Staff Festival 2023 | Charity nominations open

Nominations have opened to select the charity to benefit from this year’s Staff Festival.

Staff Festival 2023 | Charity nominations open. January 2023

After a break of three years due to COVID-19 restrictions, plans are in full swing for this summer’s exciting instalment of the hugely popular entertainment extravaganza, with a packed programme of events in the pipeline.

All colleagues, family and friends are invited to join us on campus on Friday 30 June for an enjoyable afternoon of activities, full details of which will be announced nearer the time. 

And now you’re invited to nominate this year’s chosen charity, which will receive the proceeds from the event.

As hundreds of you registered your vote before plans were scrapped for the 2020 festival, we’ve made the decision to honour the result. Homeless Street Angels, which finished top out of the 10 worthy nominees, will be one of the recipients from this year’s event. They will share the proceeds with a second charity, which will once again be selected by you.

Staff Festival Project Manager, Jo Westerman, said: “We’re so excited to announce plans for the return of this year’s event.

“It’s an exciting opportunity for colleagues old and new to join together as one community after all the trials and tribulations of the past few years. It’s just one of the many ways the University celebrates the incredible efforts of all our wonderful colleagues, and we’re working hard to ensure this year’s Staff Festival is a reflection of everything that makes Leeds – and the people who work here – so special.

“We’re delighted Homeless Street Angels will finally be able to benefit from the fantastic fundraising efforts of our dedicated team. In the context of the cost of living crisis, it’s even more important than ever that they receive our support for the amazing work they do helping those less fortunate than ourselves.

“But I’m thrilled a second charity will also receive a much-needed funding boost. Please take the time to nominate your favourite good cause to ensure they’re in with a shout of winning.”

Charity nominations must fit the following criteria:

  • they must be officially registered, with a charity number and website 
  • they can't be a University charity (including LUU) 
  • they must have no affiliation to politics or a political party; and 
  • they can't be a charity to have already benefitted from previous Staff Festival fundraising (see full list below).  

A reason for nomination must be given, but please keep this to no more than 250 words. All nominations will be considered and a shortlist will be drawn up. If your chosen charity is shortlisted, the reason for nomination will be published. The shortlisting panel’s decision is final and no further correspondence will be entered into. 

Nominations close at 5pm on Friday 20 January. 

Voting to select the winning charity from the shortlisted nominations will open on Monday 30 January. Further details will appear on For Staff and via the weekly eNews.

Charities to have already benefitted from Staff Festival fundraising include:

  • Special Needs and Parent Support
  • Pets As Therapy
  • Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds
  • Simon on the Streets
  • Elliot’s Footprint
  • Leeds Survivor Led Crisis Service
  • Groundwork Leeds
  • Leeds Asylum Seekers Support Network
  • St George’s Crypt
  • St Gemma’s Hospice
  • Wheatfield Hospice
  • Martin House Hospice
  • Village to Village
  • Yorkshire Air Ambulance
  • Walk4Life; and
  • The Laura Crane Trust.

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