It’s hard to believe that it’s been three years since Time to Shine started. We’ve learned so much, reached so many people, but there is still so much to do. 

We marked the halfway point of the programme with a celebration at Leeds City Museum on 25 May 2018. 

The event started with an excerpt performance of Anniversary, by the talented Performance Ensemble. Five performers took us through a journey of memories and experiences via spoken word and dance. 

Many of our delivery partners, both new and existing, set up stalls to share information about their great work and plans for the future.

Time to Shine has recently commissioned eleven new delivery partners and also welcomed a number of Small Funds projects to the family. 

Because sharing what we’ve learned is at the heart of our mission, we invited people to attend two different workshops: one about the value of co-production, and the other about our Volunteer Listeners project, a unique way to capture how people are benefiting from Time to Shine. 

In the past three years, 7600 people have engaged with Time to Shine, either as participants or volunteers or both. 41% of beneficiaries have reported a reduction in social isolation or loneliness. We are making great headway in making Leeds a less isolated place, and are confident that we will go from strength to strength over the next three years. 

For more on the event, from the Yorkshire Evening Post, click here.