News

Canopy on the telly!

Canopy were delighted to welcome Wayne Perrey and the team from BBC Morning Live to come and see us in July. BBC1 screened the film on 29 August 2024. You can watch it here from 43m 43s in:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0022cz9/morning-live-series-6-29082024

Criminal disorder in Leeds

Canopy Housing are extremely concerned about the recent wave of violence and disorder within our communities.

We know this behaviour does not reflect the views of the majority of local people, and we recognise that the events we have witnessed must be intimidating for those that live and work in the area, particularly to those who are being targeted in the recent spate of far right violence.

At Canopy, we are people who are black, brown, white, Muslim, Jewish, Christian, atheist, men, women, transgender, gay and straight.

We have friends and colleagues who are asylum seekers and refugees, who work tirelessly as volunteers at Canopy. Asylum seekers are unable to access paid work legally, so we are proud to provide voluntary opportunities to people with qualifications and experience that benefit our community.

We recognise the positive work of communities and faith leaders in the wake of the recent attacks and are proud of those who continue to take a positive stand and support each other. At Canopy we will continue to:

1. – Support, celebrate, and stand in solidarity with people of all faiths.
2. – Work with and support asylum seekers, whose expertise, skills and time – offered for free – have contributed so much to Canopy over the years.
3. – Counter misinformation about the people we work with.
4. – Campaign for more funding for communities, health and social care services – the underfunding of which has led to so many of the issues our society faces today.

If you have been affected directly by any of the recent attacks, please get in touch. We are here for you.

And remember… we are stronger together. There are more of us than them.

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Kiwi – Our new day-to-day repairs provider

Canopy are delighted to report that we have a new day-to-day repairs contractor, Kiwi Facilities Maintenance.

If you are a Canopy tenant in need of a repair, please call Kiwi direct on 01924 400499. There is no need to speak to a member of Canopy staff first and their lines are open 24/7.

Contacting Canopy

Like many organisations, Canopy reviewed the way we work following the pandemic. We are far more likely to visit people in their homes instead of asking them to visit us. This is particularly important now that we only have one office (the other two having been converted into family homes).

Many of our tenants, volunteers and self-helpers prefer to contact us by phone, e-mail, social media and text now (as well as seeing us face-to-face). Unlike a few years ago, all of our staff are equipped with laptops and mobile phones that allow them to work with people in that way.

As a result, the following measures are now in place:

• – Staff are usually available by phone/email Monday to Friday 9.30am – 4.30pm
• – Our office at 66 Burley Lodge Road is usually open Monday to Thursday 11am to 3pm
• – Our Harehills office is now closed
• – Our site volunteering programme is now fully operational.
• – If you have contact details for the member of staff you usually deal with, please contact them directly. If you do not know their details, please use the following:

Equality Scheme and Action Plan

Canopy’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Group last reviewed our Equality Scheme and Action Plan in 2022. The review recognised a number of successes such as recruiting more diverse Board Members and a Mental Health First Aider, preparing a gender pay gap report, producing anti-harassment and dignity at work policies, delivering hate crime training, drawing volunteers from diverse backgrounds (including a high proportion of women), staff members learning British Sign Language, making our offices more accessible and producing Esiread communications.

However, it identified plenty of things for us to do, such as improving the data we hold about the people we work with, improving our domestic violence policy and procedures, offering paid traineeships, expanding our office opening times, recruiting more diverse Board Members and delivering more training to our staff and Board around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Many of these issues – the training, the paid traineeships, and the policy work – have since been addressed and we aim to publish a revised plan soon.

Our 2022 Equality Scheme and Action Plan can be downloaded here:

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