Arise’s landmark award to learning charity

ARISE, a charity collaboration between three Yorkshire property groups, has made its 200th award to Learning Partnerships, an educational charity that supports children, young people and adults across inner city Leeds.

Arise, which benefits charities and community groups in south Leeds, is funded by Land Securities, Evans Property Group and Munroe K. This latest funding will be used to recruit, train and pay for CRB checks for adult volunteers who are providing literacy support for children in eight primary schools.

Arise, which has donated more than £170,000 since it was formed in 2005, described its 200th award as “a significant milestone”.

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Richard Mansell, a member of the Arise Awards Selection Committee and former chief executive of Leeds Chamber of Commerce, said: “This is just one example of how the initiative is making a real and lasting difference. Helping children with reading is fundamental to their future life chances.”

Land Securities’ portfolio director Gerald Jennings, the inspiration behind Arise, said: “For ourselves with White Rose Shopping Centre in close proximity to some of the most deprived city wards; Evans and their magnificent Millshaw headquarters touching onto Beeston and Munroe K, whose excellent offices have attracted big-name employers, the haves are clearly visible in south Leeds, but the have nots do not enjoy a profile and often do not have a voice.”

Arise won the Variety Club’s Yorkshire Property Awards corporate responsibility category in 2009 and 2011.

“When we started out on this journey with Evans and Munroe K, we did not know where it would take us, but along the road it has certainly opened my eyes seeing prosperity and poverty living cheek by jowl in one of the UK’s top cities,” said Mr Jennings.

Following the success of the Leeds initiative, Land Securities is rolling it to other locations where it has shopping centres, including Bristol, Cardiff, Livingston, Portsmouth and Sunderland.

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