, Laura has made it her mission to provide essential products to families at affordable prices.
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At charity shop Bundles, in a unit tucked away on Gelder Road, the team focuses on products for under-18s. These range from people’s unwanted baby equipment, toys, games and clothes, they cater to the needs of the community.
Laura, who tirelessly works behind the counter, said: “I want to give back to the community and help other children. I think a lot has happened in the community but it’s not all bad, I think there’s a lot of good out there.
"We have regular people who come into the shop. I think the community comes together here.”
“It’s not all bad around here, there’s a lot of positives. There’s a good community around here. I think there’s bad everywhere you go. I think a few bad things happen and that area gets a wrong name. It gets a bad name and it’s not all bad.”
Laura stumbled upon this volunteer opportunity on Facebook a few months ago. Little did she know that she would become a devoted customer herself, witnessing firsthand the invaluable services provided by Bundles.
The shop is run by Armley Action Team (AAT), a community organisation driven to boosting the area with various projects and schemes. Fran Graham, project manager at AAT, outlined why Bundles offered such a helpful service – and why it was important those who could afford to buy products brand new also used their shop.
Fran said: “People come here who can afford it as well because it’s about reusing as well. If people come here to buy who could afford to go somewhere else, they’re helping us keep things affordable for parents who don’t have enough surplus. That’s really important."
Fran shared a heartwarming story about a young boy who recently visited the shop. His family had been forced to flee due to domestic violence, leaving him with only a sleeping bag. At Bundles, the team offered him the chance to choose toys, giving him a glimpse of happiness during a difficult time.
Fran said: “We had a little boy here recently whose family had been moved due to domestic violence somewhere else in the country. And we just said ‘Go choose some toys’. He’d probably just left his home with just a sleeping bag.”
Reflecting on the profound impact they have on children's lives, Laura added: “It makes me feel quite sad that they’ve been through something so bad in their childhood but at the same time they can walk in our shop where there’s plenty of toys and we can let them go and play.”
Laura is but one member of a team of about 12 dedicated volunteers. The shop is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays between 10am to 4pm – with the Saturdays dedicated to giving teens work experience, AAT is keen for local teens to get in touch and join the ever-expanding cohort.
