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About Us

We help Leeds Initiative and Leeds City Council to deliver the Vision for Leeds 2004-2020.

Businesses have transformed Leeds over the last two decades, bringing jobs and economic growth to the city and wider region on an unprecedented scale. The city and its business community have much to be proud of.

Yet vast parts of the city are not yet sharing in this success. Far too many people still live within areas that fall within the most deprived areas nationally. With unacceptable disparities in educational achievement, skills and life expectancy, there is both an economic and a moral case for action. The public and voluntary sectors can't regenerate Leeds on their own.

Leeds Ahead acts as a conduit to provide businesses of all sizes with a single, easy point of access to a wide range of community-focused projects across the city. Businesses meet their corporate responsibility objectives whilst enjoying a whole range of other business benefits in the process, confident in the knowledge that all the resource they invest is helping to drive the city forwards.

  • The map shows where communities within the local authority area fall on the national Index of Multiple Deprivation. The most disadvantaged areas are shaded brown. The most affluent are shaded deep blue.  For more information on the Index of Multiple Deprivation, click here  

    Our three area teams work across the three area wedges of the city, East and North East Leeds, South and South East Leeds and West and North West Leeds. We focus on supporting communities that fall within the lowest 20% on the Index.

    If you would like any further information, please contact our area team.

    [ go to the team page ]
    Where we workRead More

  • Leeds Ahead is an independent not for profit company limited by guarantee. Its Board of Directors is made up of business leaders and key individuals drawn from the public sector, all of whom share a commitment to the long-term future of the city.

    Leeds Ahead was founded by its Chief Executive, Stephanie Burras, in 2004. Over the last two years, Leeds Ahead has grown from a team of 2 people to a team of 10 and it has expanded its brokerage operations right across the city. It now works with businesses of all sizes and from all sectors.

    Who we areRead More

  • Successful businesses recognise the connection between corporate responsibility and enlightened self-interest, making CSR an essential part of any sustainable business strategy.  Most businesses want to "put something back" and help society to prosper and business involvement is vital if we are to succeed in tackling the hard issues of today.

    Unfortunately, getting started is not always as easy as it might be. With so many projects and initiatives, it can be difficult to work out what to do. Leeds Ahead makes it easy for business, acting as an independent connecting rod to help business identify where best to invest its resource and to help community partners link easily with businesses that want to support them.

    Our work is rooted in the city's long term strategic vision. We locate our team in the priority neighbourhoods so that they develop and maintain the local knowledge and links that are essential to achieving lasting impact.

    What we doRead More

  • Leeds Ahead raises revenue by providing services to public and private sector clients.  We are a social business and do not therefore distribute profits to members but reinvest them back into the business to further our social objectives.

    We provide services to the private sector through our membership scheme, our corporate sponsorship scheme and through provision of consultancy services on bespoke projects.

    We provide services under contract to Leeds City Council, from whom we have a mandate, together with Leeds Community Foundation, to engage the private sector in community regeneration. We further have the lead role on engaging business in supporting the Leeds Local Enterprise Growth Initiative (LEGI) Programme.

    Leeds Ahead is based on the principle of partnership and so we welcome partnership approaches by any public or private sector organisation interested in partnering with us. 

    How we're fundedRead More