People from across the town of Horsforth gathered in the grounds of St James’ Woodside on Sunday 25 July to enjoy a cream tea and the Horsforth Civic Service. The event, held outdoors on the Feast of St James’ included the opening of The Horsforth Shed, a community workshop created in the disused and re-purposed former Scout Hut.

Members of Horsforth Town Council and other visitors enjoyed great hospitality and tours of The Shed, which has been three years in the making, before the Civic Service and official opening. Reader, Pete Gillions, who has led the Horsforth Shed team commented, “It is just wonderful to have reached this point, which is thanks to the prayerful support from many across Leeds. The encouragement that we have received for the project so far has been a great blessing.”

In a brief address during the Civic Service, Jonathan Cain, the Vicar of St James’ Woodside said this: “ The Shed is not just, or even really about making things, its about connecting people. The Shed is about helping to overcome perhaps the great crisis of our time – the crisis of loneliness and isolation. But it is about more than that … At The Shed we will draw people into relationship with each other so that they might see how their lives are part of the big story of God. And that’s really good news.”

Leeds Area Warden of readers, Ann Nichol, was invited to cut the ribbon and commented that she knows of the need for places like The Horsforth Shed through her work as a Samaritan volunteer.

You can find out more about The Horsforth Shed here.