Smiffys proud to sponsor Angels of Freedom for another year.
June has rolled around once again and the sun is shining on the LGBTQIA+ community.
Pride month is a time to celebrate individuality and recognise the different experiences of others. It’s a month of learning how to improve inclusivity and champion equal rights for people regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation. It also brings a whole lotta fun and every colour of the rainbow.
Smiffys' HQ is based right in the heart of Leeds and anyone that's been on a Friday night out in Leeds in the recent years (lot's of our staff included) will have seen people in fluorescent pink hi-vis vests wandering the busy streets … They are the Angels of Freedom, and Smiffys love what they do.
Last year we got in touch with them to find out more about what they do and if we could help out in anyway.
It would be impossible for us to tell you all the good they do. But the Angels of Freedom are a community based project in Leeds that provide support to the LGBT+ community by creating safe spaces for a range of events to socialise, and seek advice. The volunteers at Angels of Freedom regularly give up their own time to support community safety, tackle hate crime and offer a friendly face/provide information of the support that’s available to someone who may need it.
Read our previous blog article to find out about specific events.
Last year Smiffys were proud to help by providing financial funding, and of course plenty of Smiffys products used at annual events such as the Leeds Pride Village Fete and the YuleFest.
Part of the funding went to catering hot food at the Wellbeing & Social Café… Here’s what the Angels have to say about the amazing work it does. ‘’The café itself has been life changing for some people, from tackling isolation within the community, building intergenerational friendships and providing opportunities to seek support to address personal needs, so it's one of our most successful activities when it comes to providing direct support to individuals’’
Smiffys have committed to helping fund the café in 2024 so it can continue to offer this amazing support to the Leeds community.